Today is the 34th anniversary of my pituitary surgery at NIH.
As one can imagine, it hasn’t been all happiness and light. Most of my journey has been documented here and on the message boards – and elsewhere around the web.
My Cushing’s has been in remission for most of these 34 years. Due to scarring from my pituitary surgery, I developed adrenal insufficiency.
During nephrectomy, doctors removed my left kidney, my adrenal gland, and some lymph nodes. Thankfully, the cancer was contained – but my adrenal insufficiency is even more severe than it was.
In the last several years, I’ve developed ongoing knee issues. Because of my cortisol use to keep the AI at bay, my endocrinologist doesn’t want me to get a cortisone injection in my knee. September 12, 2018 I did get that knee injection (Kenalog) and it’s been one of the best things I ever did. I didn’t look forward to telling my endo! I have had a couple more injections. I’ve been approved for a new gel injection but haven’t started that yet – that would be a three-time injection over 3 weeks.
I also developed an allergy to blackberries last October and had to take Prednisone – and I had to tell my endo that, too!
I was married 38 years when I became sick in 2011, but the family doctor and my husband wouldn’t believe me.They thought I was lazy, fat and crazy when they shipped me off to a mental ward in a hospital. I knew I was physically sick with Cushing’s Disease, but I couldn’t convince the psychiatrist. I left my husband, got a new doctor and was diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease in 2012. I had successful surgery in April 2013 to remove the pituitary tumor. I had Adrenal Insufficiency and was put on 5mg of prednisone as my body would not produce its own cortisol.
On Sept 27th/2016, I went into an Adrenal Crisis in an airport in Germany (I live in Canada) was hospitalized one day in intensive care, two days of regular care then I flew back to Canada and have been struggling ever since with Cushing’s symptoms. I was on two IV’s continuously in Germany for three days. I know one was prednisone and don’t know what the other was. But I do believe those doctors saved my life. However, all my Cushing’s symptoms returned and from October 2nd/2016 to December/2016, I gained 26 pounds while eating very little and should have lost weight.
I found an MD who also practices integrative and complementary medicine. He has a master’s in nutritional biochemistry. He had me do a Live Blood Cell test. My blood cells were all stuck together in a long chain and not free-floating like the way they should be. Based on this, the doctor said I had bad bacteria, fungus, and inflammation. He also said this is indicative of extreme fatigue. He said it was the starch in my body that created this problem. In April 2017, he put me on a low starch diet, and by July my adrenal awakened and was producing its own cortisol. I was no longer Adrenal Insufficient and taken off prednisone.
By Sept/2017 I was able to walk 13 km at the Toronto Zoo, could dance and golf. Most of my Cushing’s symptoms had disappeared. I got my life back.
I ate butternut squash for months, as it was on my list of approved foods, and became sick with Cushing’s symptoms again and got a burning in the vagina. I didn’t realize Butternut squash is starchy. My next blood work showed elevated White Blood Count, , Neutrophils, and Monocytes. All of them indicative of bad bacteria, fungus and inflammation. Click here for the bloodwork report.
There was no source found for the infection. I was put on Microbin and a second level of antibiotics which did nothing. Then, I was put on cipro flax which cleared up the infection. After six months, and strict adherence to my no starch diet, I started to recover from Cushing’s symptoms giving me a better quality of life. I also lost weight.
For three days in a row, I ate homemade tomato sauce. I got a burning in the vagina and my Cushing’s symptoms returned. ( Click here for the bloodwork report. ). Two internet sites said that tomato is non-starchy, but MedicalHealth.com says tomato is a starch. My friend, who is diabetic said if she is on a low-carb diet, she can’t eat tomatoes. My next bloodwork gave the same results as above. Over five months, while maintaining a no starch diet, my Cushing’s symptoms lessened giving me more energy and I lost weight.
After eating a handful of cashews for 4 days in a row I woke up with a burning in the vagina and my Cushing’s symptoms returned. This has now become my indication that I have eaten something starchy so I figure out what it was. I had bloodwork done the next day. This is the result. ( Click here for the bloodwork report. ). Cashews are starchy. Again the same elevated bloodwork results as above. Antibiotics cleared up the infection. After five or six months on a strict no starch diet, the Cushing’s symptoms lessened. My energy and strength returned and I lost weight.
