Being an explorer with Addison’s disease is a challenge. Basically, you have to have tested your limits through training and travel to know and understand where your own limits are. In my case, I have cycled road cycling about 5000 km every year and traveled a lot to different countries. Through this, I have not risked anything but have gradually learned when and where the symptoms come and how to act. Learning by doing is the way to success and understanding!
The most important thing is to feel good and be symptom-free before an adventure. This gives a good starting point that is vital. If I am in the slightest unsure, I always take extra hydrocortisone. The same applies to my diabetes and blood sugar. I never take chances but have to know 100% that my body has the required physique, the right amount of cortisol, to be rested and prepared if something were to happen. Therefore, always having Solu-Cortef with me is a vital factor.

Diving
I have been a certified diver for a long time with three further training courses. I have received this because my doctor is behind me taking care of my diagnoses so well that no problem will arise. I feel the same way and it is vital to be honest so as not to risk my life.
When I dive, I make sure to be symptom-free and neither have muscle weakness nor be tired. If I have the slightest doubt, I take extra hydrocortisone. The most recent dives I have done have been at 10, 14, 17 and 21 meters for about 60 minutes. How you are as a diver in the water is at least as important so that you do not panic or feel uncomfortable. It creates stress and you can have an Addisonian crisis. I myself am extremely calm, feel good, relaxed and enjoy every millimeter in the sea. It is stress-relieving and in a magical world. Throughout the dive, I check in on how I am feeling and have constant contact with my dive buddy so that he also knows the status.

Svalbard
I made my first trip to Svalbard with my father. I absolutely wanted to go to the Arctic just to see the environment and what it looks like for a short time. It turned out to be three days but I had time to email their hospital beforehand and ask if they had medical care. Once there I visited the hospital and it turned out that they know about Addison’s disease and treat Addisonian crises. It’s good to know but if not most hospitals and health centers have both cortisol and drips. It made me feel safe and that’s why we went by boat out into the Arctic Ocean for five hours and did expeditions. In the worst case, there are rescue helicopters that can pick up if a person gets sick. It could just as well be someone who has a cardiac arrest or breaks a leg..
The wonderful and magical environment but above all the desolate landscape made me know that I would return! In May 2025 I will go alone on a 5-day boat expedition west and north of Svalbard and hope to reach the 80th parallel. Here I will plan fully since I am alone in my travel company. I will feel for symptoms and take extra cortisone as soon as I am unsure or have symptoms. If I vomit and cannot keep the cortisone tablets down, it will be Solu-Cortef. The injection is no problem to take because I have taken 55,000 injections before because of my diabetes.
I want to show that our diagnosis should not be an excuse from living, discovering and doing what we want in our only life.

Greenland
A big dream for many years came true in May 2024. I booked through an agency this time because it was such a long distance and difficult terrain and that would make everything easier. Since there are no roads between the villages, you move by plane, helicopter or boat.
The trip started the day before by bus to Copenhagen where I spent the night at the airport. That would give me time to relax before departure and get a good night’s sleep. Once on the plane, I took some extra cortisone because I felt a little lonely with a big adventure ahead of me.
We landed at Kangerlassuaq and at an old military base. From there we went in an all-terrain vehicle to the 10,000-year-old glacier. An incredible sight and you can’t possibly understand that it has been there every day for all these years. This gives you the feeling that shit, I can get here myself with four diagnoses!!! It was actually worth celebrating so I had brought some white wine with me😊
The trip continued by plane to the capital Nuuk. There my travel companions and I walked around and discovered the culture. One memory was a large cemetery with white crosses outside the city and everyone was buried under stones because the permafrost raises the bodies to ground level. Another memory was the museum that showed the Greenlandic culture with different tools and history that the Enuit created. Until now I had not had symptoms because I felt calm and relaxed. When traveling to the Arctic I feel less symptoms and stress than in everyday life at home and therefore it is like a recovery trip.
In the evening we boarded a ferry that would take us from Nuuk via many small coastal communities north to Ilulissat! The boat trip was smooth and nice and the further north we went, the more ice and icebergs appeared on the sea. On the boat there was a restaurant with be limited food and I had my own cabin to recover in. The temperature was a few degrees above zero but the wind was so bitterly cold that I had five layers of clothing on when I stood on deck. Occasionally we could go ashore at the stops and then I got to see Greenland’s oldest house, how people stood and sold whale meat from a wheelbarrow and how large glacier blocks lay between the boats in the harbor.
Once in Ilulissat it felt a bit like the end of the world. A community that was in front of a sea of ​​glacial ice. Wherever you stood and looked at the sea you also saw the different sizes and shapes of the glaciers as if it were a painting but above all unreal and odd. The community had more Greenland dogs than people to pull sleds and the story behind these dogs is fascinating. The only thing that happened during the days in Ilulissat was that we walked so much that our blood sugar dropped but that’s because we walked so much one of the days. It could just as easily have been due to too little cortisol, but in this case I figured out that it was due to a little too much insulin. It was easily fixed because I also always carry a bag of sweets with me. The sale was over and 4500 pictures later I flew from Ilullisat – Kangerlassuq – Copenhagen and on by bus home.

