i am a 65 year old male who was diagnose with cushings about 7 yrs ago
i have no adrenal glands that are working
i have to take prednisone to keep me from crashing
am now a diabetic and have heart failure
i spend 99% of my life in bed i am very weak and in pain most of the time , my family doctor keep giving me prenisone and never gave my body a break from this drug so now what caused me to be so sick is what i have too take to stay alive.
my doctors now really dont no that much about cushings so i feel as though i am just stuck ,
My name is Lynn M. I am a 39 year old with adrenal Cushing’s. My left adrenal gland was removed on Nov 29, 2000, in Portland Or. 24 hours after surgery, I went into adrenal crisis and was in a crisis for three days due to sodium and potassium crash.
My tumor had been present for about 5 years but it took three years of different doctors to diagnose me with Cushing’s. Now one year post op I have lost 45 lbs on weight watchers but still taking 35mg of cortef and 50 mg potassium and diabetic. My other glands have not started to function yet now I am at home recovering from ankle surgery scared to death of infection or not healing because of the steroids…Has anyone else had surgery while still on high doses of cortef?
Hello. I was led to this site while searching for information. I am surprised to find out that so many people have similar stories to my own.
Last summer I went to the ER because of unexplained vomiting. They said that my liver values were off, and I needed a CT scan. So I went to my internist and after the scan he called to tell me that they found a tumor on my left adrenal gland. He told me to stop taking Metformin, and at the time I was taking 850 mg 3 times daily. I am severely diabetic, have hypertension and am taking 5 blood pressure meds. I have had a lifetime of weight issues, missed periods for years at a time, have had hair loss on my head, but I shave my chin and mustache every day since I was a teen, and I am constantly tired. I also am obese, but eat usually once a day now, since my abdomen is so large. My legs and arms are smaller than the rest of my body, and this has happened over the last 10 years. I have a buffalo hump, and have since I was a teenager.
The last 2 endocrinologists I went to just yelled at me for not eating properly and not monitoring my glucose levels. One told me that she was glad my daughter is married because I am going to die. She never checked me for anything. The crazy part was after the internist called me and said that I would have to have surgery to remove the adenoma, he changed his mind. All of a sudden, he said I needed to be followed by an endocrinologist, after he knew the two that I had been seeing. He referred me to a new endo, who immediately said she didn’t think I had Cushing’s syndrome, but she ordered some tests. I didn’t take them because she was in the process of leaving the practice. I see a cardiologist who insists that adrenal adenomas are common, and usually don’t require any attention. UMMM, I am on 14 different medications for diabetes, hypertension, depression, and arthritis in my back. I think the evidence is present, but the doctors don’t seem to want to deal with my situation.
So, I changed doctors. I go to a new endocrinologist on 9/2, and I pray this one will listen. My health is failing, and my quality of life has sufferred because of all of these problems.
Growing up I’d always been anywhere from underweight to average with a couple chubby phases in my pre-teens and teens. I actually got into modeling work for nearly 10 years and I found myself having to take time off in 2008..At least I thought it would just be little while. Between anxiety, being fairly active and a high metabolism, I never had trouble losing weight until In 2007 out of nowhere, I found myself rapidly gaining a lot of weight. All together I had gained about 60-70 lbs in well under a year without my diet or lifestyle ever changing and I’d always been a light, picky eater. I went from a usual size 5-7 to 15 or S/M to XL/XXL. I got back into yoga, pilates and even bought a Total Gym. Working out and dieting even I wasn’t losing even so much as water wieght. I was notiing a whole host of new symptoms. From purple stretch marks, gaining weight, my fingers, toes and palms of hands constantly bright red. Weight gain/appearing swollen only in my torso and upper body, to even my features changing. Adema, constantly craving and eating ice. My once heart shaped face was now completely round and full starting from the top of my ears. I appeared more swollen than anything.
My first endo diagnosed me with hypothyroidism. He was the first to suggest Cushings and my first 24 UFC was 4 times higher than normal and the next was slightly above normal. The rest after that were in the normal ranges. Eventually hypothyroidism was ruled out after routine tests came back normal without taking the Synthroid and telling my doctor I was. Once I admitted it, he was so angry I proved him wrong that he dismissed me as a patient.
I was sent to another Endo and a specialist he referred me to. The next endocrinologist ended up being the most arrogant, rude person I’ve ever met and the few appointments I had with him ended up being mostly arguments or me breaking down into full blown panic attacks. The specialist I seen and his fellow who are supposed to be the best in my state initially believed I have Cushings once they went over my symptoms, medical history and photos documenting my physical changes. The specialist and my past endocrinologists even had grand round meetings on my case and still blew me off!