Looking back at my old bloodwork from 2011 when I was in the psychiatric ward, it showed the same elevated results except that the WBC went up as high as 23 and the hospital mentioned that there was no source found for the infection. Another time, in 2011, I went to the ER, the records showed the same: elevated WBC with no source of infection.
To prevent this from happening again, I found a way to test for starch in foods using iodine. See how under DIET section.
Unfortunately, I had too much white wine, what can I say I’m only human and ate barbecue sauce on 5 May/2019.Here are my results. I am back to having Cushing’s symptoms. But after six months of being back on the no starch diet, I have recovered from the Cushing’s symptoms.
I ate corn-fed steak and got a burning in the vagina and became sick with Cushing’s symptoms again. Steak is a non-starchy food. But the cow ate corn, which is starchy, and I ate the cow so, I got sick again with Cushing’s symptoms. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the bloodwork done at that time to show white blood count numbers.
This cannot be a coincidence. There is a definite pattern that can’t be ignored. Each time I unwittingly ate starchy food, I would go to the doctor and ask for bloodwork to be done.
I had a cyst on my lower eyelashes surgically removed. This cyst formed because of repeated infections. The cream the surgeon gave me Tobradex has only 2 ingredients: Tobramycin and dexamethasone. I learned Dexamethasone reduces inflammation by stopping cells from releasing chemicals that normally help produce immune and allergic responses. The Dex stops the allergic reaction I’m having from the starch and by doing so lowers my cortisol. OMG! This is why when I stop eating starchy foods for six months, (because it takes that long for the starch to break down and get out of my system) I recreate what the Dex is doing and my Cushing’s symptoms lessen and my cortisol is lower. This is why my cortisol levels became normal seven months after eating the corn-fed beef because I didn’t have any further setbacks from eating starch. I was starting to recover. All my bloodwork confirms starchy foods create inflammation. My cortisol suppresses when given the Dex Suppression Test. For me, I was given one dex pill which did nothing and my cortisol did not suppress. Then the doctor gave me six dex pills and the cortisol did suppress. After this test, I had more energy and didn’t feel like my legs would collapse.
An interesting note is that some endos have Cushies taking ketoconazole, which is used to treat skin infections and is an antifungal, to help lessen the symptoms. But Cushies have found it works for only 2 years then becomes ineffective. So the connection here is that Cushies have infection and fungus, which my bloodwork corroborates. We can lessen our symptoms when we get rid of the source of the infection. Therefore, if I get rid of the starch in my body, will I get rid of my Cushing’s symptoms and the infection? This is the question I am hoping my fellow warrior Cushies will answer by trying my diet.
Quick takeaway: I have adrenal insufficiency (one adrenal was removed with my kidney due to cancer, steroid-dependent (post-Cushing’s Disease), growth hormone insufficiency, panhypopituitary. I had some issues after my first COVID-19 injection (Moderna) but not too bad. My second injection was March 15, 2021. This time I was smart and updosed on my Cortef (hydrocortisone) right after the shot. My main side effects this time were chills, extreme thirst, fatigue…and a craving for salad(!)
Earlier in March, CVS sent out an email with a few questions to answer before confirming my March 15 appointment. On March 14, they sent me a text and when I clicked on the link, it said I had answered all the questions already. YAY
I got this information again from CVS:
On the day of your appointment:
•Please arrive early enough to check in before your scheduled appointment. Arriving late for your appointment may result in an extended wait time.
•Bring your ID and insurance card, voucher or other coverage
•Don’t forget a face covering—wearing it throughout your visit is required
•When you arrive, please check in at the pharmacy area inside the store or follow the signs for the COVID-19 vaccine
CVS tips for vaccine shots:
•Wearing short sleeves makes getting a shot easier and faster
•If you must wear long sleeves, dress in layers with the short sleeves underneath
•The CDC has created a way for you to report how you feel after the COVID-19 vaccination through a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to check in with you. Learn about v-safe and sign up today.
