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Susan's Story...

hello, everyone! i give you all a big cushie hug, i'm so glad you're reading this website, it's extremely informative! i'd like to share with you my medical "odyssey" that began in june of 2005.

june of 2005- i am diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome

july of 2005- on the beach with my niece when my hip bone seems to "pop' and my shins feel like they're going to collapse right under me when i walked on the dunes. ( i was diagnosed with osteopenia in my shins by my orthopaedist ) i am only 39 years old! osteopenia is the beginnings of osteoporosis.

august of 2005- i notice patches of vitiligo (whitish spots) on my hands this same month i left my former job at the u.s. postal service early to go to the hospital for chest pains from yet another panic attack.

september of 2005- i have a colonoscopy because i was so badly constipated, i tore my anus really bad. it turns out i had an ileus in my intestines and hemorrhoids.

october of 2005- turns out those chest pains last august were from a partially collapsed left lung which i was told was from an "unknown" virus.-- a diagnosis i would eventually hear again. i see an asthma/allergy specialist who diagnosed me with asthma. i was given a prescription for prednisone. i take this for a 2 wk period, i felt like i was going to jump out of my skin, i felt like a junkie. i couldn't sleep at all at night. (i never could sleep through the whole night)

november of 2005- i see a pulmonologist who sees the emergency room x-ray from oct. 2005 and says they're "very abnormal" and sent me to take an mri and cat scan which of course, showed nothing. i also see a lung specialist and just told me to lose the weight as it was causing my sleep apnea and the adipose tissue was pressing on my gallbladder and lungs. what a moron!

december of 2005- i can't fit into my jeans that i wore the week before! i gained twenty pounds! i get the never-ending canker sore on my upper lip that lasts for 2 months, would form a hard crust, kept oozing a honey-colored, thick substance.

may of 2006- i get a one day fever of 101 degrees and the thumb on my left hand cramps up and folds over my hand, the excrutiating pain travels down to my forearm, i have to pinch my forearm hard so my thumb could release and stop the horrific pain. my husband couldn't believe his eyes.

august of 2006- i had two weeks of constant diahrrea no matter what i ate. felt weak, thought i was going to die from dehydration. this month, i am also diagnosed with sleep apnea. isn't that magical??

september of 2006- severe vomiting, whites of eyes were yellow with bloody red patches, red rash all over my body, including my scalp! i also had huge, red welts on both my thighs. i really thought i was going to die. again the er doctor said it was from an "unknown virus". yeah, right!! i see a new endo and he took cortisol tests which were just a little higher than the normal range. i'm told to come back in 6 months. great. i got a call just a week later from him that my liver enzymes were high and the level was 25 percent coverage on my liver from a fatty tumor. lovely..

january 2007- i finally see a cushing's expert! it took three months to get an appointment, it sure was worth it, he ordered three tests i never even took before, one was a salivary cortisol test. i'm going to take them this week. i'll keep you all posted on the results!

remember if your gut feeling tells you to push for a better answer, keep on keepin' on despite all of the negative comments from "so-called friends" and "know-it-all" doctors!!!! until then, may you find the answers you're looking for, listen to your "gut" and don't take any crap from anyone. you'll find the answer as i will find mine, all in due time. may God bless you all and lead you on the right path.

one thing i'd like to mention is that one to two wks before my period i have terrible lower back to my rib pain that jolts me out of what little sleep i have as well as excrutiating pain in my abdomen. i either have constipation real bad and/or diahrrea that has real light colored, garlicky smelling stools. sometimes i dry heave as i'm also nautious, yet i crave carbohydrates. it's really strange.

i have been suffering from severe depression for 2 years now, looking at myself makes it worse. i've gained a whopping 100 pounds! i don't even recognize myself anymore. instead of the" incredible hulk" i've turned into the "incredible bulk"! "well-meaning" doctors, friends and family say to me to go on a diet. how nice. for nearly a year i refuse to see friends, go to any family functions because of the comments. my anger level is at an all time high as i feel betrayed by everyone, especially the doctors.

however, i feel very blessed to have my husband as he is my one true friend besides my mom and dad. he's always been there for me, even through my mood swings, weight gain and sickness. God truly blessed me with him. thank you so much, john, you're truly a gift from God. my hope is to be a better wife to you especially through healing myself!

Susan has added Dr. Harold Carlson to the Helpful Doctors List for New York.

Susan has added this tip to the Helpful Hints page:

ALWAYS TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!!

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