Test Results & New Video Update!

Hi guys, I was bored surfing on youtube and clicked on my channel only to see that the Cushing's video views are up to 14k with many comments. It has really made me happy that people are watching, talking, connecting and raising awareness for Cushing's syndrome and disease. Thank you all the viewers, subscribers and for the shares on youtube. I feel a sense of connection from the community to one another and my goal is to make this illness a little more known out there. I wish I could get an already famous youtuber to just shout us out and so we can have a bigger amount of awareness.

It's easy to forget as time goes by. We get this illness and write blog about it but then once we recover we forget how hard it was and how rare it is.  I get that sometimes we just want to forget about what had happened and move on from our life and life begins to feel better so we don't really care to complain on blogs but you guys, please keep sharing your story to the world because you might just save one person's life for viewing your story. There has to be people who are proactive about awareness for every other disease for it to be well known so we need to do this for our Cushie family. Sorry if I sound all preachy but I really hurt when I get these emails of people who are going through the same thing I was a few years ago when the disease was in the early stages. Being misunderstood, misheard, ignored. I was reading a story of a celebrity who is depressed, gained alot of weight and can't lose it and I just wonder do they know about CD? Or I walk down the street and see a person with a moonface and buffalo hump and wonder if they know they are sick?

Fluctuating Test results. Not sure if it's improvement but hey better than having high cortisol!

Well I have some big Cushing's News coming up that I want to share in my next blog. It's still in the works. I am really excited about it! If you haven't already, please comment and keep the converstation going!! Here's my moon face again =]

My 2013 Video

Here's my updated 2014 video:

Low Cortisol Level 1 Year Later =(

I thought I was making more cortisol but nope... As a matter of fact my cortisol levels went down from my test from 3 months ago. It looked as if my levels were raising up probably because of residual medications. I am wondering why it's taking my right adrenal such a long time to work? Oh well. It still explains alot of why I feel nauseous, weepy and fainty often.

My Sister and I were Diagnosed With Cushing's: MALE Cushing's patient

Meet Gabriel

The year was 2007 I was age 16 I woke up like any other day went and played some games with my friends. That night, something happened. It began with a small pain in my side that grew stronger and stronger we went to the hospital thinking it was appendicitis. It wasn't after a few tests and the pain not going away they (doctors) were stumped as to what it was. I stayed in the hospital for about three weeks getting tests done and nothing was found the pain stayed the only thing that was wrong was my level of cortisol was slightly elevated.  A few months went by and many doctor visits later nothing was concluded. Doctors were doing random strange tests and nothing. One doctor wanted to start treating me for Addison’s disease which is the opposite for Cushings but they were on the right tracks. About a year went by and test after test being negative I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia my body was exhausted and my mind was numb. After a year of testing to be told nothing's wrong really made me sick. But like always, I moved on from it. I rolled with it and I was treated for fibromyalgia with the help of sleep aid and the knowledge of certain things that can trigger intense pain episodes.  Around the year of 2009 my sister was diagnosed with a brain aneurism and had surgery. The doctors who were doing her tests noticed a small link between mine and her results .She recovered from her surgery. And began seeing an endocrinologist after a few months of testing she was diagnosed with Cushings. During this time of her surgery and testings I was trying to finish highschool and start college. The year was now 2011 I was living my life with fybromyalgia but I began getting sick I remember having an adrenaline rush and nearly passing out because of it something wasn't right we were for sure of it. I began seeing my primary doctor letting him know what was happening. I had weight gain, low immune system, blackouts and pain. The doctor’s response was I was depressed. Cool story right.

I sucked it up and dealt with it for another year. My sister was diagnosed with Cushing’s and my parents noticed we had similar symptoms and started and put two and two together. I made an appointment with my sister’s endocrinologist and she noticed right away that something was wrong. For me, I felt joy that someone was going to help. She noticed the straie on my neck and underarms and jotted down my symptoms which included bone pain, muscle weakness, excessive urination, thirst, fatigue, headaches, thin skin,  and bruising. I was text book Cushing’s.  They immediately started testing me for Cushing’s. My first urine test was the worst they have ever seen. My cortisol was sky high at a level over 70. Other family complications that happened through the year put my treatment on hold. Meanwhile my sister was able to participate in a cushings study with a medication that was new to the market called Signifor, it was a daily injection that had the chances of shrinking and stopping the growth of the tumor. After a year, her results were great; she lost weight and looked healthy. I began going back to the doctor and had more testing. My cortisol was really high around 60s. The levels made my body constantly tired and sent my body into over drive. I did an MRI and Dxa scan. They stuck a tube into my brain to see where the leak on the pituitary is. 3 months later my results came back and the conclusion reached was that I had Cushings Disease. I had multiple tumors but none were visible. That was why my body was shooting out cortisol. My life flashed before my eyes. Years and years of waiting, crying, and testing I finally had my answer. I got into the case study for CD.