Monday, March 15, 2021: When I got to CVS, I found that everything was very well run like before.
I got a text from CVS asking me to click a link when I arrived at 3:30 and it gave me directions on where to go.
This time I wasn’t met by anyone at door but I knew from before where to walk following arrows on floor. Then I was met by so someone who checked my name and he asked if I had done the texting thing (yes!).
There were 2 people ahead of me that I could see.It went very fast.I was in the little partitioned off area within less than 10 minutes.
The nurse asked if left arm was ok to use.
The shot was not quite as fast – I felt it a little but I am used to giving myself daily injections so this was no biggie..
The nurse said if I get a headache, take Tylenol only. She also said to stay hydrated.
I sat in the waiting area for 15 minutes to be sure there were no problemsThere were about 10 or so people sitting around the store that I could see at various stages of their 15 minutes.
This time I was smart – right after leaving the CVS I took a stress dose of Cortef (hydrocortisone).
Around 7 pm i noticed I had what I used to call a “lightning bolt headache”. There is pain in one spot of my head and it moves quickly down, through my brain and out. I used to get these long ago and I didn’t even know they were a thing until I just looked them andy they are called “Thunderclap Headaches”:
Severe headaches that appear suddenly like a lightning bolt are a cause for concern. This isn’t a sharp pain that goes away as suddenly as it began, but a pain that comes on like a light switch or feels as if someone has hit you in the head with a hammer.
Who knew – I thought I’d made them up. I hope this was the only one.
I could not believe how thirsty I was for the first couple days. My mouth felt like a desert so I drank lots of ice water which meant I needed to run to the bathroom a lot. Sometimes, I didn’t quite make it.
About 10 pm I started being very cold. I don’t know if that’s a symptom but I noted that on February 17, also.
My arm seems like it is more sore than last time.
About 3 am, I got up needing to get a drink of water and I was still so cold. I was under 3 blankets, wearing a hoodie and a very warm knit cap. I didn’t have the death dreams like last time but some that were work-related and all jumbled up. This has to get done before that can, but then, this other thing happens, type thing. I just got up, got a little hydrated and checked my emails.
As soon as I typed this sentence, I put my mittens back on.
Tuesday, March 16, 2021: My arm was sorer than Monday and I was still feeling cold, sleeping off and on. Still very thirsty.
I skipped my growth hormone injection again.
I had trouble sleeping, especially if I tried to roll over.
Wednesday, March 17, 2021: We didn’t go to water exercise. I planned that this time, based on my reaction to the first shot.
I had a little headache, dizzy, congested, very tired, lots of brain fog, thirsty. I slept more until about 1 pm and I cancelled piano lessons for the day.
After cancelling lessons, I went back to sleep. I was feeling cold but I don’t know if it was chills or really a cold.
At that point, I realized I hadn’t eaten for 2 days or had any coffee!.
For reasons that are very strange to me, I started craving tossed salad, specifically one from a certain local restaurant. I have never in my life craved salad.
I had some dinner (I was surprised that I could eat any) at 9:25 and did my growth hormone injection.
I went to bed at 11 pm. Tossed and turned all night.
Thursday, March 18, 2021: I’m a little more tired than usual but ok. I spent time napping and working alternated through the day. My boss called and he’d just had his Johnson and Johnson shot on Tuesday. The call was pretty funny because we both were brain foggy and trying to think of words. His vaccine is the one-dose type – he was glad to get it but found it weird that he could actually feel the medicine going in. That sounds to me more like it was injected into a vein than a muscle.
My DH went out to Domino’s and got some dinner – and finally, I got that salad!
Friday, March 19, 2021: Just the normal tiredness. Hooray! We went back to water exercise. I took off my bandage for the first time and noticed that the site had bled a little. Oh well. While I was in the pool, I had another of those lightning headaches but didn’t get out of the pool for Tylenol because I knew it was quick.