Iceland
There have been two trips to Iceland. First for a Nordic conference on Addison’s disease and the second time to shoot a film about an Addison’s crisis in an Arctic environment by a glacier. On one of the occasions there was also a helicopter ride to a hot spring far outside Reykjavik and a bumpy bus ride out into a lava desert to see an old airplane. On all occasions I have gone well prepared with extra hydrocortisone in my pocket, Solu-Cortef in my backpack, Certificate of treatment and my diagnoses close at hand, while before the trip I have found out if they know about and can treat Addison’s disease. I plan the trips so that they are not too long or stressful. At the same time, it’s good if someone else drives the car or bus so you can rest to enjoy – and look at everything!

/Martin Norrman

When I travel today, I usually find out if the destination is a safe place with good conditions for guaranteed good care and knowledge in healthcare. In the hand luggage on the flight, I carry all medicine so that it is not exposed to large temperature differences, but above all to keep an eye on my vital medicines. I always carry extra cortisone tablets in my pocket in case I get weak or exhausted. Something that is important is that I always have 3-5 bottles of Solu-Cortef with me! You never know when you might have a crisis during the trip because there is usually stress even before the trip begins. Anything can happen at any time and then you must always have your own first aid via Solu-cortef. Secondary, but at least as important, is that if something happens, it is that you ingest liquid via drip!

I remember on a cruise in the Caribbean two years ago on New Year’s Day when I woke up and threw up. I was in a cold sweat and just wanted to get out of a sweaty bed and lie on the floor. I could barely get to the toilet and had to drag myself forward. With great luck, I managed to get myself a Solu-Cortef and fell asleep again thoroughly absorbed. Five hours later I woke up feeling really good after the incident.

Another incident was in Thailand ten years ago when I got food poisoning. Then I woke up early and threw up. We called an ambulance and contacted SOS in Copenhagen. They came and took me to a smaller hospital/care center. They told me that I had an Addison’s crisis and they had no knowledge of it or Addison’s disease. They looked for information on the internet and called my doctor. After that, I received both intravenous cortisol and a drip for half a day. As usual, I quickly got much better and I was an experience richer.

In order to always have the right amount of cortisol, I usually make sure that I don’t feel symptoms such as muscle weakness, fatigue, etc. If I’m not sure, I’d rather take a little extra cortisone than not do it.
My last trip to Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard worked perfectly. Everything is fine, but I’m trying to take it easy and not stress. An important factor is getting enough sleep and eating properly to cope with the schedule. Many factors affect Addison and so I try to stay one step ahead and think ahead.

Six months before the trip, I also contacted the hospital in Nuuk, which is the capital of Greenland, to find out if they can treat an Addison’s patient if something were to happen. They knew everything and could also get help from both Copenhagen, rescue helicopters etc. So they had covered the geographical area with certainty for me.
//Martin Norrman

It is as common to exercise with Addison’s as it is not. Many have learned to combine training and diagnosis, while others are unsure and do the safe thing before the unsafe.

