Pituitary Patient Sues for Misdiagnosis

Pituitary tumors are not as rare as people think. Studies of autopsy reports show that up to 20% of the population -- one in five people -- have a pituitary tumor. However, doctors continue to dismiss patents with acromegaly and Cushing's, causing years of sickness and despair.  One can only hope this court ruling prompts a few MDs study up on pituitary disorders.

For the full story, click through to the BBC website. 

* * * * * * * * * *

From the Pituitary Network Association (www.pituitary.org):

–	Why Is Early Diagnosis Such A Problem? The confusing constellation of symptoms that can be produced by pituitary tumors and the difficult to visualize location make diagnosis very tricky. It is not uncommon for patients to have symptoms of either hormonal deficiency (caused by compression of the pituitary or its "stalk") or hormone excess (caused by unregulated production of hormones by the pituitary tumor). In a significant minority of patients diagnosis is not made until the individual has developed debilitating or life-threatening symptoms of heart disease or adrenal (uncommon), gonadal and/or thyroid insufficiency. Even in the 21st century death from a large pituitary tumor or hormonal deficiency still occurs, albeit rarely. Early diagnosis is usually a reflection of a high index of suspicion on the part of a physician. Unfortunately, many doctors have been taught that pituitary disease is rare, so it is not at the forefront of their list of possible diagnoses.
–	How Prevalent Are Pituitary Tumors/Disease? Autopsy reports and radiologic and MRI evidence from around the globe indicate that one out of every five people worldwide has a pituitary tumor. The earliest study took place in 1936, when Dr. R.T. Costello of the Mayo Foundation conducted a cadaver study and found pituitary tumors in 22.4 % of the population (Costello R.T. Subclinical adenoma of the pituitary gland. Am. J. Pathol. 1936; 12:205-214). Statistics have not changed much ever since. The clinical significance of these findings are critical to determine.
–	Why Are These Tumors So Common? We don't know because funding for benign brain tumor research is virtually nonexistent. That's about to change. In October 2002, Congress passed the Benign Brain Tumor Cancer Registries Amendment Act, which will force hospitals, clinics and doctors to report pituitary tumor incidence rates in the data collection of cancer registries. The problem remains diagnosis. No report of incidence rates is possible without it.

–

Why Aren't Pituitary Tumors/Disease Common Knowledge? There are four main reasons: Pituitary tumors/disease present a vast array of symptoms, and it's often the symptoms that get treated, not the disease. As a result, pituitary patients can spend years being misdiagnosed as their tumors grow. People with undetected pituitary tumors can die of heart attacks, hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency or water balance problems, all of which can mask the main cause: a pituitary tumor. Dollars spent. As a result, we have failed to answer the most important question: Why are pituitary tumors so common? There is a lack of education within the medical community and among the general public. The insurance industry hasn't caught on to the untold billions of dollars that could be saved through early diagnosis and treatment. Once it becomes clear that it's in everyone's best interest, the word will spread.

Boom & Bust: Stress Fuels Market Crisis

As a blogger and patient advocate, I always strive to explain the Cushing's experience in a way that caregivers, family and friends will understand. My hope has always been that if they really understood the damage we face, perhaps our support system would encircle us and protect us as we walk a very difficult road to remission. This does not happen as often as it should, despite nearly four years of blogging, but I am hard-headed. So, I keep trying.

To that end, I am thrilled to share this article, "Boom & Bust: Stress fuels market crisis." This article provides  fascinatingly detailed look at the roles stress and cortisol played during the financial crisis. Cortisol is cited for changing the bodies and personalities of risk-seeking stockbrokers as they faced an uncertain market future. 

The author even names cortisol "the molecule of irrational pessimism." 

I hope you will take a few moments to read this article, and please understand that the changes these brokers faced during the crisis are the same struggles we Cushing's patients face every day, for years and years. While I am not asking for empathy for stockbrokers, per se, I am asking you to read this article with Cushies in place of the stockbrokers. Reading about their symptoms may help you see your Cushie in a new way. If it does, hold her or him a little tighter, and admit you learned something about this illness. Your stock is sure to rise, as it will be music to your loved one's ears. 

Click through to the original article on the Montreal Gazette.