Moderna started Phase III clinical trials for its vaccine candidate in July. In earlier trials, nearly half of patients experienced common adverse effects like injection site pain, rash, headaches, muscle soreness, nausea and fevers after the second injection. These effects generally subsided within two days. CNBC spoke to a few individuals, some participating in Moderna’s trial and some in Pfizer’s trial who said much the same thing: the side effects were intense and included a high fever, body aches, bad headaches and exhaustion, but were worth it for protection from Covid-19.
In the FDA report published in December, the most common side effects were pain at injection site (91.6% of patients), fatigue (68.5%), headache (63.0%), muscle pain (59.6%), joint pain (44.8%), and chills (43.4%). Three patients experienced Bell’s Palsy, a sudden, and usually temporary, weakening or paralysis of the facial muscles.
A few patients with facial fillers experienced swelling after receiving the vaccine. They were treated with antihistamines and steroids. In California, officials halted the use of one particular batch of Moderna vaccines (lot 41L20A) after a small cluster (fewer than 10) of patients at one particular site experienced allergic reactions that required medical attention.
Out of the first 7.5 million doses administered from Dec 14- Jan 18, 19 cases of anaphylaxis were reported to VAERS after the Moderna vaccine. No patients have died from anaphylaxis. Patients are now being monitored for 15-30 minutes after receiving the vaccine to watch for signs of anaphylaxis.
Many patients are reporting injection site reactions that show up shortly after the injection or up to a week later. These reactions — which are characterized by swelling, redness, itching, rashes, heat and pain — are expected to last a day to a week. Physicians emphasize that while these effects can be scary, they are not dangerous and should not prevent someone from getting the second shot. So far, doctors do not report seeing these reactions after the second shot, however so few have been given so far that scientists are not sure how common it will be on round two.
The CDC reports that 11% of patients experienced swollen lymph nodes after the first shot. That raised to 16% after the second shot.
A study posted on Feb 1 showed that patients who received the vaccine after having been previously infected with COVID-19 showed greater immune response to the first shot and more intense side effects that are associated with strong immune responses like fever and muscle aches. The study included patients who received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Some scientists believe these patients may only need a single shot to provide sufficient immunity, but more research is needed.
Moderna has announced that it will begin testing its vaccine in children and adolescents, who they believe may have stronger immune responses, leading to more intense side effects.
Quick takeaway: I have adrenal insufficiency (one adrenal was removed with my kidney due to cancer, steroid-dependent (post-Cushing’s Disease), growth hormone insufficiency, panhypopituitary. I had some issues after my first COVID-19 injection (Moderna) but not too bad. My second injection will be March 15.
January 12, 2021 my Mom’s doctor called and offered her the vaccine but she didn’t want it. She said she didn’t go anywhere. True but my DH and I do – and she has a friend visit once a month.I joked to a friend that I could put on a wig and go as her since we have the same first name.
I have been doing the COVID-19 Patient Monitoring System through my doctor’s office since it was first offered.Just a few boxes of how I’m feeling, if I wore a mask and so on.I am a strong believer in helping to participate in medical trials, as I mention below.This one is very easy and takes about a minute out of my day.Easy-peasy.
I’ve been on the Fairfax Waiting List since January 19, 2021.As of right now, they are still scheduling people from January 18 – I read somewhere that 41,000-some people registered on the 18th, so it may be a while to get to my date.They have set up an interesting dashboard to track how things are going– https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/novel-coronavirus/vaccine/data
I kept the CVS link open and checked it every morning. Everything was full until Saturday, February 13.I was able to register at about 5 am.When I went back about 20 minutes later, everything was gone.
CVS sent out an informative email with directions, dates, ics file to easily add to calendar,
On the day of your appointment:
•Please arrive early enough to check in before your scheduled appointment. Arriving late for your appointment may result in an extended wait time.
•Bring your ID and insurance card, voucher or other coverage
•Don’t forget a face covering—wearing it throughout your visit is required
•When you arrive, please check in at the pharmacy area inside the store or follow the signs for the COVID-19 vaccine
CVS tips for vaccine shots:
•Wearing short sleeves makes getting a shot easier and faster
•If you must wear long sleeves, dress in layers with the short sleeves underneath
•The CDC has created a way for you to report how you feel after the COVID-19 vaccination through a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to check in with you. Learn about v-safe and sign up today.
