Published: May 02, 2011
A rare, life-altering disease brought a New Hampshire woman to The Ohio State University Medical Center.
Concetta Troskie was a young, aspiring actress and model with a love for the stage.
But her picture changed when she was diagnosed with Cushing's Syndrome. It's a rare and mysterious disease that took years to diagnose.
At age 34, Troskie was struck with severe fatigue, anxiety, vertigo and muscle pain, and she could barely speak at times.
"The most challenging one was speaking since I'm such a communicative person and social relationships are so important," Troskie said.
She said she felt like her mind and body were falling apart. In a way, they were.
"Then of course, the physical ones, those are devastating, because your hair starts falling out and you get facial hair and acne and I gained about 70 pounds," she said.
After years of trying to figure out what was going wrong, she got the diagnosis of Cushing's Syndrome, a hormone disorder caused by a benign tumor on her pituitary gland.
"It's just this tiny little piece of disease that is causing so much trouble," said Dr. Daniel Prevedello of The Ohio State University Medical Center.
Dr. Prevedello, a brain surgeon, found a way to remove the tumor through Troskie's nose.
"While we introduce that device through the nose, look at the screen and then we perform the dissection, find the tumor and remove the tumor that way," Dr. Prevedello said.
With no incisions, the surgery meant an easier and faster recovery for Troskie.
"Take it easy and let my body recover on its own time, and acting will come back when I start feeling like I can stand on a stage without falling off it," Troskie said.
Troskie's recovery is not easy. During the next six months, her body will be getting back to normal, but doctors say that within a year, almost all of her symptoms should be reversed, as if she never had Cushing's Syndrome.
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Note: Concetta is the third Cushing's patient that I know of who has had success with
Dr. Prevedello. We are all thankful to him for his dedication to our Cushie sisters, and thanks to Concetta for sharing her story for all the world to see! When we tell our story, we save lives. I truly believe that.
