Last weekend, Lana Clay, the mother of Jay and Joey Clay, who play baby Ace Cassadine on General Hospital, was admitted to the hospital with sepsis but was thankfully out of the ICU by Sunday.
Sadly, her hospital stay and further testing revealed a diagnosis of Addison's disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects cortisol levels.
"Yesterday I received the diagnosis of an incredibly rare Adrenal Insufficiency Disorder known as Addison's Disease," Clay wrote. "This condition significantly impacts my body's ability to produce the hormone cortisol, with my levels currently undetectable. I basically had what they call an Addisonian crisis, which is super serious and could've been fatal."
According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of Addison's disease include weight loss, skin darkening, muscle and joint pain, depression, and low blood pressure.
Clay, a childhood leukemia survivor, also updated GH fans on her current condition, saying she is still not out of the woods but feeling more like herself and wearing her "Ace" sweatshirt.
"To sum it up, I've been hospitalized for Sepsis, a severe and life-threatening condition caused by my body's overwhelming response to infection, which can lead to organ failure," she explained. "I'm dealing with Colitis, inflammation of my colon causing abdominal pain and digestive issues. My blood and metabolic counts are a disarray. And as most of you know from following me over the years, my history of Leukemia and seizures adds complexity, necessitating close monitoring. And I can't fail to mention I also have an abnormal chest X-ray which needs further investigation."
Over the last year, Clay has delighted the GH audience with photos and videos of her sons on social media. They first aired on the soap last winter after Esme Prince gave birth to Nikolas Cassadine's second son during a hostage situation at Wyndemere. We have watched both Jay and Joey grow into toddlers as Laura and Kevin get ready to adopt Ace now that Esme is presumed dead and Nikolas is behind bars.
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