First and foremost, exercise is good for everyone, regardless of whether you are healthy or have a chronic diagnosis. I myself have four diagnoses and for me exercise is as important as cortisone or insulin!

Scientific evidence shows that exercise is good and some of the positive aspects are:
✔ The breath. Oxygen absorption is improved.
✔ Balance. Regular exercise makes it easier to find balance in other parts of life as well, such as sleep, stress and better food choices.
✔ The heart. The body’s most important muscle is strengthened and pumping ability is improved.
✔ Fitness will improve. It is a good investment for a long and healthy life.
✔ The heart rate goes down, both the working heart rate during exercise and the resting heart rate in bed.
✔ The circulation. Better blood circulation with increased blood flow to the muscles.
✔ Stamina improves, in the gym, on the track and up the stairs to the apartment.
✔ Calming. A harmonious yoga class or a quiet run along the water, say no more!
✔ Endorphins. Secretion of the body’s own “feel good hormone” makes you feel happy.
✔ Fresh air – and daylight! A run, brisk walk or visit to the outdoor gym during lunch is a good way to catch some of the bright hours of the day. It’s guaranteed to make you more energetic for the rest of the day (and is a great addition to your gym visits)!
✔ Vitamin D. In the summer, about 30 minutes outside in the daylight is enough to satisfy the body’s vitamin D needs. During the dark months of the year, however, it is more difficult for the body to produce enough vitamin D from sunlight, so you need to be extra careful with a vitamin D-rich diet and any supplements.
✔ Coherence. Join a running group or start talking to other regulars at your group fitness classes.
✔ The stomach comes into balance more easily when it gets regular exercise.
✔ Natural. We’re built to move, not Netflix marathons on the couch.
✔ Vital. You feel alive when you work out, especially during those intervals that never seem to end.
✔ Younger. Countless studies show that regular exercise keeps you young.
✔ Sex. According to the statistics, those who exercise regularly have a better sex life than those who do not exercise.
✔ Surplus. Most people who exercise have more excess energy than others. Try it yourself and see how energetic and happy you become at work after a sweaty morning session!

Addison’s and exercise
Exercise is stress for the body. The more we exercise, the more stress-resistant we become with the activity. Therefore, many times more cortisone is required the first time you exercise, and when you have done the activity several times, less is required and then decreases, then the daily dose of cortisone is enough.

I compare this to getting a driver’s license. The first time you drive a car, you are nervous, anxious and stressed to keep track of everything. That’s exactly how it is with training the first time and then more cortisone is required. Professor Johan Jendle at Karlstad University Hospital claims that 5 mg of cortisol per hour should be enough, but I claim that it is highly individual. When exercising, you must not have symptoms of too little cortisol, but you must feel strong and “normal”. Because it is individual, you have to test yourself and it can take a long time.

The advantage of training is that you get to know your symptoms and limitations! You sense these earlier because you depend on feeling good during training. This allows you to feel sooner if you need cortisone than if you had not exercised and needed to feel symptoms.
In the vast majority of cases when you feel tired, lethargic, lack of energy, reluctance to exercise, it is due to too little cortisone.

/Martin Norrman

Source: 18 Benefits of Exercise – Why Exercise Is Good for You – Actic

How do I dare to dive with Addison’s disease?

Many years before I got my diagnosis, I got my Scuba Diving Certificate. No one can take that away from me while I have experience and know what it means.

Along with the diving, I got Addison’s disease. I didn’t dive for many years because I felt I had to understand how I function 100% considering I also have diabetes 1, Graves disease and asthma.
Each person is different, but I am an expert in my own diagnoses. I know exactly how it works and that makes me feel safe. Of course, extreme planning is required with blood sugar, insulin in the body, cortisone amount, symptoms, etc., etc.

