Interesting - both of your posts....

My daughter likes scary movies too (and no, I can’t go on scary rides either). Meghan is my daughter’s name (she’s 20 next month). My Meghan knows me well enough to know that I won’t like ’this or that" movie and will actually tell me (if she’s with me) to cover my eyes over the bad parts (if she’s seen if before).  I didn’t used to understand why I couldn’t watch emotional shows/movies on TV without feeling really lousy and shaky-(about people being abused, etc.) I always had more of a reaction than others around me.

I can’t watch controversial things before bed either... my former fiancee (and actually one of the big factors of breaking up with him was I couldn’t take the stress of his three kids and his ex) would always want to watch gross, guy movies at his house at night - or some sci-fi flick. I just couldn’t handle the violence before going to sleep... I would tell him to watch it when I wasn’t there (we lived 45 mins apart)The poor guy... he really "got" what CAH was about. We would go bike riding right after I had taken my meds (I take Dex once a day at around 8am) and I had no stamina until the steroids kicked in because they had worn off from yesterday... if it was hot, I’d be white as a ghost, staring off into space, extremely quiet, dizzy, and would have to lie down for at least 15 minutes by the time we got back to his house. Sometimes I’d have to take extra Dex... and lie down for 1/2 an hour or an hour. I get really hot too...my hands turn red and my heart rate is higher than everyone elses... He was a morning person too.. God help him...I am NOT. I asked Dr. Merke about that when I went to NIH - she said it’s because of CAH - the low cortisol. Funny - both of my parents were night people as is my only sibling... my daughter is too. We all take our time getting up. My boss has just changed the starting time of our school for next year to 1/2 an hour earlier (AHHHHHHHHH). My body never seems to be ready to go to sleep until 11:00 or later. Getting up before 6am - HORRIBLE!

Yes, I understand feeling like a wimp... I HATE THAT! I feel like I’m complaining or making excuses... but the problem is that I have to take care of my health (take more meds) or I will be in serious trouble. I feel at times awkward when I need to take more meds, and other people are around - especially people I don’t know very well... although I have told my students every year that my adrenals don’t work right and I have to take steroids... that way I don’t feel weird if I have to take more in front of them.

It is so wonderful to talk to people who truly understand that this "deal" is quite a challenge. It’s not in our heads. I’m not nuts (unless I’m stressed and have PMS at the same time - then I’m really in a bad way), I just have a medical condition (that happens to stink by the way).  Funny how when other CAH’ers posts you can tell if they have low cortisol when they write (or are terribly stressed) - some of the posts seem irrational... I know I feel/act that way when I’m low on cortisol. I REALLY wish we could get something like a glucometer to test cortisol quickly... I would know when to take more. By the time I figure it out.. I’m usually out to lunch (not literally) - headache, dizzy, lack of concentration, crabby, can’t handle noise, stressed.  Even if I take my Dex two hours later than usual - it seems to set me up for not feeling well the whole day. It’s like my body doesn’t ’catch up" when I take my dose of steroids... I’ve gone down some and I don’t really feel that well until the next day - weird. Do either of you have that situation happen?

Well - enough blogging. Thanks for your imput - and I hope to hear much more from both of you.

Susan