And It's About Time There Was Some Support For Cushing's!
5 years ago I weighed 105 lbs. I began putting on weight rather rapidly, (did not change my eating habits) feeling very tired and out of sorts. I had no energy, so I stopped exercising and spending every spare minute on my bed. I kept on telling myself that I was putting on weight because I was lazy!! Eventually I went to see my Obstetrician who said I was going through perimenopause and to watch calories and exercise. I just about starved myself and was exhausted all the time. A friend, who is a Radiologist, took one look at me and said either my kidneys had failed or I was hypothyroid and sent me to an endo. Long story short ...... he put my on too high a dose of Synthroid and eventually had to zap my Thyroid with radioactive iodine because my levels went haywire. After trial and error he found the right dose of Synthroid (supposedly) and sent me on my way. Little did I know that my problems had only just begun! Besides gaining more and more weight, I now had a Mitral valve prolapse, muscle pain, swollen feet, hands and face and various other symptoms. Five different Md's later I was diagnosed with probable Lupus and put onto Prednisone and Methotrexate. I was on this medication for about eight years (on & off). By this time I was barely functioning (pain, memory loss, disoriented and depressed). I decided to wean myself off all meds. ...... because of this my Rheumatologist "fired" me!! Slowly I began to feel better emotionally, but was still in a lot of pain and was still retaining weight. I developed a Buffalo hump and my endo tested me for Cushings .... the results were negative. I decided that I had had it with the medical profession!!
After years of only visiting the doctor to have my Thyroid checked and Pap smears etc. I recently went to see an Orthopedic surgeon (at my husbands insistence) for a herniated disk, that has been troubling me for years. He took one look at my ex rays and insisted I see a Rheumatologist, because of arthritis and other joint damage. The Rheumatologist looked at the hump on my back (which has become enormous) and is sending me to the endo, as she is "positive" I have Cushings" I am seeing him in three weeks time and while doing research on the internet I came across this site. Please, if anyone out there has had a similar experience ....please help!!!