Boise Glow for Cushing's Awareness

Our friends at Boise Glow for Cushing's Awareness are doing an awesome job creating awareness for Cushing's in their corner of the world. In particularly, I love this nighttime activity. Cushing's is a "disease of the night," and runaway cortisol keeps us awake.  Learn more at http://www.facebook.com/BoiseGlow

Click to enlarge photo.

Another Doctor Appointment Goes South

Thanks to a fellow Cushie for making this. It is important to show friends and family how dismissive doctors are towards Cushies, often not even letting us make our point and immediately telling us we are "doing it wrong."

You can see another patient's version here.

Gambling on a Cushing's Diagnosis: What are the Odds?

A Cushing’s friend of mine recently asked what we can say to our doctors to explain why we think we have Cushing’s. The Cushing’s community knows that the burden of proof falls on our shoulders to prove we have Cushing’s to a doctor, before tests are run and even after positive tests confirm it.  These doctors play judge and we Cushing’s patients must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that we have Cushing’s, often in the hostile setting of doctor’s office after doctor’s office. Seems harsh? Seems unfair?

Doctors are taught in medical school that they are unlikely to see a case of Cushing’s in their entire medical careers.  In fact, doctors admit that Cushing's may be the most difficult diagnosis to make in all of medicine. Sigh. So we walk in, prepared as our Cushie friends have recommended and armed with symptoms list, photo summary, and past lab results. Doctors are still incredibly dismissive and cruel. They blame the patient for their weight gain, regardless of exercise or dietary habits. They routinely dismiss all points the patient makes.  Many doctors eagerly counter every point and spout facts that are incorrect according to published medical literature.

So what are we supposed to do? Give up? No. We keep fighting no matter what.

To that end, I wanted to share the argument I have used for a long time on several occasions. In fact, I just used this during my appointment with a new neurosurgeon this past Friday.

*******

In statistics, we learn the concept of probability. Probability is the chance that something will happen - how likely it is that some event will happen.  With each variable added, we decrease the probability that each one of those things can occur together at the same time. 

Think of the elusive, rare Cushing's diagnosis as a slot machine with 7 wheels. Each wheel is labeled with nice fruit images and contains one of the following: 

·       all Cushing's symptoms

·       high urine cortisol

·       high midnight cortisol serum

·       high saliva cortisol

·       high ACTH

·       positive IPSS

·       MRI showing pituitary tumor

Now spin the wheel.  For a Cushing’s diagnosis, each wheel must land on the diagnostic criteria for Cushing’s listed above.

What is the likelihood that all of those things are going to "hit" and line up for the jackpot?

It is not probable. In fact, the odds are stacked against you to have all those things line up like they do. For us Cushing's patients, THEY DO LINE UP. WE DO HAVE ALL THOSE THINGS CONFIRMING CUSHING'S. It is a RARE occurrence, and it doesn't happen often, but people do spin the wheels on a slot machine and line up all the wheels to win. For us, of course, Cushing's is a HUGE loss -- no win at all.

Now, let’s take a gander at what the diagnosing slot machine would have to look like for me to get my Cushing’s diagnosis, since my doctors require multiple high test results in each of the testing categories.

To confirm my Cushing's diagnosis, it would take
28 slot machines with 5 wheels and all 140 wheels
landing on Cushing's. Guess what? They did. Lucky me.

·       many Cushing's symptoms (75 wheels for each of my Cushing's symptoms)

·       high urine cortisol (25 wheels for each test)

·       high midnight cortisol serum (25 wheels for each test)

·       high saliva cortisol (7 wheels for each test)

·       high ACTH (4 wheels for each test)

·       positive IPSS (1 wheel)

·       multiple MRIs showing pituitary tumor (3 wheels)

Now then, based on my lab values in each category, for my diagnosis, we have built a slot machine with 140 wheels. Think of how much space this would take up in a Vegas casino!). 

So, let’s imagine me going up to have a seat. 

I pull the arm.

I spin the wheel.

One by one, each wheel lands on the picture showing CUSHING’S.