In 2008 I started having fluid/discharge from my right breast and after tons of testing to rule out breast cancer I was sent to surgery to remove the ducts. After this traumatic surgery, I still have fluid and from both breasts now that’s been ongoing for 6 years. Even after expalaining my situation and medical issues, I’m just told to lose weight. I went from completely normal sugar levels to borderline diabetic to “full blown” diabetic within a matter of months at the age of 26. I’ve seen numerous dieticians, nutrition and diabetic classes and no one can figure out why I’m not losing weight doing everything right. I was prescribed Metformin and lost a little over 20 lbs, but it was such a high dose it had to be lowered and I stopped losing any more weight.
Since everything started in 2007 it seems I’m adding more and more symptoms almost monthly to my already too long list with no answers as to why or what is causing them. I’ve done more research than some would consider humanly possible and probably more than some doctors I’ve seen! Reading blogs, forums, bio’s, etc. I can’t believe how many of the same symptoms I have as other patients. Mystery Diagnosis anymore is hard to watch relating so much to the stories I break down crying. The only symptoms I seem to be lacking is the constantly high cortisol, pronounced buffalo hump and thinning skin. Other than that I seem to have every single one, even the rarest or some I’ve never even seen associated. I’ve been offered so many possible diagnosis’, but nothing definitive. Everything from metabolic syndrome and PCOS to auto immune, parathyroid and that’s just your body!
I’ve seen or been pushed off on just about every specialist there is. At least my primary doctor admits there is something serious going on, but it’s over his head. Every single one of my other doctors, PA’s, surgeons or specialists believe I have Cushings, but I need an Endocrinologist to agree.
6 years later I still with labs all over the place, a list of literally 30+ symptoms and health problems because of this mystery disease that’s yet to be diagnosed. My Cortisol tests seem to be back and forth, but mostly showing low. My testosterone, ACTH and Insulin Like Growth Factor are all elevated. My vitamin D and iron are extremely low even with prescription strength vitamins. My white cell count is high enough to be sent to a cancer center to rule out different types of cancer. I was dagnosed with fattly liver disease and no answers as to why. Hair growth on my face and body, acne breakouts worse than I ever had in my teens. Chronic reoccuring skin, bacterial and viral infections.Dark pigmentation under my arms. Excessive sweating to the point my hair is soaked or sweat drips from my face in cool weather or shopping. Severe intolerance to heat. Growths or polyps on different organs without any further testing and more abnormal labs and symptoms than I can keep track of. I’m just at that point where I’m not sure if I give up and let it take me out or just keep searching for that one possible doctor who will listen and order the right tests.
All I know is I’ve lost so much of my life being so sick and disabled. Not working, not even modeling work on the side, no college to work with animals and be a veterinary tech, turning 30 and still not being able to get pregnant, going out and having fun like I should or even recognizing myself in the mirror. Loving swimming and summer, but can’t stand looking at myself or being engaged for over 5 years and pushing off a wedding because I don’t want to walk down the isle like this and look at my wedding photos remembering this time in my life.
Jackie (samsmom) first started dealing with Cushing’s in her family when her youngest child was born in 1999.
Jackie has appeared on the Discovery Health tv show pilot, Mystery Diagnosis, discussing her fight for a cure for her younger daughter, as well. Download from amazon.com:Mystery Diagnosis
Later at the NIH, the gene (PDE11A) responsible for Sam’s illness was found. Her father carried the gene as did her two sisters.
Jackie last updated her bio 10/12/2009. This is another Golden Oldie.
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On march 22nd 1999 Sam was born 5 weeks prematurely, weighing in at 5 lbs 11 oz after a difficult pregnancy and delivery. Sam didn’t ever ‘look’ right to me. I had had two daughters prior to Sam and never felt such a feeling of unrest and anxiety about a baby. The doctors assured me there was nothing wrong with Sam. She had enormous chipmunk cheeks and was bright red. She was very agitated and struggled with feeding due to the size of her cheeks. It was determined within the first 24 hours of life that Sam had “breathing difficulty” and trouble keeping her tempeture up. She was sent to the NICU the evening of her birth.
Around day three… Sam’s ‘pediatrician’ told me that Sam was having high blood pressure readings. A neonatologist was called in to observe her. Her pressures remained high and she was immediatly prescribed high bp meds. After weeks of increasing and adding additional doses Sam still had high bp. On day 18 she was transfered via ambulance to Seattle Children’s hospital.
She was catherized and given a 24 hour urine free cortisol test. She had necrosis so bad in her diaper area she almost lost concousness when her diaper was changed. Her bum was so raw and bloody it bleed through her plastic diapers down her leg. They lay her under a heat lamp and managed to make contact with the bulb to her skin. She got a 3rd degree burn. The 24 hour urine test was botched in the lab. Her hematicrit was 18. They sent us … home. On two different kinds of bp meds and a tube of desitin.
