Depression after Cushing’s
Many patients suffering from Cushing’s (including myself) deal with bouts of depression. Chemical & hormonal imbalances literally turned my world and my mind upside down. My endocrinologist told me that once I had surgery to remove the tumor on my adrenal gland, my depression would most likely take a turn for the worse. She didn’t go into much detail but did say it could last up to one year post-surgery.
At the time, I was at an all-time low experiencing full-blown symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome. I couldn’t imagine things getting worse than they already were. Plus my endo was pretty casual about the true severity of what I was about to face in the coming months of my recovery.
Fast forward 2 months - I’ve undergone surgery and physically feel like I’ve been run over by a freight train (and that’s an under statement). And to compound things, I felt like I’m loosing my mind - the depression was at times more than I could take. There were times that I contemplated suicide (I can’t believe I’m actually admitting this, but it’s true). It was at those moments that I had to step outside of myself, take a deep breath and convince myself that this too shall pass.
At the time, I was so caught up in my own head that I felt embarrassed & ashamed to to explain the severity of my depression to my endocrinologist. And part of it was that she didn’t explain just how hard recovery was going to be, so I thought it was just in my head. Although I did work up the courage to tell her that I was having a hard time emotionally and she put me on Prozac.
I’m not endorsing Prozac, but I can say that it truly saved my life. And for anyone who is struggling with depression should know that it’s not just in their head - it’s a chemical & hormonal imbalance that can be treated with medication.
Fast forward 12+ months - I started working with a naturopathic doctor (she’s amazing by the way!) and have taken a holistic approach to my recovery. I’ve weened off my prescription medications (including Prozac) and feel pretty damn good. However, I still have moments when I don’t feel quite right - a little blue, a little sad. And those are usually brought on by stress or too much going on in my life at the moment. Perhaps it’s my body’s way of saying hey, slow down - you can’t to everything or be everything all the time.
In reading this, I hope you walk away with this - depression is real. And it’s OK to talk about it and there are medications/natural supplements available (if you so choose) to help bring you back into balance.
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1 comment
i wish i had known this before my surgery. i think that asking your endocrinologist to tell you how recovery will feel is like asking a man to describe what childbirth feels like. i had no earthly idea how rough recovery would be, both physically and emotionally. i thought losing all of the weight would bring me out of my depression, but it just continued to get worse. i was put on wellbutrin about 3 months ago and it has changed my life. i absolutely believe that depression is a chemical imbalance, and is nothing to be ashamed of. i wish someone had told me earlier on that antidepressants could make such a difference.
thanks, kristin, for this blog. it reassures me everytime i read it that i am not losing my mind.
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