Hi everyone!

I am a Cushings Survivor. Cushing's syndrome is a hormonal disorder caused by prolonged exposure of the body's tissues to high levels of the hormone cortisol. Sometimes called "hypercortisolism," it is relatively rare and most commonly affects adults aged 20 to 50. An estimated 10 to 15 of every million people are affected each year. I was so lucky to have a rare form of this disease. I could have died if it went without a DX. I had so many symptoms and my Primary Care Doctor (at that time) gave me labels of fybromylgia, diabetic, serious high blood pressure etc. The last thing he said to me was.. you need to go to a physcologist. I told him I needed a doctor that will tell me what is wrong with me. I know my body and something is so not right. He then said the magic words... I will send you to and Endocronologist.

Some history...
I had so many problems for several years. I had noticed my changes after the birth of my two daughters. I had two girls 18 months apart. It sticks out in my mind... my hair texture changed. I had straight blond hair that would NOT hold a curl to save my life. After having my daughters my hair got thick and curly. It looked like I had a perm. Some say that I am so lucky to have all this curl... but then, I had called my mom and said I dont kow to take care of this hair. She had this type of hair and gave me some suggestions. I had gained weight with my pregnancies but seemed to loose it with walking. I lived in the country at that time with my first husband. I walked to get exercise and some mental-health-mommy-alone-time. I lost all that weight and then some. I began with high blood pressure that was not easily controlled. I had fybromylgia with so much pain. I was seeing an allergist for many problems of skin and had skin testings and was getting allergy shots. I was advised to have my tubes tied because of my blood pressue issues. I didnt want to do this but my husband pushed me to have it done. He didnt want the children we had. Sadly I had it done. One week after that I broke my foot and was in a cast. I put on some weight. I was active in the church and taught Sunday School. My marriage of 19 years came to an end because the strain of having children and he began using drugs in addition to his drinking. I do not drink. I did not want my daughters exposed to any drugs. My girls were in first and third grades. I walked out. I moved into my girlfriends basement then got an apartment. I met my second husband at my place of employement. He was going thru a divorce himself and we began as friends. He is 15 years my senior.

I had a great job. I worked in the medical field. I was an office manager for five doctors. I began to pack on weight. I was gaining about 30lbs a month. I was depressed. I was still getting allergy injections weekly. I had uncontrolled blood pressure and was on three medications for that. I was on insulin for diabetes. I had so many things wrong. I decided to put a transfer in for my job and took a less stressful job. I was a billing medical codes for the hospitals when my entire world changed.

Oh I wanted to get healthy. I began a strict calorie restriction diet. I walked the track with my children and Andy (my fiance), joined Curves Gym. I was miserable but determined. But the weight was so out of control that I reduced calories to 1,000 per day. I began to have a red round face. I was extreemly hot all the time. Like sweating with everything I did. I had severe pain in my abdomen. My gallbladder just stopped functioning. It was removed immediately. They discovered a mass on my adrenal glands. Yes one on each. One larger than the other. I was told by that wonderful doctor I had that I shouldnt be concerned at this. RED FLAG one would think. I couldnt bend down to pet a puppy... I fell over trying to get up. Embarassing to say the least. I broke my heal in 2005 at the track, as I was walking. I tripped on the sidewalk and then pushed myself to walk the track two laps until I said I couldnt do anymore. The next morning I found out that I broke my heal. I was told it is one of the strongest of the foot bones. I now know that my bone mass was weak due to the disease I had.

I became depressed and extreem fatigued. My family doctor had no clue what was going on. I dont think he believed me on exercise and low calorie diet. I have food journals and yes... I did that low 1,000 calorie for about a year. I was concerned at how red my face was at that time. I was told by that Primary Care Doc that it was because I was Irish. Come on.... was he serious?? So that is when we had that conversation that I needed to go to a physcologist and I got really angry with him.

I was in the room with my Endo Doctor and in a short visit she said she thought she knew what was wrong with me. I was so relieved that a name was given to me. Cushings Disease. Little did I know what it ment. She had to confirm it first. I had to do the 24 hour urines, CT Scans, and other tests. I had to take a test where they entered in my groin and went into my brain via artery to see the tumor on my pituitary gland. The tumor did not show up on the CT scan. I had extreem levels of ACTH hormone and Cortisol that were so off the charts they were amazed. I was sent to a Neurologist surgeon. I was in surgery within a week of meeting him. Lucky for me they had a method of going in thru the nose and removed a bone behind my optic nerve and gained access to the brain. Surgery was in November 2005 and was aprox 4 hours long. My pituitary glad was damaged and so they took that too.

I am now Adrenal Insufficant. Thats ok... I am alive. I have one mass remaining on one of my adrenal glands to date. The other one has shrunk since my surgery. I have that one watched... it is fairly large in size but, I dont want that surgery if it can be avoided. I have to take replacements for the lack of a pituitary gland. I will list what comes to my mind.... I am still a diabetic but no longer on insulin. I am on only one pill for that now. I am on synthroid for my thyroid. I am only on one blood pressure medication now. I remained very weak. Extreeme fatigue. I have to take a daily steriod for the lack of a pituitary. I have to adjust the dose if I am having a cold or sick with a sore throat because your pituitary gland would increase to help you get better. I dont have that. I was still having balance and temp issues in my body. I get many headaches... and migranes. I was very overweight and had no energy to do anything about it. I had extreeme joint pain upon waking each morning. I felt so weak and very depressed.

