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In Memory of Dr. Edward Hudson Oldfield ~ September 1, 2017

September 1, 2025

MaryO In Memory, MaryO, Pituitary, Pituitary Surgery, Treatments , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Dr. Oldfield was MaryO’s surgeon at the NIH November 3, 1987.  This was back in the olden days of transsphenoidal surgery.  I honestly expected to die but this man saved my life.

Dr. Edward Hudson Oldfield quietly passed away at home in Charlottesville, Virginia, surrounded by his family on September 1, 2017.

Born on November 22, 1947, in Mt. Sterling Kentucky, he was the son of Ellis Hudson Oldfield and Amanda Carolyn Oldfield. Ed is survived by his wife of 43 years, Susan Wachs Oldfield; a daughter, Caroline Talbott Oldfield; three siblings, Richard Oldfield of Mt. Sterling, Ky., Brenda Oldfield of Lexington, Ky., and Joseph Oldfield (Brenda) of Morehead, Ky.; nieces, Adrienne Petrocelli (Phil) of Cincinnati, Ohio and Keri Utterback (Brad) and nephew, Gabe Oldfield, both of Mt Sterling. His parents and a sister, Bonnie Lee Cherry, predeceased him.

Dr. Oldfield attended the University of Kentucky and graduated from the UK Medical School. He completed two years of surgical residency at Vanderbilt University and spent a year in Neurology at the National Hospital for Nervous Disease in London, England, before completing his neurosurgical residency at Vanderbilt University. After a year in private practice in Lexington, he completed a two-year fellowship at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.

In 1984, he was named Chief of the Clinical Neurosurgery Section at NINDS and from 1986-2007, he was the Chief of the Surgical Neurology Branch at NIH. He joined the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Virginia in 2007 where he held the Crutchfield Chair in Neurosurgery and was a Professor of Neurosurgery and Internal Medicine.

He led multidisciplinary efforts in the treatment of pituitary tumors and contributed to the research program in Neurosurgery at UVA. He often said it did not feel he was going to work because he so enjoyed every aspect of his career.

Dr. Oldfield was the author of over 500 original scientific and clinical contributions to medical literature and the co-inventor of patents on convection-enhanced drug delivery and genetic therapy. He served on the editorial boards of Neurosurgery and the Journal of Neurosurgery, where he completed a term of eight years as associate editor. Dr. Oldfield served as vice president and president of the Society of Neurological Surgeons (SNS). He received numerous awards including: the Public Health Superior Service Award; the Grass Medal for Meritorious Research in Neurological Science; the Farber Award; the Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of Kentucky Medical Alumni Association; the Harvey Cushing Medal; and the first annual AANS Cushing Award for Technical Excellence and Innovation in Neurosurgery.

In 2015 he received the Charles B. Wilson Award for “career achievement and substantial contributions to understanding and treatment of brain tumors”. A man of many interests and endless curiosity, Ed found joy in exploring the world around him with a great appetite for adventure, as long as it included variety and history. He preferred outdoor activities, and throughout his life enjoyed hiking, bird watching, photography and especially fly fishing, which provided the kind of peace he treasured in his limited free time. Learning was a priority in every activity. Ed was interested in genealogy and maintained a precise record of his family history, spending over a decade accumulating and scanning family photographs. It was important to him to know from where and whom his family originated. Though he loved to watch sports, especially the UK Wildcats, he did not always follow a particular team he cheered for the underdog.

His love of music was vast, from Arthur Alexander, Etta James, John Prine, Luciano Pavarotti, Van Morrison and Iris Dement, to name a few favorites. Friends and colleagues remember his gentle southern voice, particularly in his advice, “All you have to do is the right thing; everything else will take care of itself.” His family will remember him loving Shakespeare productions, a good barbecue sandwich, Ruth Hunt candy bars, a warm fireplace at Christmas and several beloved dogs.

