Cushing’s Recovery Update: This time last year

by Kristin

It was this time last year that I finally pushed myself to see my doctor to have tests done to see why I couldn’t loose weight, even though I was working out with a personal trainer 3 times a week. It was this time last year that I learned there was a real reason as to why I was so sick - it’s name was Cushing’s.

I can remember so clearly the day I saw my long-time family doctor. I’ll never forget her and will always be grateful that she saw the signs that lead to my diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome. I was wearing a light wool sweater, with stretch knit gauchos and my knee high leather boots. My hair was chin length and full of cork screw curls. My face was so flush, it looked like I had painted two red circles on my cheeks. My eyes looked like they might burst out of my head. And they were blood shot and looked like I hadn’t slept in days (and the funny thing was, I hadn’t slept in days). I can remember sitting down on the examining table, rolling up the sleeve of my sweater so the nurse could take my blood pressure. I could feel sweat rolling down my back. Damn, I was so hot. I kept wondering if everyone else in the building was this hot - or was it just me?

I turned to my right as the nurse took my pulse and saw my reflection in the mirror on the wall. OMG - was that really me? Was that how I really looked? I hardly recognized myself anymore. What was happening to me?

After the nurse took my blood pressure and pulse, she got very quiet and said she needed to get my doctor so she could take my blood pressure. Huh? I didn’t understand. My doctor returned and she took my blood pressure - and took it again. Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?!

“Well Kristin, I’m concerned, your blood pressure is 180/90. I need to run some tests. And I need to get you started on blood pressure medication today.”

Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. That’s what kept running through my mind. But I’m fit, I swear I’m fit. I work out with a personal trainer and I’m a fitness instructor. I eat healthy. I don’t understand. My doctor assured me that she would find out what was going on and that I shouldn’t worry. Yeah right. So she put me on blood pressure medication and I waited through the Thanksgiving holiday for her to call with my test results.

I was at work, in my office when my doctor called me with preliminary results - she thought I might have Cushing’s, but she wouldn’t be able to give a formal diagnosis until I underwent more testing. When I hung up the phone, I just sat there - absolutely stunned. I’d never heard of Cushing’s. What was this, was it cancer? How could this be happening, I was barely 30 years old? All my life, I’d taken such good care of my body. It was from this point forward that I began my long journey of researching and learning about Cushing’s.

Now almost a year later, I’ve recovered from surgery that removed my right adrenal gland that was destroyed by a 3cm benign tumor. Recovery has been long and hard. Much harder than I could have ever imagined. There have been days when I thought I would never be free of pain or when I thought I’d lost my youth forever. I’m happy to say those days are long gone.

For each milestone in my recovery, I like to reflect back on the progress I’ve made and it makes me feel grateful for how far I’ve come.

This time last year, I felt horrible. I was trapped inside a body that was physically shutting down. This year, it’s a different story. I’m no longer taking hormone replacements, I’ve reclaimed my body and I feel really, really good. Every day, it’s a work-in-progress.

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