Amanda Paxton, aged 41. From Auckland, New Zealand. Grew up in California. Currently living in Doha, Qatar, Middle East. This is like speed dating :).
Skinny and healthy until my 20s, started gaining weight, it took 5 endocrinologists and 12 years of increasingly agressive symptons to find the tumour.
They kept telling me I had PCOS and needed to diet and exercise more – how often have we all heard that?? It was so frustrating. Countless trips to naturopaths and kineisologists and chinese herbal doctors and nutritionalists and dieticians and weight management specialists. Countless diets – South Beach, Atkins, Dukan, Weight Watchers.
Found the tumour just before my 35th birthday. Successfully removed it (biggest one the neurosurgeon had seen) transphennoidally. Had less than a year on synthetic steroids – hydrocortisone. Periods returned – have had 2 beautiful daughters post surgery and one beautiful daughter pre surgery.
We now think there is another tumour as symptons have returned. Unexplained weight gain, no loss with diet and exercise, hair falling out. Should have test results in a couple of weeks.
I have an amazing life with a great family and I am really healthy, except for weighing 100 kilos. My biggest concern is not being here for my family or developing diabetes or heart disease esp with the weight.
I will keep you posted. Nice to meet you. Would love to hear from anyone who has had 2+ surgeries with any advice.
Jul 25, 2013 @ 08:12:02
Read a rat study on pituitary tumours and all indications are that oestrogen dominance the issue so I’ve got progesterone cream on order
Refuse to have surgery, see it as pointless for me and don’t trust the medical team i’m dealing with enough to risk it…so thrashing about with alternative treatments that leave me stable but freak out the medical peeps….I’ve been sick before and got better in 2000 though I didn’t know what it was, took Echinacea then which I now know balances hormones so that’s an option…
Sorry to hear your tumour is back, it seems when I read others stories this is the trend until people get their adrenals removed though the rat study pointed to tubes being tied to helping prevent this though I think progesterone would be needed first to drop the excess oestrogen
I’m no doctor but I’ve read a lot but I keep getting curve balls with this…wish I didn’t try to diet when the weight started to pile on cause that made me very sick…you live you learn…
I’m on twitter most days on my mobile but can’t be on here much too tiring, twitter account name same as this mcgregorcastle 🙂
Teresa