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Jessica's Story

Hi all! I've taken some time to look at this site over the last few months and decided I would post my story up until this point in time.

I'm 21, I live in Louisiana, and all my life I've had many health problems. Allergies, skin problems, sinus infections, and easily broken bones just to put some out there. When I was younger, I was always bloated, especially in my face, and looked like I had steroid coursing through me. As a child I never noticed this, but looking back at pictures, it is embarassing to see how puffy I was for an active little girl who ate normally!

Last year, my mom noticed a "hump" on the back of my neck, between my shoulders, after telling me repeatedly to "STAND UP STRAIGHT!". I kept telling her I WAS standing straight, but she thought it was odd that I looked like I was slouching (she's been telling me for many many years to constantly stand straight when I already am, and after looking at old pictures, the hump has been around for a while). Having dealt a bit with the medical field, she was concerned and began her online search for what could be wrong. At the time, we did not connect any other symptoms to this mysterious hump, and of course, no doctor had ever bothered to even consider connections.

One of the few things to arise from this search was Cushing's, which was quite alarming to me and interesting because as I looked at symptoms I realized I had many, if not most. I've always had a problem with bloating and puffiness in my face and stomach only, and losing weight has never been possible no matter what I do. I have found my hair thinning over the years and my eyebrows are very very thin on the sides, hair has been lost there. I have horrible skin problems (eczema along with allergies) and recurring skin infections that take a long time to go away. I bruise easily at small bumps and the bruise spreads and hangs around for a while. I used to be a walking sinus infection before taking allergy shots now, which we think may be suppressing the infection from returning. If I skip a shot, I get sick. I've fractured my wrists 6 times, never on really hard impacts, along with my collarbone. I'm exhausted every day, all day, no matter how much sleep I get, and I don't have the energy or want to do anything that I used to do (i.e., I don't even want to bother shopping, it takes too much energy out of me =[ ) There are so many things that have gone wrong with me and now I feel that I may have found the answer linking it all together.

The only problem is finding a doctor who will work to diagnose me! I was sent to an endocrinologist last year by an internal medicine doctor who said I looked Cushingoid and had the symptoms; however, after a simple urine test, that particular endocrinologist didn't bother calling me with the results and I ended up going to get them 3 weeks later and never returning, which was depressing and disheartening. Only now, since I'm feeling worse and seem to be getting worse, am I worrying again about trying to find someone to help me. I have an appointment with an OBGYN in a few days and I will be talking to him about my problems and seeing if he can refer me to a new, and hopefully helpful, endocrinologist.

If anyone has any comments, suggestions, anything, feel free to email me! I'm looking forward to getting some help from this site!

-Jess

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