And It's About Time There Was Some Support For Cushing's!
I have through the years noticed my energy and attention was waning but I put it off to being so busy. I traveled all over the world, went to culinary school in France. Worked in arizona, Louisiana and know Knoxville. Had my own business last 10 years, actually 2 businesses, Cafe and market and construction company. Also fished (bass) professionaly last few years.
I have for the last few years gotten very sick for about a month or so and then it would go away. I had severe vertigo for a year and was diagosed with menueres disease. It went away. I put it off to traveling and weather being outdoors fishing. I was in N.Y. fishing on lake ontario for a tournament when the trade towers got hit. I returned home and got really sick for about a month and so on. I fell and broke my ankle in 03. walked on it for 2 weeks because e-room said it wasnt broke.
This year starting in Nov. 04 I started getting run down and just couldn't recoup my energy. Went to Dr. and they saw low testosterone, gave me a vitamin shot and told me to relax, I was just overworked. I took multiple sick days because some days I could not get up. I had extreme nausea, headaches, migraines and extreme fatigue. I still didn't recoup my energy so I went back to Dr., they said I was depressed, I told him that was redicoulus, I was upset because my body had a mind of its on. To make a long story short, I went to another Dr. and he said my testosterone was low but my liver function was high so he couldn't treat until liver was better. I don't drink. This started different medications and different tests, for lupus, ms, all kinds of things except cushings. Finally they told me it was in my head. Then they did a body bone scan and found a tumor just below my knee and arthritis.
So they decided to send me to Vanderbilt. Two days before I went to Vanderbilt I had a very sore throat so I went to my regular Dr. and was given anti.b for throat infection. It got worse so when I got to Vanderbilt the Dr. walked in and I told him of my history and I think it was obvious how sick I was at the time. He looked at my throat and walked out of the office. He came back with 2 Dr.s and they all looked at my throat and said that is diffenately thrush. I had never heard of it. So they put me on med. and asked me about my sex life. I laughed my wife was in the room and said What sex life. They tested for aids, I think they thought that was what I had because one Dr. said, Well only people with aids get this as an adult. Yes right.
I havent mentioned all the little infections I had throughout the year, ear infections, boils on my legs, back and forth. Never had any of this before and my energy was just dropping off the map. The Dr.s did alots of test on me and had me sent to all kinds of specialist, sleep apnea (I have), Diverticoulitis (I have) leg tumor (not malignent and not growing) Arthritis (not bad) low testosterone and mildly elevated white cells. Low body temp. 76 to 78. High blood pressure
Finally he gave me a urine jug and told me what to do. Wow he said I had high cortisol (Didn't have a clue what it meant and he didn't say) Gave me a low dose dex. test. ( I did but they only gave me one jug so I made it to about 6pm the same day and it was full) so I turned it in. I didn't know how important it was to get the whole 24 hours. It came back suppresed so he said I was o.k.
Then I started reading about it and I asked him to send me to endo. He didn't. I kept getting worse. I begged, I had read about a good endo. right there at vandy. Dr. B., I begged some more. I was getting worse and by this time I could no longer work, fish, shop, anything.
He sent me to phsyciatry for a whole days worth of tests which I felt like a monkey doing these simple tests. I begged some more and finally he relented. I met with my endo. he read my chart, I told him I didn't do my test right, he reordered it and it came back, not suppressed. Also had very low test. He ordered a high 8mg. test blood cortisol. That is what I am waiting on.
Yes everyone I feel thinks I am just lazy all of a sudden. My wife just called and asked me to go out to lunch with her, for the 5th time in 2 weeks knowing I don't feel good enough to walk out of the house. It is like everyone just ignores what is going on and think I will just all of a sudden be better. I WISH so bad that was true.