A Memorial service was held on Monday, September 25, 2017, at the University of Virginia Alumni Hall at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge at National Institutes of Health, Hospice of the Piedmont, or Piedmont Environmental Council.

From http://www.dailyprogress.com/obituaries/oldfield-dr-edward-hudson/article_3bb9df83-d223-5d26-81f4-cfd4565ee0c6.html

In Memory of Cassandra Dills-Dailey ~ August 29, 2017

August 29, 2025

MaryO In Memory, Pituitary, Pituitary Surgery, Treatments , , , , Leave a comment

 

Casey Dailey, age 38, was fighting Cushing’s disease, a pituitary gland disorder often caused by a tumor creating excess cortisol. She had surgery Aug. 23 and went home the next day. Over the following weekend, she began feeling sick. She vomited, sometimes with blood. Then, she couldn’t stand or talk, relatives said. A high fever started Sunday, after floodwaters surrounded her home, and she became unresponsive.

In the midst of Hurricane Harvey, one family’s cry for help was particularly acute. It was a medical emergency.

Casey Dailey was recovering from surgery at home and needed an ambulance on Aug. 27.

But floodwaters had reached the doorstep of her northeast Harris County home between Greens Bayou and Sheldon Lake.

Her husband, Wayne Dailey, frantically called 911 that afternoon. The line was busy. He dialed more than two dozen times and got through. Help was on the way, he was told, but no one showed up that day or the next.

“That’s when I went to social media,” said Darlene Zavertnik, Wayne’s mother, who lives in Montgomery County. “I went on Facebook and put together a letter.”

Friends and relatives began sharing the post. A cousin called volunteers while Wayne tried 911 one more time and asked for an air rescue. He was told that they were already on the list.

“You don’t understand. She’s dying,” Wayne Dailey recalls saying.

Feeling completely hopeless, he saw some people trolling in a boat just after noon on Aug. 29. Wayne ran out in the water to flag them down. The crew turned out to be the famous civilian volunteers from Louisiana’s Cajun country.

“They came to the house and they got her in that boat,” Zavertnik said.

The Cajun Navy transported Casey Dailey to an airboat. From there, she was loaded onto a dump truck. Confusion about emergency medical sites led to a stop on the side of the road, which is when she stopped breathing, relatives said. An ambulance finally arrived and paramedics worked on her 15 to 20 minutes.

“They got her to the hospital and they just could not …” Zavertnik said, her voice trailing off into sobbing. “We just don’t want anything like this to happen to anybody like her again. There has to be a much better system for this.”

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences recorded 4 p.m. Aug. 29 as the time and date of Cassandra Dills-Dailey’s death at a Humble emergency room. One week later, the cause and manner remains pending. She is not listed among the institute’s storm-related deaths, which all involve drowning or electrocution in floodwaters.

Casey Dailey was 38. The devoted mother had two sons, 14-year-old Luke and Ronnie, 10. She homeschooled the oldest.

She also reached out with kind gestures, such as crocheting baby blankets for strangers who were expecting.

“She was probably one of the sweetest, most loving people you’d know,” Zavertnik said. “She was just always wanting to do what she could to help people, make them happy and make them feel good. She was very special.”

Adapted from http://m.chron.com/about/article/Mother-of-2-dies-in-Harvey-during-medical-12175042.php#photo-14053540

In Memory of Jessica Lee Pierson ~ August 29, 2018

August 29, 2025

MaryO Addison's Disease, Adrenal, In Memory , Leave a comment


Jessica Lee Pierson, 35, of Harrisonburg passed away Wednesday, August 29, 2018 from complications of Addison’s disease.

Jess was born in Fredericksburg on June 27, 1983, to Janet Pierson and her late husband, Charles Parke Pierson. Jess attended James Monroe High School where she was a stellar athlete and honor scholar. After graduating from James Madison University, she spent two years on the mission field in Peru, sharing her love for the Lord. Residing in Harrisonburg, Jessica excelled at her job as a social worker for Rockingham County and nurtured her clients with compassion, respect, and gentleness. She was an active member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, continually embraced by her family of faith who journeyed with her since her days as a college student.

