And It's About Time There Was Some Support For Cushing's!
My name is Dixie. I am now (2006) 59 years old. It seems like ages ago, but in 1986 I found myself gaining HUGE amounts of weight, getting the round face, wanting to sleep ALL the time, etc., etc. A friend recommended an internal medical doctor which started the ball rolling. She listened to me, took blood and urine tests and told me to go home. She had the sense to consult with other doctors older and wiser than she was and they put me in the hospital for a weekend for monitoring. Though I seldom drink, I found out that my hospital stay was precipitated by the fact that my blood alcohol level was very elevated. My stay was to monitor that I wasn’t hiding a bottle in the night stand. My stay included more blood tests and MRIs.
Soon after that I was told that I had a pituitary tumor causing an overactive pituitary gland. The conclusion was that removing the adrenal glands would be much easier to take out than removing the pituitary gland. After two surgeries, one in 1986 and one in 1987, here I am. Five years prior to the bilateral adrenalectomy, I had kidney stones. That may have been the start of my journey as endocrinologists I have seen since my surgeries have said that gradually all the endocrine glands might go bad. In 1991 I had my parathyroid removed.
The adrenalectomies (or anesthesia) played havoc on me both physically and mentally, but I was comforted when the doctor said I wouldn’t have to worry about my weight anymore. That dream has never dome true. I still fight my weight, am overweight, have poor muscle tone, and tire very easily. My current doctor says I now have chronic adrenal insufficiency so I’m not sure if that is Cushings or Addison’s Disease.
And life goes on.