Sam was better off at home. We had a bp machine and monitered her every 4 hours. She was losing weight due to her feeding difficulties and she vomited anything she did manage to get down. Her bp slowly came down. We went to see an endo at about 4 weeks old who wanted to take blood out of her juglar vein for a blood test. All sam’s veins had collapsed at this point. I told him I would take Sam and jump out the window with her before I would allow the jugular blood draw. I left the building.
Over the course of the next month we realized we were on our own. Bill and I noticed that the bp was coming down so we slowly weaned her off the bp med and antibioltics(for the necrosis). Sam was rarely awake at this point and very frail and pale. We felt the meds were doing her more harm than good. We saw countless doctors who all came to the same brilliant conclusion; all these odd symptoms were simply due to her prematurity. Her serum cortisol at this point was 45. The so called doctors said she was under a great deal of stress, and dismissed the idea of Cushings syndrome. Because babies (even children) don’t get Cushing’s… after all.
At about 3 months Sam’s features started to normalize. The puffiness went slowly away… she began to feed better and the necrosis healed. Slowly she started growing but still vomitted most of her feeds. She screamed relentlessly and slept infrequently and for short bits… I sleep upright in a chair with Sam on my chest the first 9 months of her life. Sam awakened hysterically ever 2 hours on the dot. This continued until she was four years old.
Sam was slow to walk, speak, roll… she was small and thin and very crabby all the time. We trudged on… my other two daughters nearly invisible due to the needs of Sam. I knew Sam was sick. I knew there was something wrong. My husband diagreed with me. He told me to trust the experts. So reluctently, I did. Sort of.
At 19 months of age Sam, still waking every two hours, would be drenched with urine from literally head to toe. This was very strange. I ended up putting towels under her because I ran out of sheets. I slept in a cot in her room. With 10 days… Sam had gained 10 lbs. She was BRIGHT red and agitated. Her bp went back up… her appetite was vorocious. The only thing that soothed her was me rocking her back and forth and patting her back. She fell asleep to Ryan Adams “Stars go Blue”…she would scream until I repeated the song over and over and over…. She would hold her head and cry and cry… finally to sleep for two hours… the repeat.
We brought her to a new endo who thought she had prader wili syndrome. I explained she had gained 10 lbs in 10 days. He might as well have laughed at me. He said she was obese and had behavior problems. He told me it would take 5 weeks to get the PW test results back. When we did it was negetive. Though her cortisol was 49. Stress, he said, stress. By then Sam had shrank back down to her present weight and her chipmunk cheeks were gone. SHe still woke up every two hours and demanded ‘her song’ to get to sleep.
When she was well enough, I flew Sam to Arizona Childrens Hospital and visited with an endocrinologist in Scottsdale. This is the first I heard about cyclical Cushing’s syndrome. No tests were ordered as Sam was asymptomatic at that time. She remained Cushing’s free for about 6 more months.
At around 31/2 years… Sam went into a particularly bad cycle. She was so sick she couldn’t stand up. She sat and cried and cried and cried. Nothing could console her but that damned Ryan Adams song and her black cat Max. She gained 15 lbs in as many days. She got a face full of acne and stretch marks on her stomach. She rocked and cried and held her head.
About this time I posted my first post on this board. I was desperate, angry, terrified and sick with grief. I KNEW Sam was going to die. My posting was answered by the angels that are here… all agreed Sam had Cushing’s, all gave me strength and validated me… all were rooting for Sam. At the doctor the next day she had a urine test that showed protein in the urine. i was told to go to Children’s Hospital immediatly; Sam was diabetic. Huh?
I went in to the hospital raging. I demanded the endo on call…. I shouted at the fellow. I snapped at the nurse…. I kicked the bed out of my way….. and in walked Dr. Dan Gunther. Sam was screaming, I was screaming… he was calm. He sat down. He listened… he nodded…. I went on and on about Cushing’s and the board and the high bp and the acne and the necrosis and no one caring…. and the ‘Stars go blue’… for 2 solid hours. He took notes. I showed him pictures… I showed him what she had looked like 5 days prior…and 10…. He ordered an immediate ultrasound of her adrenals and sent us home with 3 jugs for 24 hour urine cortisols.
Dr. Gunther called me the next day (Thanksgiving) to see how she was. He told me he would help her. He told me he would help me. He told me “no one is going to die.”
Sam and I went to war with the urine tests. She was a champion. She was excessivley urinating at this point (and not night trained anyhow) so I woke her every hour to pee in a little bed pan. Soon Sam was standing up on her little bed, peeing in her sleep and hitting the repeat on her trusty CD player so she drift back off to her song.