I stayed with this Endo Doctor for sixt years and then in November 2011, I went to a new Endo for a second opinion and got a new hormone I was lacking. Estrogen. I was tested for Menapause and I am no where near it. I had extreemly heavy periods and they were not always like that for me. So this Endo put me on Estrogen...it was like magic. I had energy suddenly. I was advised by her to go to a Gyno Doctor. He was amazed of my history and I had a Uterus Biopsy done. It was to be sure there was not another problem. It was normal and both doctors feel that I was in great need of this hormone for some time. With it I began to cool down. I stopped sweating at the slightest movement. I am now ready to get muscle strength and exercise. Before Nov 15, 2011 I wasnt able to walk my dog down the road and back. I would be so hot and wet from sweat. I wouldnt have done it alone either... my balance was so off. I was suddenly a new person. I felt like me again. Me.. but a very overweight me. I have lost 22lbs since that day. I found MFP app from my daughter and now I am here.

Thank you for the invitation to your group. I am so glad to be here! :bigsmile:

Bonnie

I have been battling my weight for years but was just diagnosed in September. My doctor is still trying to determine the best med/dose for me and she reports that the process can take a while. So glad there is a group. I need all the support I can get on both counts!

I don't have much of a story. I have always struggled with losing weight. I workout hard, but the weight doesn't budge or moves very slowly. Over the years I've had bouts of depression and fatigue. Hair loss, but thankfully that is doing much better now. I went into my doctor for an annual check-up, and my levels were off. So he placed me on some meds. That was about 4 years ago. My hair is thicker, but unfortunately SO AM I! hehe...I am getting serious about losing weight. It's good to have found the group

Hey everyone! My name is Heather and I am 24 years old. For me my mother had thyroid cancer when I was much younger and right around 6th grade I was feeling very slugish and i had always been a bigger girl. Even though I was in dance and cheerleading..... The doctor checked my thyroid and nothing was wrong.... I danced and cheered for 9 years and was always the "big girl with the pretty face" I never really understood why in high school that I was bigger than all my friends even though I didnt eat as much as they did and I cheered and danced just like them... After high school I went to college and my husband now boyfriend then went over seas. That put a lot of stress on me, working, full time student and worrying all the time! A couple years later we got married and had our daughter who is now 2 years old. After having my daughter I joined a gym hoping to get in shape not only for me but for her! I was working out and eating right and just couldnt seem to lose any weight.... I was getting so mad thinking that I must be doing something wrong.... My mom said that I should go get my thyroid checked again, well sure enough I have hypothyroidism..... Thank God we got everything firgured out! Now I am ready to start my life long journey of changing my life!

Raemama, I also gained a lot, about 20kgs when breastfeeding. Couldn't believe it because everyone else said it was making the pounds just drop off, and I was getting bigger and bigger!

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in June 2011 but I had the symptoms a lot longer- maybe as far back as 1996! I thought I was just "depressed" and overweight.

I found out I had ulcerative colitis in December 2010 and reflux in September 2011. I was SO SICK last year; it really sucked. I was sleeping all the time when I could and had a persistent nagging cough that never went away (it was the GERD). I took a bunch of meds until I decided to change my diet. Mostly dropping wheat and gluten and all soy. Limit tomato, chocolate, alcohol (hey I'm human... I eat those things and drink a glass of wine sometime!) GI Doc said he didn't believe it was gluten and soy allergy causing the UC flare - however, I dropped them from the diet and was able to drop the meds. Been off them for 6 months! All I care about is feeling better and not "who's right"; he's a good guy so I kept him as my GI Doc.

Switched my primary care doc, however. Saw her 12 years and she never checked s**t except my cholesterol and iron levels even though I complained about being tired and cold all the time. Also, to be honest, I avoided going to doc except once a year - just thought I could tough it out and make it through on my own. Switched to a new Doc and she is FABULOUS. She supports nutritional changes and encourages her patients to experiment with what works for them (as long as it is not harmful). Dropped the reflux meds too. Now just taking the levothyroxine.

Being diagnosed with three autoimmune diseases in a one year period sucked! There is little research about connection between hypothyroidism and ulcerative colitis/chrohn's disease/ celiac disease. I am convinced they are related! And so is GERD.

2011 was difficult - maybe most difficult of my life. But here I am... I am taking it one day at a time and glad to be where I am.

I am 49 facing menopause and have been hypothryroid for most of my childbearing years...am stable on medication-synthroid 75 mcg. I have technically 116 pounds to lose but I would be happy to lose 75-80 at this point. I have been using fitness pal and have tracked my food and exercise religiously...a couple of pounds lost then gained then lost and so on. I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere. I started out 1500 cal exercise an hour a day(very low impact) and did that for the first month, nothing moved. Then I went down to 1200 with daily exercise of 45 min to an hours...very little change. I've tried eating back exercise calories and not eating back exercise calories and I don't see the difference. I try to drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water daily and no diet pop. Now I'm paring the carbs down to 75 g or below to see if that makes a difference. Whoever said that weight loss is just a matter of eating less and exercising more ought to have their head examined because for some, if not most females, it is not that easy!

Just had blood tests a month ago, everything was ok-no change in meds.