My Cushing’s diagnosis is confirmed. It is rare, but it is not impossible. Yet, doctors still argue and berate the patient.  You can see why I have very little tolerance for someone who calls my diagnosis, or any Cushie’s diagnosis, into question. It is ludicrous, unfathomable, and unconscionable for any medical professional to doubt us, due to their ignorance, pre-conceived notions, lack of medical curiosity, or their tight schedule that prevents them from listening to us and really understanding our whole history. The way doctors treat Cushing’s patients should be illegal.

My first neurosurgeon told me that in medical school, doctors are taught to find the one disease that explains everything and to not accept many "little" diagnoses strung together. It was imperative to find the diagnosis that captures as many of the symptoms as possible.  I implore the medical community to remember that lesson and do more to help their patients.

There is no doubt why we Cushing’s patients are the determined lot we are. We know our own bodies. It is our unrelenting pursuit for the truth, our unwillingness to give up on ourselves, and our ability to learn about our disease from those who face its challenges every day that enable us to fit all the puzzle-piece-diagnoses together in search for our cure. 

That's why I look at *all* of my friends as Cushie warriors.

"Pituitary Disorders, the Often Missed Diagnosis"

"Pituitary Disorder:  the Often Missed Diagnosis"

Dr. Lewis Blevins is the medical director of the California Center for Pituitary Disorders at UCSF Medical Center.  In this interview, he discusses the trickiest gland in the body.  The transcript and audio are posted on their patient education page.

Less Fat, Still Weak after Cushing's

Good news. 

Fat decreases after wild, errant cortisol overproduction from Cushing's is stopped. Just like we Cushies told everyone it would. See, it's not just from over-eating and not exercising.

Bad news.  

Muscle weakness persists. Cardiovascular risk associated with unfair fat symptom may remain.  So do cognitive issues. 

Shoot. This disease just won't let up.

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Body composition and cardiovascular risk markers after remission of Cushing's disease: a prospective study using whole-body MRI

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 May;97(5):1702-11. Epub 2012 Mar 14.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22419708

Geer EB, Shen W, Strohmayer E, Post KD, Freda PU.

Source

Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave Levy Place, Box 1055, New York, New York 10029, USA. eliza.geer@mssm.edu

Abstract

CONTEXT:

Cushing's Disease (CD) alters fat distribution, muscle mass, adipokine profile, and cardiovascular risk factors. It is not known whether remission entirely reverses these changes.

OBJECTIVES:

Our objective was to determine whether the adverse body composition and cardiovascular risk profile in CD change after remission.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS:

Fourteen CD patients were studied prospectively: before surgery (active disease) and again postoperatively 6 months after discontinuing oral glucocorticoids (remission). Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine lean and fat tissue distributions.

OUTCOME MEASURES:

Body composition (skeletal muscle and fat in the visceral, bone marrow, sc, and inter-muscular compartments) and cardiovascular risk factors (serum insulin, glucose, leptin, high-molecular-weight adiponectin, C-reactive protein, and lipid profile) were measured in active CD and remission (mean 20 months after surgery).

RESULTS:

Remission decreased visceral, pelvic bone marrow, sc (including trunk and limb sc), and total fat; waist circumference; and weight (P < 0.05). Remission altered fat distribution, resulting in decreased visceral/total fat (P = 0.04) and visceral fat/skeletal muscle ratios (P = 0.006). Remission decreased the absolute muscle mass (P = 0.015). Cardiovascular risk factors changed: insulin resistance, leptin, and total cholesterol decreased (P < 0.05), but adiponectin, C-reactive protein, and other lipid measures did not change.

CONCLUSIONS:

CD remission reduced nearly all fat depots and reverted fat to a distribution more consistent with favorable cardiovascular risk but decreased skeletal muscle. Remission improved some but not all cardiovascular risk markers. Remission from CD dramatically improves body composition abnormalities but may still be associated with persistent cardiovascular risk.

*  *  *  *  

Thanks to MaryO for the post.

A Cushie's Job: Trudging through the Medical Literature

If you have spent any amount of time on this blog, you will know that I am patient advocate who encourages you to be the most informed and self-aware patient you can be.  For us Cushies, especially us cyclical Cushing's patients, it is imperative to be up-to-date on the medical literature.

You also know how difficult that task can be as we fight to keep our energy up for basic daily tasks and chores.  You also remember how Cushing's causes cognitive impairments that just don't give us the right state of mind -- clarity or positivity -- to take on a project this big.

