I am 33 years old and at the age of 17 I had a sudden onset of weight gain during my senior year of high school. I was a size 8 and graduated wearing a size 18. My weight was mainly in my face and my stomach. My legs were small so my pants would be big in the leg but I needed a large waistline. I began taking birth control & thought it was a side effect from that.
I stopped having my period completely when I went to college & doctors said it was stress & I just needed to diet & excercise. I never ate alot and was a normal active teen. over the last 15 years I have been treated for blood pressure, water retention, high cholesterol and symptoms of PCOS.
In 2003 I was sent to an endocrinologist for suspected metabollic syndrome (syndrome X) that was ruled out & after an ultrasound of my thyroid I was told I had an enlarged thyroid & was treated for hypothyroidism. I quit my job & moved to another city to return to college loosing my health insurance & so I was back at the University health center. Blood tests showed my TSH levels & malehormone levels to be fine so they would not continue to treat me for the thyroid issue. Just cholesterol & sent me to a nutritionist.
After graduating & moving to GA, I went to see a new doctor and went through my history to be told the same, my levels are normal. Because my insurance does not require a referral & knowing I had a previous diagnosis of hypothyroidism I scheduled an appointment with an endocrinologist. My firstvisit wasn’t with him but with his PA in which I went over my long drawn out history. Blood work was done & upon seeing him on the second visit I was told the same, my levels are normal & I havehigh cholesterol so he treated me for that. It wasn’t until I stressed to him that I had been on cholesterol medication until the previous endocrinolgist did the ultrasound and took me off of it & said the thyroid medication would take care of it that he said he would send me for an ultrasound. The ultrasound revealed small nodules, that were not there in 2003, but he says are too smallto be concerned with & he will check them in 6 months to see if they have grown, other than that I’m fine. I know this is not the case. I watch what I eat, I excercise for 2 hours 5 to 6 days a week & cannot loose any weight. I am frustrated & am noticing increases bouts of depression where I can’t control my emotions one day & the next I’m fine. I am always exhausted, and after excercising I need a nap, I thought excercise was supposed to give you energy.
I was just about to give up & begin to reconcile that its just me & I’m crazy as the doctors want me to think until two weeks ago I saw an episode of TLC’s Mystery Diagnosis where this woman was basically telling my story of the sudden weight gain & other symptoms & how she basically self diagnosed herself with Cushing’s Syndrome & went to an endocrinologist who confirmed it & she had surgery to remove a tumor. When I heard this, I knew this had to be it, but am wondering why my endocrinologist never mentioned this disease or tested me for it. I really do not like his lack of concern and care so I called another office to schedule an appointment which I cannot get until September 1st.
After doing further research I decided I really want to see someone who is knowledgeable about Cushing’s so I found the Pituitary center at Emory University hospital in Atlanta. I called today for an appointment & was asked my diagnosis. I told her I don’t have one yet, I was seeking a consultation for a diagnosis of suspected Cushings. She asked who my doctor was and about MRI results. I told her I haven’t had an MRI and that my doctor never did a cortisol test or any urine tests just only non fasting blood work. She told me to have my labs sent to them & that they would review them & call me to schedule an appointment. I faxed both my regular doctor & my endocrinologist a request for my records to be sent to this lady’s attention. I am scared that my labs will not show anything to warrant an appointment & I don’t know where to go from here.
I don’t have the money or time I feel to continue to wait months for an appointment to get an accurate diagnosis.
Does anyone out there have any suggestions on what I should do?
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