 I was the only guy in my state to be diagnosed with CD at the age of 22 and my sister 19. We were the talk of the town. Unfortunately testing requirements were very complicated and I decided not to do the study and instead go for the medications. It took a few months to get the medications since they were new and pricey. It was okay to wait since I’ve been waiting for years. After 7 weeks I got my first order of Signifor. I began taking the injections. The first injection made me vomit and I continued to vomit after for two weeks. One morning I woke up smiling, I no longer felt a lot pain in my body and my mind felt clear.  I was on the road to recovery. After 2 months of taking the medication I feel great. My mind is right; I still have pain for fibromyalgia. I had my first adrenaline rush and didn’t pass out. My mental status is good I have always stayed positive despite what has happened. I keep my mind away from the depression. Now life is falling into place. The next thing I need to worry about is what to do in life without wondering if tomorrow will be my last day on this earth.

My Feature Story On Cushing's Support and Research Foundation

I will frame this!

So I received my spring Cushing's support and research foundation (csrf) in the mail. I was so excited to read it. Inside has a lot of interesting new research on the disease and doctors answers for questions people want to know about Cushings. I thought I knew all about it through my own research and experience but it had alot of answers and information I did not know. It also talks about cyclical cushing's which is harder to diagnose and alot of people have been emailing me about why they have all the symptoms and features of cushing's but their test are never positive. So I think that we always have to prepare for other possibilities. I am not a doctor to say whether you have it or not but I do encourage anyone to find a professional to investigate to why they aren't feeling "normal". Also the newsletter features patients stories.

Well I read this newsletter a few times and not once did I realize my story was featured inside the newsletter until a cushie emailed me saying they saw my story! Wow, I feel so honored to be chosen to share my story to csrf readers. My feature page was stuck together so I had no idea it existed but thank you Benji for informing me! I hope you are feeling better these days. I want to thank CSRF, cushies, and supporters. To help me through hard times and to share my story for awareness. You guys are everything.

Stress is not the cause of Cushing's. Having Cushing's causes stress.
 But it sure will feel worse if you're in a stressful situation!

Most Cushies suffer from bad memory, I still do.

Cushing's Patients Story for MAY! Yay!

Happy May! So I have an idea that I want to start some new blog posts that are about experiences that others have had with Cushing's. I will still write occasionally about myself here and there but I want to start focusing about other topics. So get ready! If you want to share your story please email me at: yumnguyen07@yahoo.com or vannievan12@yahoo.com
You can be in any stage of this process or any kind of advice you would like to share. You can choose to be anonymous =]

I am honored to share the story of one of the first Cushie sisters I have talked to. She has been extremely helpful with my whole process and was an angel sent to me during my hard times. Here is our short interview.

(Click^ to view full picture) Our Cushie Sister's transformation

 ME: Wow you didn't look overweight or classic "textbook" Cushing's.

 Cushie Sister: Yeah, that's part of the reason the doctors didn't really believe.  But I was exercising like crazy and eating nothing.  I should have been super skinny. But, I do think it prevented me from getting obese. 

ME: What was your biggest obstacle looking back at that time before and during?

Cushie Sister: I guess the biggest obstacle while having Cushing's was knowing something was off but being told nothing was wrong.  I definitely felt like I was a crazy woman. 

After surgery, I was expecting to feel great right away and the insane tiredness was unexpected.  It was like a heavy, wet blanket on me for almost a year.  Also, I didn't like being dependent on the hydro (steroids), and had it in my head that if I weaned, I'd recover faster.  That's not actually true - it's actually detrimental.  You can't force your adrenal gland to wake up; it just takes time.

Now, I feel like the world is available to me and I am open to life.  It's the best feeling ever, so in some ways, I'm grateful for Cushing's for giving me new eyes to see it.

Me: any advice you can share to other viewers or patients?

