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Alex C (Alex C), Undiagnosed Bio

July 7, 2017

MaryO Diabetes, Male, Other Diagnosis, Undiagnosed , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

Hi, My name is alex and i honestly have no idea what’s wrong with me.

about 5 years ago i became ill, all of a sudden went from a healthy strong active person, to feeling weak, tired, i gained weight, my hair started thinning, among other symptoms, i was diagnosed with diabetes, my sugars were in the 500’s then one day about 6 months later, my diabetes went away, no change in diet, no change in lifestyle, just up and went away…but it was replaced with excruciating pain, throughout my body mainly in my legs and arms, they said its pribably neuropathy… but i had only been diabetic for 6 months, they tested and found no neuropathy…they said it might be MS, they tested nope not MS….they said it might be fibromyalgia…i don’t have trigger points no not fibromyalgia,,,i started getting infections….gum disease…eye infections… bites and scratches on my legs which used to heal quickly no longer healed and when they did they left scars and marks on my skin….the pain was so unbearable… they tried all the neurological meds, cymbalta, lyrica, etc….. nothing helped…

finally they gave me fentanyl patches and norco and i was able to manage the pain… but still no diagnosis… i saw hemotologists, oncologist, because at one point they thought i had luekemia which i dont… i saw a rheumotologist and nothing…my pain management doctor said i had a bulging disc in my back and wanted to give me steroid injections in my spine…he said that’s whats causing the pain….but the pain was in my legs and arms a bulging disc in my lower spine would cause pain in my legs and lower back only so i disagreed with his assesment…still i got 1 injection and it didnt help… he said oh it could take up to 3 for you to feel relief i refused the injections and he stopped giving me pain meds, he said since i wasn’t cooperating he couldn’t treat me anymore… so i suffered

one day on an emergency room visit i saw a doctor and told him my symptoms… (i would tell any doctor that would listen to try to find something.. i know something is wrong with me) he said have your pcp test your cortisol levels….well my corisol levels were 5 times the normal count.. they did the test twice…and both times they showed 5 times the normal level…now i don’t have the moon face or the buffalo hump but i do have every other symptom of cushings…i went to and endocronologist who right away said… you don’t have cushings…this was over the course of the first 2 years… now 3 years after that and 5 years from the start i’m still suffering the pain i’ve gotten used too for the most part but sometimes it;’s sooo bad i have to go to ER and get morphine and dilauded to help…last week i was in the ER and they gave me 3 shots of IV morphine within two hours and it only lasted about 20 minutes..each time… finally a shot of dilaudid helped and i was able to come home and rest ….. still no difinitive diagnosis other than chronic pain…and my diabetes has come back recently…i no longer see doctors because i have never gotten help from them…i’m lost and don’t know what to do anymore…if it wasn’t for my kids.. i have 3 i don’t think i could go on…invisible illnesses are real and devestating…

 

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Jordiyn (Jordiyn), Undiagnosed Bio

August 17, 2015

MaryO Bipolar, Other Diagnosis, Undiagnosed , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

undiagnosed2

Hello my name is Jordiyn and i have not been definitively diagnosed with Cushing as of yet. Im not really quite sure where to start so ill start at the beginning.

At the age of 19 i started to notice that I was gaining weight very rapidly for no reason. I was very active and I weighed about 120 and then within about 6 months I gained 60 pounds. Then from there I started to gain more weight every month/year. All in all iv gain over 100 pounds in the last 4 years even though i eat pretty healthy and exercise.

With the excessive weight gain I started to notice these pinkish/purplish stretch marks on my hips, stomach,arms and thighs. Plus I gained a lot of weight in my face and my upper back. And then I started to notice that I was so tired and weak all the time.

I think the worst part has been the back pain and that I always feel like I need a nap even though I have a very hard time sleeping. My moods started to change dramatically. I get irritated very fast and I can just start crying and the most random things, I also have really bad anxiety so much so its crippling. My depression is threw the roof.

Last year in October I even tried to kill myself and then 4 months later I tried again. I do have Bipolar and i’m on medication but it feels like none of the medication are working. My psychiatrist just has no idea what is going on with me but he did tell me he thinks there’s something going on that doesn’t relate to my bipolar.