Jess had a beautiful smile, and a sweet and simple demeanor that won the hearts of many, who even now are being inspired by her witness of faith. She was utterly devoted to and dearly loved by her close-knit family.

Survivors include her mother, Jan Pierson and husband Frank Graebner; brothers Daniel Pierson (Anne) and Christopher Pierson (Elissa); and sister Emily Moore (Michael). Her signature gift of loving thoughtfulness, especially in her role as “Tia” to her beloved niece and nephews, Mary Claire, Lukas, Nicholas, and Parke, overflowed through her kindheartedness, unselfishness, and generosity, and will never be forgotten.

Interment will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 1 at Oak Hill Cemetery. A service to celebrate her life will follow at 11 a.m. at Fredericksburg Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Missions Ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church, 32 Southgate Court, Harrisonburg, VA 22801 or Fredericksburg Baptist Church.

From https://www.covenantfuneralservice.com/obituary?id=319105

In Memory of Natalie Fay ~ April 21, 2008

April 21, 2025

MaryO Adrenal, Cyclic, In Memory, Pituitary, Pituitary Surgery, radiation, Treatments , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

in-memory

This is another Golden Oldie.  I’m not sure when it was last written or updated by Natalie but it was updated by me after she died April 21, 2008.

~~

Hi! My name is Natalie, I am 35 years old and I’ve been married for 15 years. I don’t have any children at this time, but we are in the process of adopting. We can hardly wait for our little one to show up on our doorstep. We live down in southern Maryland at this time. I grew up in southern Virginia on a farm. My Dad is still farming; he raises peanuts, corn and soybeans. He has had 2 battles with colon cancer and is still hanging in there. He gives me inspiration. I have my Mom and Grandmother still living home on the farm too and we get there as often as we can. My sister lives near by my parents and has 2 boys. They spend a portion of every summer with us.

There is so much to tell, I really don’t know where to start. I had my official diagnosis in Jan. of 1990. But after all of the information I have learned over the years, I fully believe that it could have started as early as childhood. We will never know for sure.

When I graduated from high school in 1983, I was a happy go lucky teenager with a steady boy friend and many friends. My first year of college was great. I had a lot of fun and thought I had made so many new friends. Joe (boyfriend then, now my husband) left for Marine Corps Boot Camp in the spring of 1984. That was hard but I adjusted fine and was glad to see him come home that summer. In the fall when it was time to go back to school I was a different person. I withdrew from my friends and I pretty much kept to myself. After a weekend visit from Joe, I slipped into a deep depression. I stopped going to class and to work. My so-called friends didn’t want anything to do with me. I started having headaches and dizzy spells. I was really scared. No one knew what I was feeling or would even try to understand. I ended up dropping out of school and went back home. I didn’t want a job; I just stayed home and did baby-sitting jobs. My nephew was born in August of 1985 and I took care of him full time until Joe and I was married in June of 1986.

On our wedding day I cried all through the picture taking. I was very happy but cried anyway. We went to the Blue Ridge Mountains for our honeymoon, I got stung by a bee, got a speeding ticket, and we had no air conditioning in our truck. It was truly one to remember. We came back and moved to North Carolina, where Joe was stationed at the time, and I cried for the next 2 weeks. I had never been that far away from home before.

As a child I had a bad case of asthma and now all of a sudden I’m having no problems. Little did I know that my body was treating itself with cortisol. In Jan. of 1987 I had a doctor’s appointment with my Allergist.

I was told then that I had High Blood pressure and to keep check on it. I was also beginning to be very emotional around this time. I would cry over nothing.