Sam’s first 24 hour urine came in a 2900. Dr. Gunther admitted her for testing. He contacted Dr. Stratakis at NIH and followed the testing protocal recommended by him. All of Sam’s tests reveiled a Cushing’s diagnosis. On day 3 Dr. Dan told me there was some suspicion among the hospital that Sam had been given mega doses of steroids and was being posioned. I looked at him as though he had gone mad. He said that some docs felt I was giving her steroids. They thought I had Munchausen by proxy. I assaulted Dr. Dan verbally and he took it. Then he told me that he disagreed with them and kept Sam another day to prove that Sam’s adrenals were the ones making the steroids, not Sam’s mother.
The tests showed that Sam’s adrenals were in fact making the cortisol. I was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Dr. Dan sent us to NIH in February of 2003. Sam was not in a cycle at that time. Sam still tested positive for Cushing’s throughout 2 grueling weeks of testing. On the way home on the plane… Sam started shouting for her song… then she started eating all her food…. then my food…. then tried to get the guy’s next to me food…. I turned on “Stars Go Blue” and just ***knew*** she was starting a new cycle.
Within 10 days of arriving home and 3 more 24 hour urines it was determined that Sam was in a cycle. She gained 12 lbs. Dr. Stratakis told me via phone that she would need to have the bilateral adrenalectomy as she had tested positive for PPNAD. But first she would need to show high numbers AT NIH. They could only schedule us back the end of March… for the first time I prayed that Sam would STAY in the Cushing’s cycle…. Sam turned 4 on March 22, 2003. She got a guniea pig, a pony and twin kittens. She was too sick to care.
On March 28th we arrived back at NIH. Sam was coming OUT of the cycle rapidly, however Dr. S was very startled by the difference in her appearence.. I was insane with anxiety that she would have low numbers and be denied surgery. But my Sam pulled if off…. her 24 hour urines were around 500…. a little lower each day. Dr. S could actually WATCH Sam could out of her cycle.
Sam had a BLA on April 8 2003 (Harvey Cushings b-day and Cushing’s awareness day). Her surgery was successful. She stayed in the ICU for 16 days. 3 of those on an epidural for pain management. She was brave and strong and happy. She was all bubbles and smiles…. and didn’t have so much as a tylenol when the epi came out.
In Summer of 2005 the Discovery Health channel contacted me regarding a new show they were producing called “Mystery Diagnosis”. I agreed to tell Sam’s story along with Dr. Dan who had become one of our closest friends. Our show aired in November 2005.
In September 2006 Dr, Stratkis contacted us and told us he had found the gene responsible for Sam’s illness. Her father carried the gene as did her two sisters. I did not. Both of Sam’s sisters went back east for testing. Each were negative for active Cushing’s Syndrome.
In April of 2007, my eldest, Jordan (15 then) was back at NIH. She had had a 60 lbs weight gain during the school year. I knew what was happening. Dr. S’s tests confirmed it. Jordan had her left adrenal gland removed in October of 2007. There were complications and only one gland could be taken at that time. She recovered from that surgery within 2 weeks and we arrived home October 11, 2007. I recieved the devestating news that Dr. Dan Gunther had passed away. His death ruled a suicide.
During Christmas break Jordan began to get sick again. Her weight increased and her bp and sugars rose. I took it upon myself to find an endocrinologist and surgeon at Stanford University Advanced Cancer Center willing to preform her unilateral adrenalectomy. Dr. Jeff Norton preformed an open procedure and Jordan has recovered nicely. She has had little relief from Cushing’s symptoms and is still unable to go to school. Every day is a baby step for all of us. My life is a maze of pills 3 times a day for 2 kids at 3 different times. Forever.
Jordan and I will travel to NIH the last week of May 2008 for post op/6month testing. I am praying she does not have an active Cushing’s tumor on her pituitary.
I often wonder what happened in my other lives that dealt me such a tragic hand… whatever it was I hope it was fun. Sometimes I pretend I am a character in a Robin Cook novel… it isn’t that far of a stretch.
I miss my friend Dr. Dan everyday. My heart still aches whenever I think of him. I may never get over his death.
As I type this Jordan has just come in from a pedicure with her middle sister and Sam is watching Scooby doo… I can hear Sam’s CD still playing upstairs where she left it on… I swear to God it’s playing Ryan Adams “Stars Go Blue”.
Jackie and Jordan were the subjects of a Live Interview in the Cushing’s Help Voice Chat / Podcast series May 15, 7:30 The topic was Cushing’s in young people, the fight to diagnose, the amazing gift of a GOOD endocrinologist.
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