Safety is absolutely the most important thing and you must not risk anything because it can go really bad in the deep. Is there a plan B? My wife was on the shore with Solu-Cortef, candy, insulin etc if something went wrong.

I prepared a day before by making sure my blood sugar was good. I got up three hours before the first dive to get the right amount of carbohydrates and the right amount of insulin and control a good blood sugar. Just before the first dive, it was perfect for everyday life, but because I wanted to replenish my body with a reserve, I took a fruit and some sweets, nothing was allowed to happen!!

Dive one took 45 minutes at a depth of around five meters. It was shallow but I enjoy the diving regardless and therefore I am extremely calm and safe in the environment. For me, there is no stress in this, but I still took a little extra cortisone before because the equipment was heavy, it was 34 Celcius in the air and I was going to dive.

After the dive I checked the blood sugar and it was a little high but perfect for diving and not to risk low blood sugar. I still took some candy to save myself in case the energy ran out during the second dive. Every second during the dive I felt symptoms from one of the diagnoses but it felt safe and good. If I had felt something, I would have stopped immediately and gone to the surface.

I don’t know if you can take a diving certificate with Addison today, but regardless, you have to know your limitations and body 100%. I myself have experimented and learned after many years and miles of hard road cycling, running and travelling.

As I said, no one is the same and you can’t say that someone can or can’t. Only you know!

/Martin

In Sweden, everyone pays approx. 33% in tax and the money goes to, among other things, schools, healthcare, infrastructure, care for the elderly and more. This means that the cost is very low when I, as a sick person, seek medical care. An emergency visit costs SEK 400 in Sweden today, and it doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a small matter or an emergency with an ambulance. Of course, this creates a security that means I never have to worry about the cost in any case.

Unfortunately, of course, ignorance about Addison’s disease is also great here. Therefore, our association and all other associations in the world are working to make the diagnosis better known. Knowledge must increase so that those with the diagnosis can get the right help and support when they need it. Within emergency care, things MUST get better because those with Addison’s crisis are in a life-threatening condition.

How do you experience healthcare in your country?

/Martin Norrman

In addition to Addison’s disease, I have diabetes, Graves and Asthma. Even so, I can’t stop being grateful to be alive. I think it’s because of the four long days of coma I was in 2003. An undetected Addison’s that was about to cost me my life.

When I lecture, I tell you that I have chronic diagnoses and that you can live your whole life with them. I both get and can live! Everything is relative and I tell you that many others do not have that privilege. My cousin was told he had cancer one Christmas and passed away a year later. Think then children with this or other fatal diagnoses. Therefore, I myself am grateful because human life is relatively short anyway.

Despite the fact that we have to struggle daily with various symptoms, some feel so well in their Addison’s and are not so affected, while others cannot cope with anything.

Something that obviously affects the situation and well-being is how the knowledge is from the care and what help and support you get. It is fundamental to learning and feeling safe. The cost of cortisone also affects. Some cortisone is extremely expensive and others cheaper and usually the more expensive the better. If it is better, the patient gets a higher quality of life and visits care less often. I would argue that the most expensive cortisone will be cheaper in the long run because contact with care is reduced for many with Addison’s.

/Martin Norrman

Everyone with Addison’s disease sometimes gets too little cortisol in their body. For some reason, the body has become stressed and needed more cortisone. If you have not been prepared or aware of the stress, you can become sickly tired because our cortisol has been used up. This fatigue is so extreme and exhausting that you basically become paralyzed. The energy to do something is not there and can only be lifted by adding extra cortisone.

Being in the situation makes you feel powerless, paralyzed for action and is quite similar to low blood sugar in a diabetic when it comes to stamina.

Feel free to write and tell us about how you experience this exhaustion!

First of all, all people are different with different conditions and moods. Having said that, there are also many who feel good about their diagnosis and exercise.

Exercise is a matter of definition and it is up to each person. For myself, that means road cycling and for me it is as important as cortisone and insulin. It’s because I train so much that I know how I should feel when I train. Do I have enough energy, muscle pain, tired?

