Cushing's is as bad as Cancer

As Cushies, we often struggle to let others know how poorly we are doing. How can they possibly understand when they don't know with Cushing's is?!

It seems in some people's minds, it's not as bad as cancer. Only cancer is as bad as cancer. That proves to be a very myopic perspective and limited understanding of all the diseases of the world.

Take Cushing's for example. We Cushies know the devastation we suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally from excess cortisol.

Cushies, we now have a tool to help us. The general population knows about cancer and multiple sclerosis. The authors of MANAGEMENT OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: The Burden of Cushing's disease: Clinical and Health-Related Quality of Life Aspects compares these well-known debilitating diseases to Cushing's.

As you can easily see, untreated Cushies really aren't very well.

• Cushies experience a lower quality of life than cancer patients in these categories:
  general health, vitality, social functioning, and mental health.
• Cushies suffer equally with cancer patients in these categories: bodily pain, emotions.
• Cushies fair slightly better than cancer patients in this one category: physical.

Yet, where is the compassion? Where is the support? Where is the community to surround a Cushie and load them up with freezer meals and casseroles?

I don't take anything away from cancer patients. It is indeed terrible and life-threatening. However, they don't have the monopoly on suffering, and we Cushies wish people would stop trying to make us feel better by saying we don't have it as bad as they do.

The plain fact is that we Cushies often don't have a support community other than the ones we build to support each other online. "Cushies doing it for ourselves" is a great slogan, but we need the support of our loved ones, both family, friends, and coworkers. This makes the pursuit of Cushing's Awareness all the more important.