Adrenal glands, red in this image, are buried under all that human organ stuff in the abdomen.
I used to see BLAers, a term of endearment for those Cushies who have opted for surgical intervention with bilateral adrenalectomy, and watch them with awe and amazement, thinking they were BRAVE-- so brave to face uncertainty of Addison's because they knew, just knew, that shutting off the spiget of cortisol was the right thing to do. Taking that leap into the unknown is a very difficult thing to do, especially when the medical community and even family and friends warn you of the risks, lifelong changes, and irreversibility of the procedure.
Now that I have had my BLA, I *know* that we Cushie BLAers are brave, and that I am brave, too. This group of brave souls will save each other's lives over and over. We do so gladly. We reach out to one another for help and we hold on to one another in crisis. We are forever bonded by what we lack: adrenals.