If I have any of the symptoms, I know for myself that I have too little cortisone. Rest and food are also essential, of course. This week I have cycled 200 km and it is not an extreme distance. If I can get healthy, I assume that I should be able to too. The only thing we don’t have is cortisol and so I adjust it so I have the same energy as a healthy person. I want to show that I can be this active in my training despite the diagnoses.

The main thing is that you still move. If you are swollen, aching or tired, it depends on something. Isn’t it too little cortisol, maybe it’s due to too little rest, the diet, the psyche or the physical? A walk is enough…

At the same time, I want to tell you that our Team is followers who like us, sick or healthy or whoever. We are a team that together makes Addison’s disease better known!

/Martin

It’s amazing how much demand we have for our team wear. Those who order want to help us make Addison’s disease better known and the interest is great and global!

Right now “we” are designing new t-shirts and shorts for both men and women. It will be similar colors but still new. Demand is high so we suspect the clothes will sell out quickly once they are ready.

We are in contact with the company that will make the clothes and everything is correct. We have also received sponsors that enable us to buy in and subsidize the prices a little, the important thing is that the clothes are visible to attract attention.

In the meantime, we also keep our Facebook page and Instagram up and running.

Incidentally, a few more countries are in the process of starting up Team Addison.

We also have our own web designer who takes care of both the website and everything related to orders and the technical aspects. Malin is perfect for the assignment and will develop the Team’s website with many new ideas and changes!

/Martin Norrman
Founder

For many years I have dreamed of going to Greenland. What made me unsure about going there is that no one else I know is either willing or able. Even the actual trip there and my diagnoses apart from Addison’s made me insecure for many years. 

My previous trips to the Arctic have gone well because I had travel companions. Iceland, Svalbard and Lofoten in Norway have had healthcare relatively close should something happen to my diagnoses. Since then, I have also had in my mind that anyone can get sick and what would make me more vulnerable? Unlike healthy people who get sick, with Addison I always carry my own first aid, that is, Solu-Cortef. This means that I dare to challenge myself and get to see environments that few people visit. 

Before I go on any trip, I do careful research. I check how far it is to hospitals, if they know and can treat both Addison’s disease and an Addison’s crisis. How many hours is the flight and how should I change my daily dose of cortisone given the time zone? During the trips, I am careful to pay attention to symptoms because flight times, airports, unfamiliar environments stress the body. I usually take extra cortisone on the day of the trip because it is usually long. 

Before I booked my trip to Greenland, I contacted the hospital in the capital Nuuk. I asked about Addison’s disease and they knew everything. That gave me the go-ahead to order the trip. 

I went as a single Swede on a group trip with others from Germany, Switzerland and Denmark. The reason for the group trip this time was to bring as much as possible and make it easy in an unfamiliar environment. It would be difficult to see everything I saw if I booked privately as there are no roads between the resorts. Airplane, helicopter and boat are the only options for traveling in Greenland. 

The first day I was worried in my body. Mainly because I was alone and stressed that nothing would happen. Would I come by buses, flights, hotel rooms? It turned out that everything was correct, but that I still had to be vigilant about everything all the time as a solo traveler with four chronic diagnoses. I took extra cortisone given the anxiety, the time difference of four hours and a long day. I also drank a lot of fluids and I tried to rest when I could. 

Once in Greenland, everything went well. The schedule was followed and I just had to think about not getting symptoms, fitting the schedule and dressing warmly. I remember wearing five layers of clothing while standing on the ferry to keep from freezing. Zero degrees and strong wind take their toll. 

We visited small towns several hours from the mainland. There was really no help other than the rescue helicopter if something happened. If we fell into the water, we would cool down and die in five minutes. Everything went well! 

Extremely stubborn and with a great will it becomes possible for me. It also shows others that they can do it too. Well aware with insight and knowledge, nothing should be able to stop us from living and doing everything we want. This experience will form the basis for next year’s trip to Nepal, Kathmandu and helicopter to Mount Everest. 

/Martin