And It's About Time There Was Some Support For Cushing's!
Hello, My name is Jessica and I am 21 yrs. old.
I have been having strange symptoms since I can remember it started when I was about 13 I started having terrible periods lots of pain, migraines etc. and was told it was no big deal so I ignored it. By the time I was 16 I was in so much pain every month I couldn't go to school 1-2 weeks out of every month! They put me on a strong birth control pill which helped a little in the beginnning but when I turned 17 it did nothing . I had also started gaining weight; before the pill I was about 115-120lbs by age 17 I was around 150lbs. They said the weight gain was all from the pill. Well after that I started getting nausiated alot and had headaches all the time also the female problems were terrible. I was also still gaing weight by age 19 I was 170lbs.( All this time I was very active I played tennis almost daily and I also life guared.)
Around 19 I started getting weak and tired feeling and just a general sense that something wasn't right. I went to see a new Gyno and he said it was probably related to my birth control se he switched my pills which did absolutely nothing. When I went back a few months later and told him about all the problems I was having he blew me off told me to eat less and exercise more. So I did. It didn't help.
My female problems had gotten so bad I thought about having the surgery that tests for Endometriosis but as my husband and I had been thinking about having a baby I decided against it and became prenant four months before my 20 birthday. My pregnancy was great! No symptoms not even morning sickness! I thought I was in the clear.
After my daughter was born in Sept. of '05 I thought it had all been a bad dream. I felt better then ever , no problems totally energized even with no sleep! I noticed however that I wasn't producing hardly any milk at all just a couple of ounces a day, but I didn't think much of it at the time and started bottle feeding.
And then it happend exactly 9 weeks after she was born the symptoms were back with a vengence! Of course I was still fat and had the hump before and during and after pregnancy but I got worse thing too. Hair all falling out, red face, heat intolerance, striae marks, feel like my head is being stabbed with a lightning bolt, nausea, dizziness, Exteme fatigue, more weight gain(now up to 200lbs.) thirsty alot, pimples which I've never had before,bowel problems, and other things I can;t even remember right now.
And still no help from doctors I've heard everything from stress to post-partum depression to just being fat and lazy to apperently needing to go to church more according to my insane Endocrinologist! I had a Dr. actually run some tests which said my cortisol levels were very high but other test he did were inconclusive which is how I ended up at the Endo.
So I have temporarily given up on what to do or where to go from here. All of this is very hard when you have a small baby at home. I look at her and just cry sometimes because I feel like I missing out on the best part of her life and also wondering if I'll even be around for the rest of it. I know something is wrong and everything points to this disease, I just hope I can get help soon.