I started having migraine headaches while Joe was away on a deployment. My parents came and took me to the ER and because I had not been able to eat for 3 days and I was living in the dark because the sunlight was killing my head. Again I was told that it was High Blood pressure. Joe came home and left again in June for 6 months on the ship. I moved home and didn’t have any problems that summer. I moved back to Carolina in the fall so that I could get our house ready for Joe’s home coming. The real nerve racking part was that Joe’s ship was part of the mine sweeping going on in the Persian Gulf during 1987.

1988 was a pretty good year. Not too many problems except for headaches. But 1989 is a different story. I fell apart this year. In the spring I broke out in this strange rash that wouldn’t go away and I couldn’t find a doctor that could tell me what it was. Not long after that my periods stopped, we were really excited thinking that we were finally going to have a baby, WRONG! I went 3 months without a cycle; I still had the rash, headaches and high blood pressure. You would think that this would have alerted my OB GYN that something was wrong. Joe came home one day and found me doubled over and took me to the ER and we found out that I had kidney stones. Over all this time I am steady gaining weight. The stones passed and then tests were done and everything was fine there. Finally I decided to go to see Dermatology for the rash and was treated for severe acne. On my second visit with them the doctor took a look at my entire medical record and excused himself from the room. A few minutes later he returned with a doctor from Internal medicine, he took one look at me and said that I was the classic Cushing’s case. Then he went on to explain it to me. This was in Nov.1989. The tests began and I had a CT Scan done in Dec of that year that I didn’t get the results from until after Christmas. They showed a tumor on the pituitary and I was told to go to Portsmouth Naval Hospital right away. We took off and headed to Virginia not knowing what to expect. I was admitted the next day and had a week of peeing in a jug and lots of bloodwork. I was sent home with my surgery scheduled for Feb. 1990. Well, being the Navy, my surgeon was called away and my surgery was delayed until March.

I had transphenoidal surgery in March 1990 and they removed what they could but it had invaded the sinus cavity and they couldn’t get it all. I was sent home on hydrocortizone and had 2 episodes where my cortisol levels dropped too low and had to go the ER. Once I was weaned off I was okay and actually felt pretty good. I had monthly 24-hour urine tests run and they began to come back high again. I was put back in the hospital in Portsmouth and all the tests came back normal. I was sent home and a couple of months later they were high again. Again I went to the hospital and sent home normal. What’s going on here? The next time this happened I demanded that something be done. The head of the Endo dept. (I won’t mention any names, but Handiman knows him personally) tried to tell me that I was faking it so that my husband wouldn’t have to go the Desert Storm. I talked on of the interns to schedule me for an appt with the radiation oncologist and they determined that the tumor was still growing and that I needed to have radiation. Joe was scheduled to go to the desert but he was pulled from that duty and assigned to recruiter’s asst. and we moved to Virginia to my parent’s home for 60 days while I underwent 31 days of traditional radiation to the pituitary. I went back to Carolina feeling more at ease that something had been done. The rash went away but I continued to gain weight and still had Blood pressure problem, but was now being treated for it.

I was doing really well and Joe went away again for 6 months in Oct.1991. He was gone that Christmas, which was hard but I handled it ok. When he returned he had orders to go to Atlanta, GA. I was doing well and we packed up and went. I didn’t like the endo I saw there so I continued my 6-month check ups in Portsmouth when went home to visit.

In the summer of 1994, I started having problems with my left eye and thought it was allergies. I went to the eye doctor and after examining me he sent me to a Neuro Ophthalmologist who ordered a MRI and guess what The Tumor’s back! It was pressing on the optic nerve causing what they called a third nerve palsy. I was treated with medication until Jan 1995, hoping that the tumor would shrink but it got worse. I began to have double vision and my left eye closed completely. In the spring of 95 I again underwent Transphenoidal surgery at Emory University under  Dr. Oyesiku. He was great. I also had a great endo there, Dr. Lewis Blevins (he is at Vanderbilt in Tenn. Now). They still could not retract the entire tumor so I went back in August of that year and had Sterotactic Radiation Surgery. That was a one time radiation and it was a real experience. I had a metal Halo drilled into my head and I had CT scans and MRIs done with it one to determine the exact location of the tumor, then I was placed in a chair that spun in very slow circles while the radiation was being done. When I arrived back in my room they couldn’t find the key to take the halo off, so I had to wear it for another 2 hours until they found it.

