The girl who couldn't wake up

5 years of misdiagnosis

"For five years, beginning in 1999 at age 16, Jenkins complained of fatigue, nausea, dizziness, memory loss and severe headaches. She frequently fainted. All she wanted to do was sleep."

A must-read article, 'The girl who couldn't wake up', details the events after Jennifer Julian Jenkins was in a wreck which caused the pituitary to be separated from it's stalk (infundibulum). She was misdiagnosed and mistreated for 5 long years.

In addition to the flu, Jenkins was diagnosed with anemia, gastroenteritis and a viral infection. A psychiatrist said there was nothing medically wrong with Jenkins, she was depressed and lazy...

..."At one point, my parents talked about putting me in a mental institution because no matter how hard they tried, nobody could find anything wrong. And the thought of being institutionalized really didn't bother me. All I could think about was, 'At least there, I could sleep without anyone disturbing me.' "...

Once a doctor took the time to do two simple tests for cortisol and thyroid, the problem became clear: hypopituitarism. When asked why it took so long for doctors to test and treat her appropriately, Jennifer says, "I hope some of the doctors I saw read this. I hope they slow down, listen to their patients a little more and take the time to figure out what is wrong instead of just chalking everything up to age or depression."

To read more, click here. A sound bite is included.

Jennifer's story will air on Discovery Health's Mystery Diagnosis December 15. Check your local listings for the time.


Orignially posted at survive the journey