Cushing's Bios

I was diagnosed with Cushings in Feb 2011 at the age of 30, after 6 months of inconclusive testing to find out what was going on with me.  Bone marrow biopsy, CT scans, MRI’s, urinalysis, bloodwork, you name it, it was done.  The first symptom I noticed was my left foot swelling (edema) after a workout injury.  The swelling remained long after it should have, and I thought I damaged my lymphatic system.  A trip to the endocrinologist and a CT scan proved that untrue, but he did notice I had an enlarged spleen and a high red blood cell count.  He didn’t seem to think that was a concern, but around that time I also began to experience a constant pain in my right flank.  So I went to a gastroentrologist.  Then a hemotologist, then a cardiologist, etc.  My final diagnosis came after my hemotologist ran a urine sample and noticed a highish level of cortisol.  She sent me back to my endocrinologist.  Before I went, I started a heavy Google search for what high levels of cortisol could mean, and came across Cushing’s.  I knew that was what I had.  I had been diagnosed with a prolactinoma 4 years prior (which I had told every doctor I had seen) and no one made the connection.  I demanded my endo test me.  He didn’t want to, telling me that I hadn’t gained weight and that people who had Cushing’s were really sick.  I demanded, and he gave me a supression pill to take the night before I came in for bloodwork.  He called me with the results a couple of days later, accusing me of not taking the pill.  Of course I took the pill, I said.  He said that the pill hadn’t suppressed my levels as it should have, but he didn’t believe it, and wanted me to then do a 24hr cortisol urinalysis.  I agreed, but also scheduled an appt with a neurosurgeon.  The neurosurgeon had the same hesistation, but also did the 24hr test.  A week later, the tests came back in.  My cortisol levels were 8 times what they should have been.  I definitely had Cushing’s.

I had transsphenoidal surgery a month and a half later.  I spent a week in the hospital that can only be described as hell.  My body crashed hard and every part of me ached.  The next four months proved equally as challenging, my energy being non-existent and my replacement dosage being difficult to keep correct.  But a year and four months later I’m very close to being off the replacement dosage, and feeling back to normal.  Thank goodness for Cedars Sinai pituitary center for their attentiveness and care.

The biggest lesson I learned was to trust yourself.  I did not gain weight when I was sick.  I did begin to develop a moon face and a small tummy, but my weight remained constant.  I was waking up at 3 in the morning every day, my blood pressure spiked, my muscles weakened, I bruised easily, I lost hair on my head, my skin became mottled and thin.  I don’t know if the weight gain would have happened eventually or not, but I truly believe I wouldn’t have stayed alive long enough for that to happen… the change from healthy to sick happened so rapidly in my case that if it kept up I doubt I would have lived much longer that a year or so.  I worry about recurrence every day, and have had numerous visits to the ER since surgery due to adrenal crisis, but at least I know what to do when that happens and can take care immediately.  And as I’m sure most of you would agree, I treasure every healthy day.

Related articles

• Cushing’s on Capitol Hill: Cushing’s Awareness Challenge (cushieblog.com)
• Cushing’s syndrome increased risk for coronary arterial atherosclerosis (maryomedical.com)
• Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), also known as corticotropin (doctorandsurgeon.wordpress.com)