It has now been almost 6 years since the last radiation and my current MRIs show some shrinkage of the tumor. I am currently battling high cortisol levels again but I think if we can find the right dosage of medicine it will level off. I am currently taking meds for: thyroid, high blood pressure, estrogen, diabetes, medication to control cortisol, allergy medication and every 3 months I take hormones to make me have a menstrual cycle. But over all I am doing OK.

My husband is out of the Marine Corps now and we live in Maryland. We are in the process of Adopting. We are really excited about this and can hardly wait to get our little one. My husband and Family have been so supportive of me through all of these years and I don’t know what I would have done without them and my close friends.

I feel like I have made many friends here also. This site has been a great help to me and I hope that my story can help someone else.

Take Care everyone!

Natalie

~~

MaryO Note: Natalie had a BLA in March, 2008. She died April 21, 2008.
In Memoriam

Natalie Fay

Monday, April 21, 2008

Natalie Fay (Natalie65), died April 21, 2008. She was only 42 and had recently had a BLA. I first met Natalie at a local lunch in November of 2001 and have seen her several times
since then.

Natalie started the original “Dammit Dolls” that circulated around the country until people refused to pass them along anymore.

Some recent past posts.

February 10, 2008

going to UVA I am going for my first visit with Dr. Hanks at
UVA on the 20th. I will also see Dr. Vance that day. I haven’t seen her before
either. I am planning on having bilateral adrenal surgery in March. I am a
little nervous about this, but it is going to be a positive thing I hope. I
would love to hear from anyone who has had this done so that I will have an idea
of what to expect. after surgery.

Thanks! Natalie

March 18, 2008

surgery update Hey everyone!

I’m back! It has been a
very slow week and I’m just satrting to feel like moving around again. I had BLA
on the 10th and came home on friday. My parents have taken my boys (3 & 6)
home to Va. I have missed them so much this week, but I think it was the right
thing to do. I don’t know how I would have done it without them. I am still very
sore and tired at times, but I’m coming along. Sorry this has taken so long to
get out to you guys, I thought things were taken care of but I was wrong. Oh
Well! I’m doing good and I’ll keep in touch. Thanks for all of your thoughts and
prayers.

Natalie

Message Board Signature:

pit surgery 1990
traditional 30 days
radiation 1990
pit surgery 1995
sterotactic radiation surgery 1995
2004
still have remaining tumor
cortisol levels still off balance
BLA March 10,
2008

Tributes and Memories on the message boards…

Our first local DC area Cushie lunch November 17, 2001 with Linda, Jayne, me and Natalie – all in Cushe Colors [Photographer: Robin]

Our first local DC area Cushie lunch November 17, 2001 with Jayne, Linda, Natalie, MaryO and Dianne [Photographer: Robin]

Our first local DC area Cushie lunch November 17, 2001 with Jayne, Linda, Natalie, MaryO and Dianne [Photographer: TomO]

Our second local DC area Cushie lunch February 9, 2002 all the families [Photographer: Robin]

Our second local DC area Cushie lunch February 9, 2002 with Jayne, Marcia, Heather, Natalie and MaryO [Photographer: Robin]

Our second local DC area Cushie lunch February 9, 2002 with Jayne, Marcia, Heather, Natalie and MaryO [Photographer: Robin]

Our second local DC area Cushie lunch February 9, 2002 with Jayne, Marcia, Heather, Natalie and MaryO. LynneInVa made the roses for us from candles. [Photographer: Robin]

