Cushing's Info

Well, I'm not sure where to start so I will start with when I think I may have started getting sick. Around age 19-20 I started to put on weight. I was very into my diet at that time and I was pretty active. Around age 21 I started having fluid come out of my breast. I mentioned it to a couple of different doctors over about 3 years but they all said not to worry about it, it happens some times. This continued till I gave birth to my son at age 25 and nursed him. I nursed all three of my kids and it never came back again.

I also developed gestational diabetes with all three of my pregnancy's. I wasn't as careful with what I ate with my first one (late night ice cream - until I was diagnosed with the gd) but I was very careful with my other ones. In 2003 I was diagnosed with Diabetes 2 after a kidney infection.

It seems like so much of my adult life I have not felt well, I get sick very easily. My weight has just gone up and up. I have been on so many diets I cannot count. I've done them all, many of them multiple, multiple times. I will loose some to begin with (10-15lb), and then it just stops. No matter how I try, I just can't get past a certain amount. After the birth of my last child in 1997, I did loose about 100lbs in about 5 months. It almost killed me (literally) and destroy my family. I was diagnosed after a while with severe postpartum depression. Within about two years most of the wight was back on. I thank God that I have a wonderful husband and wonderful children, though it has taken a toll on all of them too.

About two years ago I started having a lot of pain in my joints and muscles. The doctor diagnosed me with fibromyalgia, I'm sure there are many on this site that have gotten the same. My pain has progressively worsened over this time. I also take Topamax for my headaches. In April of this year (2010) my husband found me passed out in the hall when he got up to go to work. To make a long story short, after two different hospitalizations and a number of other passing out episodes, I'm pretty much where I started, just on 13 different meds for different things now. I'm not allowed to drive and my employer has sent me a letter stating that they do not need me back. I'm sure that I had heard of Cushing's before, but I would never had been able to tell you what it was until recently. The one cardiologist ordered a 24 hour urine test after I was discharged from the hospital. I know that some of the findings were off, but I do not know what they are, I'm going to get a copy of them. My PCP and my rheumatologist both saw the results. The rheumatologist was insistent that I be referred to a endocrinologist. I have an appointment in August but I am scared that I'll get the run around like so many of you have, I don't know how you all have done it. I'm feeling so overwhelmed at going through this, yet hopeful.

Here is some of my symptoms:

Buffalo Hump
Moon Face
Flushing on face and chest
Period will stop for a while then start up again
High blood pressure
Weight gain
Stomach looks and feels like I'm 8 month pregnant
Bad stretch marks all over
Pitting Edema in legs
Hair has become very thin and brittle
Very bad sweating, have to change clothes at times
Always hot even when others are cold
Diabetes - have trouble keeping sugars under 350
Body hurts all over
Hair on chin and above lips
Depression - on meds
Bad headaches without Topamax
Fatigue
Vit D deficient

Thanks for letting me get some of this off my chest. I haven't talked to any of my friends about this because I don't think they will understand. You know just eat less ( I don't eat that much most days) and get out and walk. My husband seems to understand but he has a lot on his plate right now too. It's nice to know that there are others out there who been where I have been. I hope I can now find a doctor that can help me feel like a real person again.