Then last year in October I stopped having my period and this lasted until june of this year so about 9 months. In those 9 months I gain 25 pounds, I literally thought that I was pregnant but every test was negative. After tons of tests and blood work It later turned out that I have PSOD. While I was at my Gynecologist he told me that I look like someone who has Cushing’s and that i needed to talking to my primary care doctor and talk to her about it.

So as of now im waiting for my doctor to send me to an Endocrinologist. I am very nervous that I have Cushing’s. Last year while I was doing some research about all out my symptoms Cushing’s popped up and so I talked with my old doctor about it and all she did was dismiss it. So after I couldn’t get any doctor to listen to me I gave up. Then a doctor finally says to me you may have it and i feel like it a sign from God telling me that I maybe i do have Cushing’s.

I would love to make some friends and actually have someone to talk to about this. Ill keep everyone updated and I’ll also post some pictures too.

I hope to hear from all of you soon.

Jordiyn

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Woman who couldn’t lose weight diagnosed with a hidden adrenal tumor

November 27, 2013

MaryO Adrenal, Adrenal Surgery, News Items, Success Stories, Treatments , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

  • Naomi Benton, 34, baffled doctors for more than a decade
  • She continued to pile on the pounds despite following an 800 calorie-a-day diet and undergoing gastric bypass surgery in 2008
  • Tests finally revealed an orange-sized tumour on her adrenal gland
  • After having it removed she now only weighs 14st, but has 4st of excess skin

By ANNA HODGEKISS

A woman who weighed 32 stone has told how her excessive weight was due to a hidden tumour.

Naomi Benton baffled doctors for over a decade as she continued to pile on the pounds despite following an 800 calorie-a-day diet and undergoing gastric bypass surgery.

The 34-year-old from Haddington, East Lothian, pleaded with doctors for help after she ballooned from a healthy 10 stone at age 20 to more than 32 stone.

Naomi Benton baffled doctors for over a decade as she continued to pile on the pounds despite following an 800 calorie-a-day diet and undergoing gastric bypass surgeryNaomi Benton baffled doctors for over a decade as she continued to pile on the pounds despite following an 800 calorie-a-day diet and undergoing gastric bypass surgery

The mother-of-two failed to drop any weight after her bypass surgery in 2008 and medical staff assumed her huge frame was due to secret snacking.

But when she was hospitalised after a bad fall the following year and her weight continued to balloon, she underwent tests which revealed the hidden deadly mass.

Further blood tests showed she was suffering from Cushing’s syndrome – a collection of symptoms that develop in the body due to high levels of a hormone called cortisol.

The tumour, which had developed on her adrenal gland located on top of the kidneys, had grown to the size of an orange and Ms Benton underwent an eight-hour emergency operation.

Ms Benton, who now weighs 14 stone, needs plastic surgery to remove four stone of excess skin.

She said: ‘I was always fit and healthy but when I hit 20 I started to dramatically put on weight.

The 34-year-old from Haddington, East Lothian, pleaded with doctors for help after she ballooned from a healthy 10 stone (pictured) at age 20 to over 32 stone
The 34-year-old from Haddington, East Lothian, pleaded with doctors for help after she ballooned from a healthy 10 stone (pictured) at age 20 to over 32 stone

When she was hospitalised after a bad fall and her weight continued to balloon, she underwent tests which revealed a tumour on her adrenal gland. She is pictured in hospital after having the tumour removedWhen she was hospitalised after a bad fall and her weight continued to balloon, she underwent tests which revealed a tumour on her adrenal gland. She is pictured in hospital after having the tumour removed

‘Just after my first pregnancy I managed to put on over five stone despite not changing my diet and just couldn’t drop the weight.

‘I went to the doctors numerous times about the dramatic gain but no-one believed that my weight wasn’t just down to a very unhealthy diet.

‘It was so frustrating, no-one was listening to me when I told them I wasn’t stuffing my face.

‘I was sent to see a dietitian who helped monitor my 800-calorie-a-day diet. Every day I was weak and tired, but still hadn’t lost any weight.

Naomi Benton
Naomi Benton

Ms Benton lost weight quickly after her tumour was removed and now weighs 14 stone. She needs plastic surgery to remove four stone of excess skin (left). She is pictured (right) before her weight loss

‘Even my friends and family were convinced I was eating in secret and complete strangers would tell me I needed to go on a diet.

‘Finally I signed up for a gastric bypass but after the op still didn’t lose anywhere near the kind of weight that was expected.