So, I decided to just post stuff here, as I find it.  It may be a repeat (sorry, I probably forgot), or it may be new. Regardless, it will be stuff I am stumbling through as I relearn everything I have to know about Cushing's in order to make my decision.

I am reading through the medical literature for articles like Long-term remission rates after pituitary surgery for Cushing’s disease: the need for long-term surveillance posted by our dear Cushie friend Robin at Survive The Journey.  I am also trying to wade a list of articles my friend Susan recommended about cyclical Cushing's posted on PubMed, the government's database.  These free articles include research done with your tax dollars at the National Institute of Health (NIH). The NIH is considered an authority on Cushing's and even cyclical Cushing's. Based on what I have seen in my five years, the NIH seem to specialize in pediatric Cushing's cases more than adults, i.e. I see more pediatric patients than adult patients accepted for testing and treatment at the NIH.

So, I have to make my way through the medical literature about:

• quality of life for patients after several pituitary surgeries vs. quality of life for those who chose BLA
• remission rates for each type of treatment (3rd pituitary surgery vs BLA)
• enzymes and other hormones produced in the pituitary that may vanish after repeated pituitary surgery
• patient success stories for each

I mean, all this and a bag of chips. EVERYTHING!  I read a lot of this stuff in the beginning. It was "this could happen to me" reading, so the shock resonated longer than the information. Meaning, the scariness stuck when the facts didn't. 

Now, I find my mind so hazy that I just can't read through these medically-rigorous articles anymore. I really struggle.
I can't remember what I read already.
I can't find something I already found before.
I can't even think of good keywords to search.
I've already made a million laps around the internet.

It's a mess. I AM A MESS!

So, being that it is my blog, this is what I'm gonna do.  I plan to "store" articles here that I am reviewing for my own benefit. If you see something that you have never seen before, well, you benefit, too.

HEY!  THEN MAYBE YOU CAN MAKE MY DECISION FOR ME!

A Truncated Life or A Path with Purpose

With all this time today online on a laptop (instead of my iPhone), I stumbled onto my post announcing here that the second pituitary surgery FAILED on May 16, 2011. That's over a year ago. That was 413 days of my life, gone, can't get back, because of Cushing's.  That's 1 year, 1 month, 16 days of not feeling well, not having answers, and not being myself.


When I see that in writing - always more real than living it, somehow - I get teary-eyed.
So many days of suffering.

So many days of heart ache.

So much loss of life. 

Yes. I mean that.

Loss of life.


It may not be many in terms of number of people. I concede that.  

In terms of quality of life, it is unquantifiable. 


Cushing's has done irreparable damage, and that makes me hard to forgive it.  My husband and toddler suffer collateral damage. Cushing's places countless limitations on me cognitively, emotionally, and physically that my family sees, just as I live my daily life.  They don't get to live a full life with me if Cushing's won't allow me to live my full life.


In terms of the every day and big-dream things Cushing's keeps me from doing, boy, the damage is really immeasurable.  I feel the loss of my soul. I miss my identity. Not that I ever really knew who I WAS  was. Seriously.  But I did know what I liked to do, did them, and loved doing them.  So if I am not what I do, but who I am, then Who am I now?

My friend Ashley concurred.  She said, "I feel that way, too.  I feel Cushing's has silenced me... like I was on the verge of something really good, and then Cushing's came along and said, "Shut up. No one can hear you now." 


Word, Ashley. SILENCED. That is so it. I feel that way, too.  I feel like the trajectory of my life has forever been altered by this disease. I hate that part. It really makes me angry.


I think back to when I was a young girl.  I felt average. Not better, not worse than others.  Definitely not more special.  However, I always felt, for some reason, that I was gonna do something BIG, something great. I don't remember (sadly) anyone really telling me that, so I don't know where it came from.  I didn't have any talent to pinpoint, so that wasn't it, unless quoting scenes from 80s movies is a talent.  My family didn't have talent shoes I could step in (sorry family, if you are even reading this).  Regardless of its origin, this feeling really is something that I just carry around with me. Any second, any day, I am thinking this purpose will pop out like clowns in a circus car. 


My life will make sense, and I will have found my purpose.


