Fund my Cortisol Pump for Adrenal Insufficiency!

Hi! My name is Cat, I am 28 and have been living with Secondary adrenal insufficiency for 4 years. Adrenal insufficiency is a condition where, for some reason, the body does not produce cortisol. Without cortisol it is hard to have energy to get up in the morning, the body struggles to regulate glucose levels and overall you feel pretty horrendous. Adrenal insufficiency can also be deadly, and I have had dozens of adrenal crises (dangerously low cortisol levels), 999 calls, A&E visits and hospital admissions because of it.

I also suffer with numerous other conditions which makes managing my adrenal insufficiency even harder. For the last 2 years, I have been injecting hydrocortisone 4 times a day in order to stay alive and function. Because I need to inject at very specific times to not feel unwell, if I miss a dose, or can't take it at the right time, I end up feeling dizzy, sick and sometimes end up having an adrenal crisis resulting in a hospital admission, missing work and often they take weeks to recover from.

So, why do I need a cortisol pump? A cortisol pump matches how the body is supposed to release cortisol throughout the day. It is a repurposed insulin pump that continuously delivers a varied dose of cortisol, keeping my levels safe without causing high or low cortisol levels, which also reduces the harm the hydrocortisone causes to my body.

Unfortunately, the NHS cannot fund this treatment, and it costs at least £5,000 to fund privately at the only hospital that offers it. This includes the appointments, the pump, the blood tests needed to make sure it’s working properly and the education to use it.