And a short survey, which I took – just add up to 5 stars and write a short paragraph.
Monday, February 15, 2021: When I got to CVS, I found that everything was very well run.
I got a text from CVS asking me to click a link when I arrived at 3:30 and it gave me directions on where to go.
I was met by someone at door who checked my name – I showed him my phone screen – he showed me where to walk following arrows on floor. Then I was met by so someone who checked my name and he asked if I had done the texting thing (yes!).
There were 4 people ahead of me that I could see.It went very fast.I was in the little room within less than 10 minutes.
The nurse asked if left arm was ok to use.
She told me to treat the little quarantine form like gold.Take a picture on my phone, just in case.Maybe laminate after second shot.Keep it with passport.
She said that old folks (like me!) didn’t have as many issues after second shot.
The shot was very fast – I never felt it.
The nurse said if I get a headache, take Tylenol only. I said that was all I could take anyway because I have only one kidney.
I sat in the waiting area for 15 minutes to be sure there were no problemsThere were about 10 or so people sitting around the store that I could see at various stages of their 15 minutes.
I was glad to see that it was Moderna (MRNA) although I would have taken either.I have a long-standing issue with the other drug company, unrelated to COVID vaccines.
I posted on FB that I had done my first injection and a friend told me about registering at vsafe.cdc.gov for them to keep track of me after the vaccination. I signed up for that right away – and I noticed that CVS had also given me that link.
About 12 hours later (3:30 am) I got up to go to the bathroom and noticed that my arm was a little sore. No biggie.
Tuesday, February 16, 2021: I just got my first dose of Moderna yesterday – sore arm, so far.
The nurse told me yesterday that older people like myself (I’m 72) had fewer side effects since we had been exposed to more things over the years.I’m not sure how accurate that is but I’ll hold on to that hope until I get my second dose on March 15!
Wednesday, February 17, 2021: I had weird dreams overnight but I got up about 4:00 am.I did some work and fell back asleep until 10:15.
We didn’t go to water exercise. I decided at the very last minute, walking out the door. Reaction to Monday shot? I had a little headache, dizzy, congested, very tired.I should have taken more cortisone at this time but didn’t remember until 8:30 pm.
I slept more until about 2 pm and had very weird dreams – I don’t know if the dreams are part of it or not but I reported them to the safe.cdc.gov questionnaire.
I cancelled piano lessons for the day.I wrote to my students:
I am so sorry but I need to cancel today’s lesson. I had the first COVID vaccination on Monday afternoon. I was feeling fine yesterday so I assumed that I wasn’t going to have any side effects but they caught up with me today. It’s just a headache , a bit of congestion and fatigue (I’ve been sleeping all day so far) but I don’t think I would be at my best during XXX’s lesson.
See you next week…
After cancelling lessons, I went back to sleep until time for Pender’s 7 pm Ash Wednesday service. I was felling cold but I don’t know if it was chills or really a cold. I started coughing a little.
At night, I remembered I should have up-dosed. I told my DH that night if he ever noticed me like this again, it was the perfect time to tell me to stress dose. It never occurred to me during the day.
At that point, I realized I hadn’t eaten all day.I had dinner (I was surprised that I could eat it) at 9:25 and did my growth hormone injection.
I went to bed at 11 p.
Thursday, February 18, 2021: I’m a little more tired than usual but ok. I spent time napping and working alternated through the day.
Friday, February 19, 2021: Just the normal tiredness. Hooray!
Moderna started Phase III clinical trials for its vaccine candidate in July. In earlier trials, nearly half of patients experienced common adverse effects like injection site pain, rash, headaches, muscle soreness, nausea and fevers after the second injection. These effects generally subsided within two days. CNBC spoke to a few individuals, some participating in Moderna’s trial and some in Pfizer’s trial who said much the same thing: the side effects were intense and included a high fever, body aches, bad headaches and exhaustion, but were worth it for protection from Covid-19.
In the FDA report published in December, the most common side effects were pain at injection site (91.6% of patients), fatigue (68.5%), headache (63.0%), muscle pain (59.6%), joint pain (44.8%), and chills (43.4%). Three patients experienced Bell’s Palsy, a sudden, and usually temporary, weakening or paralysis of the facial muscles.