I don't know yet what that purpose is, but I feel sure that my something great has not happened yet. I am also unsure if Cushing's will hinder that greatness or amplify it. I hope, beyond hope, it is the latter. And more than ever, I hope this purpose presents itself sooner rather than later. I don't know how much longer I can hold on.

I Hate You, Cushing's Disease

Hi everyone. Sorry for such a long absence. In this past, I take time off from writing when I myself am too sick to talk about Cushing's.  When I am exhausted all the days, riddled with headaches, body aches, dizziness, and muscle spasms, I don't feel like the best public speaker for Cushing's. Nor do I have the energy to queue up posts to show up in my absence. Nope. I was too sick for all that.

This absence, like other times, is caused by my own testing, diagnosis, and clearance for third pituitary surgery. That's right. You read that right.

I still have Cushing's disease. 

I still have high cortisol at diagnostic levels on four different diagnostic tests. 

I have a third tumor showing on my pituitary that did not show itself last year at surgery.

I am still fighting Cushing's.  

I hate Cushing's.

When will it ever end?!

High cortisol and high ACTH.
GO AWAY.

Things get really complicated when you are this far into a Cushing's diagnosis. The likelihood of a positive outcome decreases with each stage of treatment. There aren't a lot of people in this world "like you," and even fewer that you may have access to. Nope, for sure, these tiny details make the next decision even more difficult on the patient.


And frankly, when can I cry UNCLE?
When can I say that I've had enough of this beast called Cushing's?
When will this be over?!


I am considering next steps for treatment:  third pituitary surgery vs. bilateral adrenalectomy with risk of developing Nelson's syndrome from an untreated pituitary tumor vs. medical therapy such as Korlym.   Each has its risks and benefits.  Which risk is greatest? Which benefit is greatest? Well, it seems everyone has a different opinion on that.

I fear that the effort to make this decision will exceed the energy I have in a day.  I spent the first 72 hours after learning of the presence of a third pituitary tumor in a tailspin. First, notify the family. Second, notify my Cushies, my besties. Third, reach out to neurosurgeons for second, third, and fourth opinions.  Fourth, reach out to Cushies who have been *here,* who have made this decision, and see if they can tell me something I don't know, something I've forgotten, something I just can't know until I've lived it. Fifth, look around the rest of my life, and do some things that need completing. Things that are super important to me, like completing the redecorating of my preschooler's room. Watch out world, a Cushie's got things to do!

My main concern now is wondering how I will make the right decision. How will I know what to do? Somehow the right path for me will present itself. Right? 


I am keeping my eyes open for all the signs, asking for help from everyone I can, including friends I rely on and can trust. 


I participate in my own healthcare. I am an advocate because this is my life, my body. No one knows it better than me, and I know me best. I've never left me behind.  I've never failed to show up.  I haven't missed any important events.  I have, however, been too busy to listen to myself.  I have placed other opinions before my own.  I have muted my instincts to appease someone else.  


In this situation, after all that has happened to me, after all I have faced, I just can't let that happen. I will know the right answer when it feels right *to me.*   So, isn't that my answer?   If I can keep my aim right there, right in that small spot of people to please, I hope to hit the bulls eye. As long as I can live with my decision, I'll know I made the right one.  When that happens or what it will be, I do not know. Stay tuned as I share information I'm sorting through as I make my decision.

"It is Literally Impossible for You to Have Cushing's"

As much as these patient-made videos cause me to cheer, I am quickly infuriated at how endocrinologists get away with dismissing patients who come to them for help.  I have had many of these types of appointments. Even though I calmly fight and stand my ground, like the female patient in this video, I continue to get dismissed... even with my surgical history and past test results.  It is frankly disgusting.

Our Friend Jordy Tells His Cushing's Story of Multiple Surgeries

Our Friend Sherry Shares her Cushing's Story

Cushing’s powerpoint

View more PowerPoint from SherryC1234

Chanelle hits the news again

I just love this fireball Chanelle.  You have seen her featured here in several posts (here, here, here, and here). Well, here she is again, and I'm very proud of her. This brought tears to my eyes. Keep going, Chanelle!  ~mm

Grad perseveres to earn degree

May 8, 2012 12:10 am

Chanelle Felder's struggle with Cushing's syndrome prompted her to pursue a career as a patient advocate. Felder took ballet in 2008, during her fight with disease. Chanelle Felder battled cyclical Cushing's syndrome in high school. She graduates from Germanna Community College this week and is preparing to pursue a bachelor's degree at a Virginia university this fall.