Our next local DC area Cushie lunch May 4, 2002 with lots of us! [Photographer: Robin]

Our next local DC area Cushie lunch May 4, 2002 with lots of us! [Photographer: Robin]

Our next local DC area Cushie lunch May 4, 2002 with lots of us! [Photographer: Robin]

Our next local DC area Cushie lunch May 4, 2002 with lots of us! [Photographer: Robin]

Our next local DC area Cushie lunch May 4, 2002 with Pat, MaryO, Ruth, Natalie, Susan, Jayne [Photographer: TomO]

Our next local DC area Cushie lunch May 4, 2002 with Pat, MaryO, Ruth, Natalie, Susan, Jayne [Photographer: Robin]

Our next local DC area Cushie lunch May 4, 2002 with Joe, Jed and Catherine [Photographer: Robin]

Our three families: Tom and MaryO, Natalie and Joe, Robin and Jayne…and kids [Photographer: a waitress]

Our three families: Tom and MaryO, Natalie and Joe, Robin and Jayne…and kids [Photographer: a waitress]

TomO being silly, stealing Catherine’s nose. [Photographer: Robin]

http://www.wrightfuneralhome.org/index.cfm

Natalie Grissom Fay
(June 11, 1965 – April 21, 2008)


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Courtland, Virginia– Natalie Grissom Fay, 42, passed away April 21, 2008 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown, Md. She was born in Petersburg, Va, a daughter of Edward Scott and Nan Lucy Grissom and was a 1983 graduate of Southampton High School. Natalie actively supported several Cushing Support Groups, and was a member of the Patuxent Presbyterian Church. Surviving in addition to her parents is her husband, Joseph P. Fay; two sons, Joseph Edward (Jed) Fay and Nathan Lee Fay all of Hollywood, Md.; one sister, Annette G. Stephenson of Courtland, Va.; two nephews, Scott and Vance Stephenson; and her father-in-law, Edward K. Fay and wife, Sunee, of Deltona, Fl. The funeral will be conducted at 2 pm Friday at Wright Funeral Home with the Rev. Edmund Ellis officiating. Burial will follow in Riverside Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 pm Thursday at the home of Edward and Nan Grissom, 16046 Wakefield Road, Courtland, and suggest that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Cushings Help, c/o Mary O’Connor, 4094 Majestic Lane, #328, Fairfax, Va. 22033.

In Memory of Diane, April 2008

April 18, 2025

MaryO Addison's Disease, Adrenal, Adrenal Insufficiency, In Memory , Leave a comment

in-memory

My name is Amy and my very best friend just passed away from an adrenal crisis. Diane was unaware that she had any adrenal issue.

She seemed to have gotten sick on Sat. and was passed away by the morning. After 45 days of an autopsy, it was determined that her adrenal glands were “wasted” and she had an adrenal crisis and died.

I am looking for a better understanding of what this is all about.

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In Memory of Stacy Ollenberger ~ November 4, 2015

April 16, 2025

MaryO Adrenal, Adrenal Insufficiency, Adrenal Surgery, In Memory, Pituitary, Pituitary Surgery, radiation, Treatments , , , , , , 7 Comments

stacy-o-memory

 

Stacy’s sister posted on Facebook:
This is my beautiful sister Stacy she was diagnosed with cushings disease in 2005 at the age of 19 she had two pituitary surgeries radiation and finally an adrenalectomy we watched her suffer struggle and fight this disease for ten years there were countless Dr visits and pills she had to take daily until she passed away in her home on November 4 2015 at the age of 30 we miss her so much she has left a hole in our hearts but we will continue to bring awareness to this horrible disease hoping we can save someone’s life…

…Thank you so much for sharing this I think she struggled with the stigma of the disease she was doing so much better but she passed suddenly of adrenal crisis we were shocked we truly believed that she had this beat I know this group was so special to her she even added me to it I think to help me understand what she was going through you are all incredible amazing people to have the strength to battle through this everyday.

