My name is Mike Flannigan. I am the head of the Adrenal Disease Support Group for the Houston, Texas. We have 46 NADF
members in the Houston area and another 82 spread across Texas. Many more across the globe.
I have Addison's disease. When people ask me what Addison's disease is, I typically tell them that it is very rare, is probably
the best auto immune disease to get (at least in my case), and that John F. Kennedy had it. Then I go into what a good tan
it typically causes. You can be dying and still look great :-) With proper treatment it is often manageable, but 100 years ago
people died from it within about 6 months. Even today some people get serious complications that seriously affect their health.
And many (including me) experience some bone loss due to the cortisone medicine that is required.
The national organization is NADF
(National Adrenal Disease Foundation), and is based in Great Neck, New York.
NADF is primarily engaged in helping people with adrenal conditions such as:
Addison's Disease
Cushing's Syndrome
& Cushing's Disease
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
(CAH)
Hyperaldosteronism
There are other adrenal diseases not listed here.
Friday, March 9, 2012
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
The Houston group meets approximately 4 times a year at Memorial
Hermann Northwest. Tom Rodriguez, DSN, RN,
NP-C, APRN, BC runs our meetings. The next meeting of the Greater Houston Area NADF
Support Group will be Friday, March 9, 2012 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Our last meeting was December 9, 2011. It was fun. Come join us if you can.
Mr. Rodriguez provides general support for attendees and gives informative presentations. Some of the presentations
that have been given include:
The meetings are held in Classroom "C" and "D" – 1st floor, South Tower of Memorial Hermann
Northwest, which is located just east of the intersection of Highway 290 and North Loop 610 at Ella Boulevard.
Meeting participants should plan on parking in Garage II (make a right turn behind the hospital onto 27th Street)
for a cost of $3, though it's possible there is some free parking in the area at this hour. Do not park in the surface
lot behind the South Tower because that lot costs $20.
The meetings are free and you don't have to have an adrenal disease to attend. Don't miss it. Click on the
"Memorial
Hermann Northwest" link above for driving directions.
A general Houston map of the location can be found here:
NADF Meeting Location
Click here for a close in map.
The address for Memorial Hermann Northwest is:
1635 N. Loop W., Houston, Texas 77008
Local NADF member Tom Rodriguez will be the host. Tom is an assistant professor of nursing at Texas Woman's
University College of Nursing here in Houston. Thank you Tom for stepping forward to hold these quarterly meetings.
Dr. Rodriguez is a board certified adult primary care medicine and adult psychiatry nurse practitioner. He is also assistant professor
of
nursing at Texas Woman's University College of Nursing where he teaches physical assessment, psychiatric nursing, and adult primary
care. Dr. Rodriguez's area of research interest is endocrine
disorders and their affect on the psyche.
We help people with adrenal diseases in our area with any problems they may have. We work with the main office
in NY to send out information packages on adrenal diseases and on our organization. If you would like an
information package to be sent to you, contact me at the e-mail address below. We have no finances at all at this
point, but can sometimes raise some money if we need it.
NADF does not engage in the practice of medicine. It is not a medical authority, nor does it claim to have medical
knowledge. In all cases, NADF recommends that you consult your own physician regarding any course of
treatment or medication.
Get the Summer 2008 NADF newsletter HERE.
Central Ohio group Fall
2007 newsletter
Central Ohio group Winter
2008 newsletter
Central Ohio group Spring
2008 newsletter
Central Ohio group Fall
2008 newsletter
Central Ohio group Summer
2009 newsletter
Here are some maps showing just a few of the Addisonians in the state of TX:
Relevant Links
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
APS (Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome)
New United Leukodystrophy Foundation website
Primary Contact:
Mike Flannigan
temp@mflan.com