By PAMELA GOULD

Chanelle Felder found her mission in life through the mysterious illness that left her mind in a fog, her body bloated and her high-energy lifestyle on hold.

"I was directionless before," the 22-year-old said. "Now I have a laserlike focus on what I want my legacy to be and what I want to get out of life."

Felder, who graduates from Germanna Community College on Wednesday, was 16 when her slender 5-foot, 7-inch frame started expanding inexplicably.

She began having crying spells, waking in the middle of the night, and suffering numbness and pain in the feet that for years had carried her gracefully across dance floors.

Clumps of hair started falling out, she became sluggish, and her normally sharp mind started going blank.

Felder was a Mountain View High School junior, cheerleader and honors student when the symptoms began. She found them shocking and frightening.

Doctors offered possible diagnoses such as a thyroid disorder, but none fit until the North Stafford teen stumbled upon a program on the Discovery Health channel.

"My turning point was an episode of 'Mystery Diagnosis,'" she said.
A woman named Sharmyn McGraw was describing the symptoms of Cushing's disease. Felder immediately saw her own situation.

She went online, did research and told her parents that's what she had. The rare disorder afflicts 10 to 15 of every 1 million people. It's even rarer in children and adolescents.

Though her parents supported her self-diagnosis, doctors were slower to get on board. But after medical tests confirmed it, she underwent brain surgery in September 2007.

That first surgery removed a benign tumor from her pituitary gland. However, the symptoms returned, prompting a second brain surgery to remove more tumors in January 2009.

It turned out that she had cyclical Cushing's syndrome, a condition in which the symptoms disappear and then return.

When the second surgery didn't resolve the problems, Felder opted to have both adrenal glands removed in April 2010.

That procedure eliminated the Cushing's symptoms because it's driven by the hormones produced by those glands, which sit atop the kidneys.

But removal of the adrenals meant she was without the hormones they produce, which, among other things, help people cope with stress.

She now takes four medications daily to regulate her endocrine system and keeps a close watch on her stress level. But her bubbly personality and energy are back.

MOVING FORWARD

Felder graduated from Mountain View High in June 2008, nine months after her first surgery.
Then, on a doctor's advice, she waited a year to start college.

Her parents urged her to ease into her courses, so it's taken her three years. However on Wednesday, Felder will walk across the stage at the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center to receive her associate degree in arts and sciences.

"She's been inspirational to other students," said Judi Johnson-Bartlett, coordinator and student adviser at Germanna's Stafford Center.

Johnson-Bartlett rattled off adjectives to describe Felder: determined, hard-working, dedicated, persistent. "The sky is the limit for her."

Felder majored in science while taking classes on the Germanna campus in Spotsylvania County and at the recently opened Stafford Center.

She frequently drew on her experience for class projects and presentations.

The time spent researching her diagnosis and staying abreast of the steps in her treatment gave her an understanding of medical science and terminology she wouldn't have learned otherwise.

It also redirected her interest from a career in social work to one in which she plans to serve as a patient advocate.

If it hadn't been for a dash of teenage defiance, the support of her parents, and the prayer and encouragement of people at Mount Ararat Baptist Church, Felder said, she'd probably still be suffering.

That's why she wants to study the dietetic field next fall when she attends Virginia Tech or James Madison University and why she's also interested in communications.

"My ultimate legacy will be to get information out about this disease and about other diseases like this," Felder said.

She also wants to provide the support for others that she received during her medical ordeal.

She's already part of an online network of Cushing's patients who share their stories; some of them have been heartbreaking.

She said some people have been ostracized by relatives who don't understand their symptoms, or worse yet, suggest they're lying and just lazy when their weight balloons and they lack energy.

Others have died from symptoms related to the disorder.

Many, she said, just resign themselves to a life of suffering after medical professionals brush off their symptoms or aren't familiar with the disorder.

Felder said her mission crystallized as a result of Facebook communications with a man in California with Cushing's syndrome.