From Stacy’s blog:

Monday, April 27, 2009

Ambers Paper

My friend Amber is currently in school (taking Journalism I believe). She started reading my blog and had to write a paper for one of her classes, she asked me if it would be okay for her to write one about Cushing’s Disease and use my blog and/or me for information. I agreed. Amber found out quickly how hard it is to find useful information about Cushing’s Disease in Humans. Alot of sites are geared towards dogs and horses. She agree with the rest of us that it is retarded that there isn’t more information so that people could at least become more informed about this disease. Anyways this is a copy of what she submitted:

Living with Cushing’s disease
By, Amber Yake

When Stacy Ollenberger was 19 years old she began gaining weight at a rapid pace regardless of her healthy lifestyle, when she went to the doctor she was called a liar and told she was just getting fat.

“I saw six doctors before I was diagnosed,” Ollenberger said. “Doctors told me it was just weight gain and I had to change my diet and exercise.”

After seeing five doctors in two different cities, she finally saw a doctor who realized something was wrong with her. He suspected she had Cushing’s disease and referred her to a specialist in Edmonton.

“Finally I saw another doctor and he knew something was wrong. He didn’t know what so he did a bunch of tests and found out that I had extremely high cortisol levels,” Ollenberger said. “He had seen Cushing’s once before and suspected that is what I had but wasn’t a specialist so he referred me to Edmonton.”

According to Ollenberger, an excessive secretion of ACTH, which is produced by a pituitary tumour, causes Cushing’s disease. The ACTH then triggers your adrenal glands to produce excess amounts of cortisol. Symptoms include upper body obesity, round full face, increased fat around the neck, and thinning of arms and legs among other things.

Ollenberger showed all of these symptoms, however; since Cushing’s disease is so rare, none of the doctors she saw thought that is what she had.

“The specialists in Edmonton did not want to see me because they said Cushing’s disease is rare and they said that there was no way I had it,” she said. “They had all my blood work and stuff, my cortisol was more than 6 times higher than that of a “normal” person, and they told us that the tests were wrong and needed to be redone.”

Ollenberger was finally seen by specialists in Edmonton, AB and has since had two brain surgeries in attempts to remove the tumour on her pituitary gland increase. She feels angry at the medical system for not diagnosing her symptoms sooner.

“If I were diagnosed sooner the symptoms of my disease probably would not have gotten so bad and I probably would not have had to go through everything that I have had to—two surgeries, radiation and now I have to get my adrenal glands removed,” she said.

“I mean my family doctor made me feel like I was just a fat slob who didn’t eat right or exercise. He had been my doctor for years, and for me to gain so much weight so fast he should have known something was medically wrong.”

The doctors were unable to completely remove Ollenberger’s tumour. It’s not shrinking or growing. It is not an option to remove more of the tumour so her next option is to get her adrenal glands removed.

According to Ollenberger, this will make her body not be able to produce any more cortisol. Because you need cortisol to survive, after her surgery she will have to start medication to replace the cortisol that her body needs to survive.

“I will be on medication for the rest of my life,” she said.

Ollenberger is also working with her cousin to create a Cushing’s Awareness day in Canada. She wants to educate people so no one has to experience the things she has.

“It only takes one person to educate many and that is what I would like to do, bring awareness to this disease so others do not have to go through what I had to” she said.

 
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Pituitary: We Thought Dad Would Be Alright But We Were Wrong

April 5, 2025

MaryO In Memory, Male, News Items, Pituitary, radiation, Recurrence, Treatments , , , , , Leave a comment

The pituitary gland

A loving dad with ‘boundless energy and positivity’ died unexpectedly of a rare condition. Dave Whitfield was 59 when he died in December 2023.

His son Archie, 23, explained that his dad had been diagnosed with several brain tumours throughout his life but they had always been treatable by doctors. This changed in early 2023 however.