A few patients with facial fillers experienced swelling after receiving the vaccine. They were treated with antihistamines and steroids. In California, officials halted the use of one particular batch of Moderna vaccines (lot 41L20A) after a small cluster (fewer than 10) of patients at one particular site experienced allergic reactions that required medical attention.
Out of the first 7.5 million doses administered from Dec 14- Jan 18, 19 cases of anaphylaxis were reported to VAERS after the Moderna vaccine. No patients have died from anaphylaxis. Patients are now being monitored for 15-30 minutes after receiving the vaccine to watch for signs of anaphylaxis.
Many patients are reporting injection site reactions that show up shortly after the injection or up to a week later. These reactions — which are characterized by swelling, redness, itching, rashes, heat and pain — are expected to last a day to a week. Physicians emphasize that while these effects can be scary, they are not dangerous and should not prevent someone from getting the second shot. So far, doctors do not report seeing these reactions after the second shot, however so few have been given so far that scientists are not sure how common it will be on round two.
The CDC reports that 11% of patients experienced swollen lymph nodes after the first shot. That raised to 16% after the second shot.
A study posted on Feb 1 showed that patients who received the vaccine after having been previously infected with COVID-19 showed greater immune response to the first shot and more intense side effects that are associated with strong immune responses like fever and muscle aches. The study included patients who received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Some scientists believe these patients may only need a single shot to provide sufficient immunity, but more research is needed.
Moderna has announced that it will begin testing its vaccine in children and adolescents, who they believe may have stronger immune responses, leading to more intense side effects.
Today is the 32nd anniversary of my pituitary surgery at NIH.
As one can imagine, it hasn’t been all happiness and light. Most of my journey has been documented here and on the message boards – and elsewhere around the web.
My Cushing’s has been in remission for most of these 31 years. Due to scarring from my pituitary surgery, I developed adrenal insufficiency.
When I got kidney cancer, I had to stop the GH, even though no doctor would admit to any connection between the two.
Last year I went back on it (Omnitrope this time) in late June. Hooray! I still don’t know if it’s going to work but I have high hopes. I am posting some of how that’s going here.
During nephrectomy, doctors removed my left kidney, my adrenal gland, and some lymph nodes. Thankfully, the cancer was contained – but my adrenal insufficiency is even more severe than it was.
In the last couple years, I’ve developed ongoing knee issues. Because of my cortisol use to keep the AI at bay, my endocrinologist doesn’t want me to get a cortisone injection in my knee. September 12, 2018 I did get that knee injection (Kenalog) and it’s been one of the best things I ever did. I didn’t look forward to telling my endo! I have had a couple more injections.
I also developed an allergy to blackberries in October and had to take Prednisone – and I had to tell my endo that, too!
My mom has moved in with us, bring some challenges…
But, this is a post about Giving Thanks. The series will be continued on this blog unless I give thanks about something else Cushing’s related 🙂
I am so thankful that in 1987 the NIH existed and that my endo knew enough to send me there.
Today is the 31st anniversary of my pituitary surgery at NIH.
As one can imagine, it hasn’t been all happiness and light. Most of my journey has been documented here and on the message boards – and elsewhere around the web.
My Cushing’s has been in remission for most of these 31 years. Due to scarring from my pituitary surgery, I developed adrenal insufficiency.
When I got kidney cancer, I had to stop the GH, even though no doctor would admit to any connection between the two.
Last year I went back on it (Omnitrope this time) in late June. Hooray! I still don’t know if it’s going to work but I have high hopes. I am posting some of how that’s going here.
During nephrectomy, doctors removed my left kidney, my adrenal gland, and some lymph nodes. Thankfully, the cancer was contained – but my adrenal insufficiency is even more severe than it was.
In the last couple years, I’ve developed ongoing knee issues. Because of my cortisol use to keep the AI at bay, my endocrinologist doesn’t want me to get a cortisone injection in my knee. September 12, 2018 I did get that knee injection (Kenalog) and it’s been one of the best things I ever did. I’m not looking forward to telling my endo!