She shared the treatment she'd undergone, and in her he found hope and committed to the same path.

He underwent surgery and messaged her recently to say, "You saved my life."

Felder became teary as she shared that encounter.

"Just to think I was just a 16-year-old girl. For me to go through that and actually help someone, it made me see it wasn't in vain," she said, pausing to keep her composure.

"That's why I went through it--to help people."

---

Germanna Community College will hold its spring graduation ceremony at the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Chanelle Felder is scheduled to sing the national anthem as part of the commencement exercises.

---

Copyright 2012 The Free Lance-Star Publishing Company.


A special thanks to Pamela Gould (540/735-1972, pgould@freelancestar.com) for the excellent story.

Cushing's Support Group

Forwarded for those Northern California Cushies:

Join us for our Cushing’s Support Group.

Pituitary Center at Stanford University

Facilitated by Laurence Katznelson, MD
Professor of Neurosurgery and Medicine
Medical Director, Pituitary Center

Stanford University

Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 6-8pm
Stanford Advanced Medical Center
2nd floor conference room CC2105
875 Blake Wilbur Drive
Stanford, CA 94305 

Please rsvp to Danielle Ziatek
email: dziatek@yahoo.com

Light refreshments will be provided.

Click here for map and parking instructions.

Day 14: Around the Cushie World in 30 days -- AI

Today we visit Vanessa again, where she recounts her day suffering from the adrenal insufficiency, an issue many Cushing's patients face after surgery or if their cortisol levels go up and down unpredictably.

Adrenal Insufficiency is not a place you want to go

Thank you for sharing this story, Vanessa. It is important for everyone to understand this part of Cushing's.

Day 13: Around the Cushie World in 30 Days

Hello. Today we visit Robin again, where you talks about the need for awareness for Cushing's.  Why do we work so hard just to let others know about Cushing's?  Robin explains it well in her post called Getting it Right.  

Day 12: Around the Cushie World in 30 Days-- April Fool

Hi everyone.  MaryO gets another shout out today for her wonderful April Fools Day post to kick off the Cushing's Awareness Challenge last month.

I hope this makes you smile, too. 

Day 11: Around the Cushie World in 30 Days-- Diagnosis

Hi y'all.  Today, you are in for a laugh.  I sure laughed when I saw MaryO's post comparing diagnosis: actual vs. reality.

Take a look at her post here.  Think it is an exaggeration?  It is totally *not.*

Day 10: Around the Cushie World in 30 Days

Hi there.  I hope you are enjoying the information and sentiments shared by my fellow Cushie bloggers.


For today's trip, we visit Robin again. She asks, Why do we overeat? Underexercise? Is it a matter of willpower?


I'd like to talk to you a bit about what it is like with Cushing's high cortisol surging through one's system and the hunger it brings.

You can read her blogs at Survive the Journey and 365 with Cushing's.

Day 9: Around the Cushie World in 30 Days-- MaryO

Today, I take you to one of my favorite posts from one of my favorite people.  MaryO!

MaryO is a Cushing's survivor and the founder of Cushings-Help.com and a host of internet sites dedicated to understanding the high cortisol to low cortisol continuum Cushies find themselves.  I learned the foundation of everything I know about Cushing's from her message boards and the people who share their  heartaches and knowledge there.  Today, I thank you, as I have said many times before.  Somehow, it just doesn't seem like a big enough word, thank you.  I thank you for all your hard work to keep us Cushies informed and in line.

The Best Day of my Life

Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever! There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I’m going to celebrate!

You can read all of MaryO's blog posts by visiting her Cushie.info blog, because as she says,
"It's about time there is some support for Cushing's."

Day 8: Around the Cushie World in 30 days-- ALICIA

Hi everyone.  I wanted to share a post today from Alicia's blog, entitled Hear Hoofbeats, Think Zebras.  

Alicia write a short but sweet entry about the 20 Things Cushing's Has Stolen from Her.  You can read that post here.

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I see so much of myself in these blog posts.  I find it both comforting to see that I am not alone.  Sometimes, you feel so unlike yourself, you wonder if you are going crazy.  Posts from friends make me feel assured that this is not my fault, not our fault.  It is the disease.  Cushing's is evil.