And It's About Time There Was Some Support For Cushing's!
I am 44 years old and my actual journey began about 2 years ago. But when I think about it my problems started long before that. Any how about 3 years ago I was a very active person Worked full time in a retail store stocking shelves, also worked with 3 special needs children and exercised 3 or 4 times a week at Curves, as well as having a spotless home and a husband and a son to look after. Then one day when I was playing with one of my special needs children( six year old) I got head butted by him, well by the next day the whole side of my face was bruised, then by the next day my left foot was so swollen I couldn't get shoes on.
Then with in a few months my patients with these children grew thin and this is not like me, was getting very tired, decided I had better give some of this up for the childrens' sake. Still exercising though and still working. Although exercising started to gain some weight 15 -20 pounds in about 3 months, this was around Christmas time so I just figured it was the extra eating that goes along with Christmas.
Meanwhile foot was still swelling up and other symptoms popping up so by April of the next year I went to the walk in clinic here in town as I didn't have a doctor (mine retired) so they did some routine blood tests then they found that my iron was way to low and and did some more tests sent me to an internalist and a gynacolist, thinking it was just my heavy periods I have had for the past 10 years and wanted to give me a hysterectomy to cure my problems, I thought not, I know my own body I knew there was much more wrong than this. I never liked going to the doctors and don't like to take medication so I knew there was something wrong.
So after months of this blood test and that one and come back in a month I decided to go to Toronto and a Health Clinic for a full assessment and this is were they found my cortisol levels high and then the testing began. First the 24hr UFC, then the low dose dex, then the high dose dex, then the abdominal ultra sound, then the cranial MRI, then the BIPSS, the the chest and abdominal scan and now the doctor at the health clinic is puzzled, but all the results of my test indicate that is is not pituitary or adrenal and all this has taken so long, beginning to feel just like a number at this clinic so have been trying very hard to get a doctor here in town and finally did this week and explained my situation and he has taken me on as a patient and will get things moving for me. I am so glad because I would really love to get on with my life. I have a granddaughter who is growing so fast and I haven't been able to visit because of the fact my life has been put on hold for the last year.
My Husband has been wonderful (maybe not so much at first) but he knows the real me and knows I will be back someday, My family has been very supportive, I have all the classic symptoms of Cushings and it is so totally opposite of the real me so my family and true friends know there is something wrong, So I hope my journey will soon be on the road uphill, not down.
Hope this hasn't been too long of a bio. Thanks for Listening. Lori May
