Oh, come on. Don't tell me you've already heard this one!
There is another Cushie down the hall from me here at the NIH Clinical Center and I had the pleasure of meeting her yesterday. I had seen her on Friday, but Christie is lean, in shape - very outdoorsy looking - and very energetic. It didn't even occur to me she might have Cushings too seeing as outwardly she is the exact opposite of what I am right now. But she does.
Christie's Cushings has come back after dealing with it here 3 years ago. Her cortisol levels are as high as mine, but she isn't seeing symptoms yet. They found the problem early since she gets tested periodically based on having a history of Cushings. The source of her Cushings was an ectopic tumor in her lung behind her heart that was removed along with a portion of her lung and lymph nodes. But as can happen, they think the little bugger may have grown back and the gaggle of NIH Cushings Doctors are hot on it's trail.
We compared crazy symptoms and reactions to medications, and best of all for me, she showed me her before and after pictures. Before the Cushings went away, and after it went away that is. I must say, I never would have recognized the person standing in front of me as the one in the picture with Cuishings. Just like no one here recognized me as the person in my pictures before Cushings. Now I have proof that someone inflated like a blow-fish, walked around like Shrek, but went back to their normal self as soon as their cortisol levels went back to normal. Not overnight, but it does happen.
Woo-hoo! As God is my witness, I shall be able to wear a ball cap again and a necklace again!
No comments:
Post a Comment