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Summer J (Summer84), Pituitary Bio

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Hello my name is summer

When I turn 30 I started having a lot of health problems by my 31st birthday I had a kidney stone that was the size of a cherry pit. After having multiple lipotripsy used to have that kidney stone removed the doctor insisted that I go and see a primary physician, by that time I haven’t seen a doctor in quite some time I have been treated for severe pain and all they would tell me they could make me comfortable but that they could not do anything for me so I stopped going.

My first doctor’s appointment with my new primary physician she asked me why it had been so long since I’ve seen a doctor and I told her that I was scared she told me that there was nothing to be scared about within three months of my first appointment she told me that she thought I had Cushing’s and that we needed to figure out if it was syndrome or disease.

She sent me to a endocrinologist and the first thing he told me was nobody has Cushing’s don’t worry about it the in endocrionologist apologized one month later and referred me to University of California San Francisco. The endocrinologist department at the University was able to discover that it was Cushing’s Disease after taking blood from my pituitary gland , I was introduced to the neurosurgery department and we scheduled my surgery my tumor was removed 1-24-17 . I was giving steroids and an appointment the following month as I reduced my steroid use I got sicker and sicker and ended up in the hospital unable to make it to my doctor’s appointment.

Unfortunately I was not prescribed anymore steroids. When I was finally well enough to make the journey to my doctors they realize their mistake apologized and changed their policies unfortunately during that year I was very sick in and out of the ICU. Neurosurgeon and my new endocrinologist were very surprised that I was able to survive not having any support. They had mentioned that they believe I had a very high long term exposure and that I had gone into shock multiple times. Its now been a year in a couple months and I’m feeling better , Im still having incredibly fatigued and have horrible insomnia but things are looking up.

PS .if this doesn’t make sense I have a little brain fog sorry…

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Sheryl, Adrenal Patient

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I was diagnosed with Cushings Syndrome of the adrenal glands in September, 1973. I underwent a bi-lateral adrenalectomy in January, 1974. 30 years ago.

I’m sure some things have changed since then; I was in the hospital for 3 weeks post-op. I had all of the symptoms listed on this site. I originally was in the ER for what turned out to be a kidney stone. While there the doctors noticed a few oddities. For me the symptoms had been coming along so gradual that no one really noticed. The kidney stone was one result of Cushings. From the ER I was sent for many tests. MRI was not available then, and a test was done by threading a catheter into the groin area artery and shooting dye into it in order for the doc. to see the tumor(s). I tried to find it interesting and it was except every time they pushed more dye into me it was painful and eventually passed out.

By that time I had entered the hospital knowing surgery would happen and that was the final test to make sure exactly where the tumors were. The surgeon told me afterwards that each adrenal had a huge tumor-benign-fortunately-each one the size of a grapefruit. The surgical incisions were made in my back, one on each side of the spine, in a sort of half moon shape. They are quite large because the tumors were so large. The replacement therapies required are hydro-cortisone and florinef. Because everyone is different you may have a different dose than I do. It took quite some time for my body to really become adjusted to the replacements. At least 5 years for me. I would hope for you newcomers that medical progress has considerably lessened that time!

I did have to be hospitalized on 3 or 4 occasions afterwards just because my body was still adjusting and because this is a rare disease not too many docs understand it. At any rate here I am 30 years later and this is the first time I have ever been able to really talk to anyone like me.

I kept asking my docs if there was anyone I could talk to, but they were not aware of any. I am 51 years old now, and feel so very uplifted that I can finally share with others my experiences of ups and down. I am married to the most wonderful man in the world, who is very supportive in every way. We have 2 children, our daughter is 21 and our son is 19. Our son is also a special needs person, having been born with cerebral palsy. He uses a wheelchair and is mentally delayed. PLEASE NOTE: His birth defect was not in any form or fashion caused by my having had Cushings. Do not be afraid to become pregnant and give birth. Unless medical information has changed for this area-we were told by many specialists and OB’s etc. that CP did not result from the Cushings.

I have been going through perimenopause and menopause since I was 38. (I was 21 when I had my surgery.) It has been difficult finding a doc who believed what I was telling him. I have been on various hormone medications for the menopause. At present I am taking Prempro for it. In all, the medications I am on include 30 mg. of hydro-cortisone, 1mg of Florinef and 30 mg. of Prozac. I know Prozac has been bad for some women, but for me it was a life saver. I had severe mood swings more than just once a month.

I would like to correspond with anyone who would like to know what may lie ahead after surgery, and also anyone who might be in the “older surgery” area. Just knowing that this site exists is heart warming! Hope to hear from you all soon. Love you all-Sheryl


Listen to Sheryl’s Interview here.

 

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Lisa (Lisa75), Adrenal Bio

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adrenal_glands

 

Diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome after a tumor was discovered on my adrenal gland.

I was lucky to have a kidney stone (never thought I’d say that! ) prompting an xray and scan. That was when the tumor was discovered.

My surgeon quickly recognized other signs that I had this, and began running several tests.He also referred me to an endocrinologist who ran additional tests. All tests confirm I was over producing cortisol and my ACTH was fully suppressed.

 

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Sandi J, Undiagnosed Bio

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Recently I had a kidney stone. I went to the ER where they did a CT scan. The confirmed the stone and gave me pain pills to tough it out. A couple of weeks later I got a letter describing all of the CT findings. I had to look up all of them to figure out what they meant. One of them was adrenal adenoma. When I started reading about this one it was like reading my medical history. Weight gain in the belly, hump on my shoulders, high blood pressure, high sugar, high triglycerides, fatigue, depression, serious panic attacks, aching muscles…

I didn’t have a regular doctor because I just moved to Phoenix and was fed up with the VA. I’m a disabled vet due to a back injury in my first year of enlistment. So I got an internal doctor and showed her my CT findings, she wasn’t worried but upon insistence I got her to test more. She called me a few days later to tell me that it was a functioning adenoma. She is sending me to an endocrinologist because it might be part of a bigger autoimmune disease, I’m guessing Cushings.

I told her I knew exactly when it started, in 2003. That was shortly after finishing Hepatitic C treatment and when I had my first panic attack. I had no idea what was happening and called 911 and took an ambulance ride to the ER. They found nothing physical, so continued my life of being treated as a hypochondriac. Oh yes, prior to the Hep C diagnosis I was treated as a mental patient, depression got stamped on my forehead for over a year…

Now here I am 11 years later, 60 pounds over weight, can barely go up stairs without getting out of breath and starting a panic attack. Doctors have been riding me about my weight, and not exercising… Finally they hear me!

Now I have found this board and have lots of reading to do.

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Teri, Adrenal Bio

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golden-oldie

My name is Teri and I was dignosed with cushings about a year ago though I believe I have had it a long time.

I went to the emergency room for a kidney stone and the did a c-scan and found a large mass on my right adrenal gland and later found out there is another one on my left. I had my adrenal gland removed the first of November.

I am also about to have my thyroid removed due to several nodules and a large goiter! Cortisol levels are still high!!!

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