---

Renai's Story

I am 29 years old and have been experiencing many cushings symptoms for years now. I actually had a friend tell me i should ask a doctor about it.. I did and she got me to do a 24 hour urine test it came back 390 and she said this was out of normal range. She rang an endo and he said if it had been 800 or 900 he would seen me straight away, instead he order 4 more 24 hour urines over a 4 week period. Still waiting for final results.

I am have a hard time determing if 390 is high or not as I think the measurement of this test is recorded differnt in other countries than here in Australia. The thing that most has me worried about it now is that for about 3 years i have been lactating (real white milk) and after seeing numerous doctors about this and having tests related to it and breast scans etc. that all came back normal except one my prolactin level was a little high so the doc said and didn't offer further tests to see what the cause was.

I have central obesity, headaches, backaches, painful joints and pressure points, ( in 2006 I woke up one night and couldn't put my feet to the ground, it was so painfull i actually thought i had some kind of spinal damage) my doctor at the time told me i had fibromyalgia syndrome and prescribed me antideppressants, which made me feel terrible so i stopped taking them..I have a funny shape back below my neck and the joints there a extremely painful, but i dont have a moon face (but my brother has a very noticable one, which makes me wonder can this run in families) he also as diabetes and high blood pressure and is only 31.

I cant sleep, i never have an appetite, and hardly eat but i am 100kg (lost 17kg since end of August). While pregnant with my first daughter in 2000 - 01 i lost 25kg but i gained that back in about 4 months after she was born, she was c -section. Then in 2002 i fell pregnant with my youngest and lost 7kg - at 29 week i got 2 incisional hernias. I had them repaired in 2005.

Then found out i had gallstones at end 2005, had gallbladder out early 2006, January 2007- notices start of another incisional hernia from gall surgury. Had this repaired August 2007.

I am anxiously awaiting results not sure what too expect, hope it isnt cushing because if it is i am pretty sure it would be a piturity tumor because of the lactation. I guess I shouldnt get myself worried yet.

Here is my medical History: I will be 29 this year 2008

• Juvenile Rhumatiod Arthritis diagnosed at age 5
• Chronic Fatigue diagnosed at age 12
• Irritable bowel syndrome diagnosed 1997
• Gallstones gall removed 2006
• Fybromyalgia diagnosed 2006
• 3 incisional hernias
• Milky leaking breast discharge since 2004 to date: no explaination, bloods normal, scans normal
• Flat blood blister on abdomen and back
• skin tags
• Hairy chest, abdo and moustache, sideburn fluff and thick long hair under chin
• Fatty liver, dectected same time as gallstones, no stones in 2000, but there in 2005
• Upper back pain since 1998 scans reveal nothing
• high blood cortisol 2007
• high 24 urine 2007
• stretch marks getting worse and often bleed these only became noticable within last 12 months
• unexplained breatlessness and chest pain
• irregular periods since 2004 (from lack of to very erratic and light to very heavy to chocolate colour)
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Aches and pains everywhere
• can hardly walk after sitting for a while worse on waking
• Morbid obesity (1998 70kg - heaviest in 2005 at 125kg. 100kg at present)
• No milk after giving birth
• weight loss during pregnancies
• Headache after headache

---

Renai may be the subject of a future Live Interview in the Cushings Help Voice Chat / Podcast series. More information as it becomes available. Archives will be available after the chat.