‘The breakthrough came after I was laid up in hospital for eight months after breaking both arms and legs in a nasty fall.

‘A junior doctor stopped by and asked if he could take run some new tests which finally showed what was wrong.

Ms Benton said: 'Now I'm just glad the tumour was discovered, as I'd hate to think what would have happened if it had gone on for longer'Ms Benton said: ‘Now I’m just glad the tumour was discovered, as I’d hate to think what would have happened if it had gone on for longer’

‘The tests revealed I had Cushing’s syndrome and a large tumour on my right side.’

Just weeks after having emergency surgery, the weight began to fall off her.

Ms Benton said: ‘Now I’m just glad it was discovered, as I’d hate to think what would have happened if it had gone on for longer.’

She has now shrunk down to a dress size 16 and but hopes to reach a size 12 and weigh 10 stone.

She added: ‘I’m a work in progress and I’m taking it in baby steps. I can’t wait to look and feel like my old self again.’

WHAT IS CUSHING’S SYNDROME?

Cushing’s syndrome is a collection of symptoms that develop due to very high levels of a hormone called cortisol.

The symptoms include weight gain, thinning skin, stretch marks and decreased interested in sex.

The condition often develops as a side effect of treatments for inflammation and autoimmune conditions.

It can also develop as a result of a tumour inside one of the body’s glands.

The main treatment is to stop taking the medication that is causing it or to remove the tumour.

If these options are not available, medication can be used to counter the effects of high cortisol levels.

If left untreated, it can cause high blood pressure which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

It affects about one in 50,000 people.

Source: NHS Choices

From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2510680/32st-woman-lose-weight-diagnosed-hidden-TUMOUR.html

Marki (Marki), Undiagnosed Bio

May 6, 2013

MaryO Pituitary , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Hi!

My name is Marki, and I am a 21 year old student. I have been suffering from Cushing’s-like symptoms for a while now, and the doctor at my college health center just recently told me that I most likely have Cushing’s.

My symptoms have all intensified over the past few years. I have gained almost 60 pounds in the last 11 months, I feel weak and tired almost all the time and my muscles have gotten so weak that I have a hard time walking up 2 flights of stairs to my apartment. I sleep for at least 10 hours a night, and have to set at least 5 alarms to be able to wake up for my 9:15 class, and I still end up missing it a lot of the time. I feel like I am walking around in a fog most of the time, and school is harder than it’s ever been. I am having a really hard time retaining information, even after studying for hours.

About 3 years ago I started growing hair under my chin, and getting stretch marks on my boobs. The stretch marks have now appeared on my belly below and around my belly button. My hair has always been really thick, and I have noticed that it is a lot thinner than it has ever been. I have also developed a lot of new allergies, including raspberries, tide laundry soap, nickel, and something else that I haven’t figured out yet, so I have a rash all over my stomach, armpits and thighs. I have had severe headaches since I was about 14, and they are getting more and more common. I also get frequent sinus infections. I got implanon (a type of birth control that they implant in your arm) about a year ago, and haven’t had a period since it was inserted. I have been on birth control (perscribed because of the hair on my chin) since I was 17, so I don’t really know if my period would be regular without it or not.

When I went into the health center I told the doctor about all of these symptoms, and his first thought was PCOS. I had an ultrasound, and there were no cysts. He then started testing me for Cushing’s and referred me to an endo in San Francisco. The endo ordered both a 24 hour urine test and a midnight saliva to be done before my appointment. These were the results:

24 hour-

range- 0-50

me- 49.7

Midnight saliva-

range- .5-1

me- 9.16

So, my free cortisol was within range, and my saliva was more that 9 times the normal levels. I have read a lot about Cushing’s in the last two weeks, but I still have a lot of questions! If anyone has any advice on how to deal with the sleep issues, what tests to request, or any other advice, I would really appreciate it! I need to figure out how to stay awake during the day so I can pass my classes!

Update:

My names Marki, and I am a 21 year old senior at Westmont College. After I finish my bachelors I plan on going to Physicians Assistant school to get my masters. This has been a crazy year for me. A few months ago, my doctor told me that I might have Cushing’s, and since then it has been a constant parade of tests. My body and attitude have changed SO much, and it is making school and life in general really hard. I am lucky to have the support of my family and friends, and I can’t wait to get through this and get on with my life! If anyone has any advice, feel free to message me 🙂