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Sheila's Story...

Hi,

My name is Sheila, I am 38 years old and discovered this site a few weeks ago when my endo suggested cushings. Here is my long story.

I had alway been thin and semi active. I had my son at the age of 20, weighed 128lbs the day I went into labor and 109lbs at my 6 week check-up. In 1992, at the age of 24 I married my wonderful husband. I weighed 107lbs and wore a size 3. By our 1st anniverary I weighed 154lbs. I chalked it up to all the changes of married life and quiting my job. I was very tired but blamed it on my weight.

In 1994 we moved to Colorado for my husband to attend college. I was doing o.k. and had lost about 5lbs. Then in Feb of 1996 I had horrible pain in my uterus, I could not bend or sit. My husband took me to the ER and the dr said it was a spastic colon. Well over the months I kept getting these pains. I went to a gyno who was wonderful. He ran me through many test but could not determine my pain. But everytime he examined me I had horrible pain. I could no longer have sex without pain. So I had a hystorectomy in Dec 1996. At my 6 week exam the dr gave me a clean bill of health. WE moved back to Wyoming and I started excersising and got done to 135lbs by summer.

In Aug of 1997 I was working out everyday and feeling good. Then I started to get sick. I went from walking 40 minutes a day to not being able to do 5 minutes. By April of 1998 I had gained 22lbs and could hardly breathe. I ended up in the ER b/c I almost pastout at work. THe dr at the ER said I was having a panic attack. I told him I was only anxious b/c I could not breathe!

I went to see a pulmonologist (sp) who believed I was sick. He sent me to the Mayo in MN b/c he could not figure out why my oxygen kept dropping. THe Mayo was a waist of time and money. I spent a week being tested and was told I have Mytrol Valve Prolapse, but not to worry about it. That my lungs were doing the opposit of asthma, that I had a virus they had never seen before, I had anti-bodies attacking my thyroid, they didn't know where they came from, probably the unknown virus. They gave me an inhaler and said they hoped I felt better in a couple of months.

I continued to get worse. I started have great pain throughout my body and muscle cramps. My boss said I looked like death. I started to get a rash and my hair started to fall out. So in the fall of 1997 I was sent to a rheumatologist. He said I had hypo-thyroid and fibormyalgia (sp). I started on a whole list of meds. They did make my sysmptoms better. I was able to start exercising again and maintained 150lbs. I still had the rash and was very tired. I had good and bad days for pain.

In 1999 I started having digestive problems. At first my gastroentoligist said colitos, the in 2001 he changed it ti IBS.

In June 2004 we moved to Georgia, the heat has really done me in. I started feeling really bad again. In Sept 2005 I went to a gyno for check-up. Was put on a low dose of thyroid meds.

Jan 2006 woke up with a 4cm cyst on my thyroid. Has it and half of my thyroid removed in Feb 2006. Started gaining weight rapidly. Went to endo, he increased my synthroid to 137. Put my into hyper-thyroid and I still gained 1lb.

I am now 175lbs, 5'2". My stomach has grown 2" in the last 2 weeks. THe endo dic 24hr cortisol test came back normal (43).

Here are all of my symptons: Stomach that looks 7 months pregnant, hump on back (this just came in September), hair on face and body, hair on head falling out, rash all over body, legs and arms the worst, extremely tired, muscle cramp, very weak, muscles very tight. foot cramp so bad can hardly walk, very forgetful, moody, cannot concentrate. purple stretch marks on inner thieghs, extreme thirst, go to the bathroom constantly, brittle nails, skins on heels falls off in chunks, hands and feet swell daily, itch everywhere, pressure on hips, pain in ribs and back, sick to my stomach daily, and a feeling as if there is not enough room inside my body.

My sister has pancreatits and something wrong with her liver, I don't know if these is connected, I am just needing answers.

I see my endo and gyno in Nov again. I hope they igure this out. I have been sick for so long. I force myself to go to work everyday and excercise when all I want to do is sleep. I have the best husband ever, but I'm sure he misses the girl he married.

I live outside of Savannah, GA. If anyone knows an endo that specializes in cushings in this area, please e-mail me. agapesmf@yahoo.com.

Sorry this was so long. Thanks for listening