I also developed an allergy to blackberries in October and had to take Prednisone – and I’ll have to tell my endo that, too!
My mom has moved in with us, bring some challenges…
But, this is a post about Giving Thanks. The series will be continued on this blog unless I give thanks about something else Cushing’s related 🙂
I am so thankful that in 1987 the NIH existed and that my endo knew enough to send me there.
Today is the 30th anniversary of my pituitary surgery at NIH.
As one can imagine, it hasn’t been all happiness and light. Most of my journey has been documented here and on the message boards – and elsewhere around the web.
My Cushing’s has been in remission for most of these 30 years. Due to scarring from my pituitary surgery, I developed adrenal insufficiency.
When I got kidney cancer, I had to stop the GH, even though no doctor would admit to any connection between the two. Even when I got to 10 years NED (no evidence of disease) from cancer, I couldn’t go back on the GH.
However, this year I went back on it (Omnitrope this time) in late June. Hooray! I still don’t know if it’s going to work but I have high hopes. I am posting some of how that’s going here.
During that surgery, doctors removed my left kidney, my adrenal gland, and some lymph nodes. Thankfully, the cancer was contained – but my adrenal insufficiency is even more severe than it was.
In the last couple years, I’ve developed ongoing knee issues. Because of my cortisol use to keep the AI at bay, my endocrinologist doesn’t want me to get a cortisone injection in my knee.
My mom has moved in with us, bring some challenges…
But, this is a post about Giving Thanks. The series will be continued on this blog unless I give thanks about something else Cushing’s related 🙂
I am so thankful that in 1987 the NIH existed and that my endo knew enough to send me there.
Cushing’s with a pituitary tumor. Had surgery on April 2013.
Surgeon nicked the pituitary gland giving me adrenal insufficiency. Sept 2016 went into adrenal crises while on holiday in Germany. I believe I was given too much prednisone as I have cushing’s again from too much prednisone.
I am working with my Endocrinologist plus an MD with a MSc who is an expert in nutritonal biochemistry.
I have Iatrogenic Cushings—I also have adrenal insuffiency —One doctor told me to just say I have Addison’s—I have many symptoms of Addison’s but I don’t have the salt issues. I have much empathy for the 52 year old man.
I am 60 and have been on cortico-steroids since 1979—everyday. It has beaten up my body alot-oh–I have steroid dependent asthma–I have essentially been in statis asthmaticus and/or on steroids for 30 years.
My allergist told me I have the twitchiest lungs he has ever seen. I am sharing this because anyone else on steroids for their asthma must have very twitchy lungs too.
I know I am lucky because I have never been on a respirator–Hospitalized yes.
I would like to hear from other folks with steroid dependent asthma or other Cushing’s folks.
Today is the 29th anniversary of my pituitary surgery at NIH.
As one can imagine, it hasn’t been all happiness and light. Most of my journey has been documented here and on the message boards – and elsewhere around the web.
My Cushing’s has been in remission for most of these 29 years. Due to scarring from my pituitary surgery, I developed adrenal insufficiency.
When I got kidney cancer, I had to stop the GH, even though no doctor would admit to any connection between the two. Even though I’m now 10 years NED (no evidence of disease) from cancer, I still can’t go back on the GH.
During that surgery, doctors removed my left kidney, my adrenal gland, and some lymph nodes. Thankfully, the cancer was contained – but my adrenal insufficiency is even more severe than it was.
In the last year, I’ve developed ongoing knee issues. Because of my Cortef use to keep the AI at bay, my endocrinologist doesn’t want me to get a cortisone injection in my knee.
My mom has moved in with us, bring some challenges…
But, this is a post about Giving Thanks. The series will be continued on another blog unless I give thanks about something else Cushing’s related 🙂
I am so thankful that in 1987 the NIH existed and that my endo knew enough to send me there.
I am thankful for Dr. Ed Oldfield, my pituitary neurosurgeon at NIH.
I’m thankful for Dr. Harvey Cushing and all the work he did. Otherwise, I might be the fat lady in Ringling Brothers now.
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