Another brain tumour led to Dave being diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome, a rare condition caused by excessive cortisol in the body. Often this overproduction is due to a benign tumour in the pituitary or adrenal glands.

Cortisol helps the body cope with stressful situations, as well as reducing swelling and fighting off infections. Cushing’s syndrome is also much more common in women than in men.

Because of this, Archie and the wider family were taken aback about what happened to Dave. Speaking to the ECHO, Archie said: “Dad had brain tumours come and go over the last 15, 20 years.

“He was always able to either get the tumour operated on or have radiotherapy to have them removed. However, a couple years ago, a tumour came back, causing Cushing’s syndrome.

“As we’d obviously experienced him having brain tumours in the past, it was a case again of thinking, ‘ah it’s alright, he’s had them before, overcome them and life has carried on as normal.’

“This time with Cushing’s though, it affected him a lot more. Life was getting more and more difficult for him. They weren’t able to operate on the tumour due to the scar tissue. It was much harder to remove, so there was just a slow deterioration in his condition.”

Dave’s death was a massive loss to Archie and everyone who knew him. Archie said: “Dad had a boundless amount of energy and positivity. He was a very positive man.

“He would make everyone in the room feel like the most important person there. As a dad, he was an endless source of advice and support. He worked as a teacher. He loved getting the best out of his students and seeing the best in people generally.”

Football was a shared passion between Dave and Archie, who are both from Thirsk in North Yorkshire. Dave was a huge Arsenal fan which he passed to his son, who played for York City at youth level.

After his dad died, Archie started to think about doing something related to this passion in his dad’s memory. He said: “I’m a big believer in the fact that football unites more than it divides.

“Of course it has its divisions because it’s a massive game and people feel so passionate about their football clubs, but you go to a bar anywhere, and if you find two people interested in football, they’re gonna chat about it and in a friendly manner.

“After dad passed, I thought, I’d love to do something in his memory and spread the word about his life and his condition. I thought about running the length of the country from Land’s End to John O’Groats but it didn’t have that personal aspect.”

Archie then had the idea of an epic 800-mile run between all 20 Premier League football stadiums. He started his challenge yesterday at St James’ Park in Newcastle on April 2 and will finish at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on April 26.

Archie will reach Merseyside this weekend on Sunday April 6 to run past Anfield and Goodison Park. The following day, he will stop off at the headquarters of the Brain Charity on Norton Street in Liverpool city centre.

Archie will be raising money for the organisation during his run, which specialises in supporting people with neurological conditions. Archie said: “I think there’ll be some good support when I get into Liverpool.

“There’s obviously a rivalry between Arsenal and Liverpool and we’ve got many friends who are Liverpool fans. I have lots of memories of watching both Liverpool and Everton games with my dad over the years.

“We didn’t know about The Brain Charity while dad was still alive. But one thing we found with dad was that we were lucky and had such a big support network of friends and family.

“With him being so popular, so many people helped us out. So many people with these brain conditions don’t have that support network.

“That’s something The Brain Charity helps massively with. It’s been amazing to visit them and see the work they do. That was the main factor in us going with them.”

The Brain Charity’s CEO Pippa Sargent said: “Archie’s challenge is an incredible tribute to his dad, and we are so grateful for his support. Losing a loved one to a brain condition is devastating, and the money he is raising will help The Brain Charity support more families facing similar challenges. We’ll be behind him every step of the way.”

You can find out more about Archie’s challenge via his website. More information about The Brain Charity is available here.

Adapted from https://uk.news.yahoo.com/thought-dad-alright-were-wrong-030000141.html?

2014 in review ~ Cushing’s Bios

December 31, 2014

MaryO Adrenal, In Memory, Pituitary, Steroid-Induced, Success Stories, Undiagnosed , , Leave a comment

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for the Cushing’s Bios blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 44,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 16 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report and the fireworks!

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