Cushie Sister: as far as advice, I know it's the hardest thing, and I'm not sure that I could have done it but... I think it is important to separate yourself from the disease.  You have/had Cushing's but you, the person, are separate from the disease.  In some ways, I felt more important because I had Cushing's.  I needed the disease to feel special.  That was a mindset that was difficult to shake once I was well. 

There it is guys. Thank you for the informative advice and congratulations on your awesome progress!

Happy One Year Anniversary

Wow it's been a year since my adrenalectomy woohoo! Must celebrate! Honestly I've been feeling a little paranoid about Cushing's. I don't know why but in my head I feel like my face is getting a little bigger.. I've been bloated and for some reason I feel fatigued and my joints are aching. I still get headaches and faint often. My MRI confirmed nothing but low blood flow. So I hope maybe I can start weaning off the steroids I am taking. Overall I do feel much better. I have a greater sense of self.  my moods have been happy often. I don't feel like laying in bed crying anymore. The paranoia has disappeared and anxiety. I don't feel awkward anymore and of course the physical change still amazes me. I hope that by the time my hormones regulate and and fully wean off steroids I can feel 100% like myself. I want to thank everyone throughout my whole process and for reading my crazy whiney rants at times. Thank you for accepting me sick or healthy. Remember that this is a long process and that you will get back to yourself and even better. Much love. XOXO

Losing Your "Spark"

I talked to a Cushie friend of mine a while back and we talked about how great it feels to be looking more like ourselves these days. Shopping has been so enjoyable, to the point of becoming a shopping addiction. I was always a shopaholic before but now I feel like I want to buy everything I try on so this is not good for my piggybank but who cares I feel great about it! Another thing we talked about was though we look so much better than during our Cushings days, we still feel like our face has changed... like we lost our "spark". You know the feeling of how fresh faced and bright eyed you looked in your Highschool or College pictures but now you look in the mirror and see tired looking version of your old self? I mean, we both are very young but after Cushing's, and Adrenal insuffiency, we don't have that glow anymore.

During the early stages of my sickness I already noticed that my eyes looked different. It seem to have a blank stare instead of an emotion. In most pictures my eyes would look dead even when I am smiling. Then a few years into Cushing's, my eyes seemed like they were getting smaller and my eyelids got really heavy like I couldn't open my eyes wide. My nose looked like it was growing. I felt like my whole face got heavy that I just looked like I was frowning all the time. Then my lips which use to be my favorite feature began to look thinner. My skin was becoming reddish orange tinted and the acne was growing on top of my skin. I just felt like everything changed dramatically from the fresh face I use to have.

At that time, there was nothing I could do to fix my physical appearance but I had alot of people suggesting what they think I should do. It was overwhelming. I am happy to say that 11 months out of surgery, everything is improving so much. Everything that I mentioned above seemed to reverse. It's crazy but it was like the Cushing's literally melted off my face and body. Still being adrenal insufficient isn't easy. I feel tired all the time and my face does too. Even though I look the same as before, maybe even skinnier... The fatigue hasn't left my face. My under eye circles are getting darker and I still feel that tiredness in my eyes even though I can open in wider now. I hope in time when my hormones start raising up that I can see that spark again. But until then, make up, filters and a good sleep is my best friend =] Here are some makeup tips I've been posting on IG. People ask why I don't start a makeup youtube but I am too awkward on camera so I am easing my way into it with some "how to" snapshots!

Barefaced with just my eyebrows and lipbalm on ^.<

Blue Eyeliner helps your eye whites look whiter so you look more awake

Blue Eyeliner :)

 Now If you want something more dramatic for a night time....

Add some fuller false lashes and darker eyeshadow for a night time look

Make up can make you beautiful on the outside but being gracious will make you beautiful on the inside.

YouTube Videos

So I am still not feeling well since the flu last week. I feel like I am getting sick all over again if that is even possible. I guess I will repost my youtube video here. The discussion on my video is more than I could ever imagine. I thought I would identify with very few people but so far the feedback is amazing. I want to thank you guys for sharing and supporting the cause for awareness. PS if you want to see the captions you gotta watch it on youtube or fullscreen. I'm still trying to figure out how to fit the whole caption but I think people get the idea lol.

I Want Perfection

I know I tend to repeat this subject but it is something of importance for me my whole life. I have battled self esteem problems and writing about it helps me move forward.As you guys already know, I have experienced bullying and fat shaming as a child. When I became a "tween" I made a promise to myself that I would not be that fat tomboy girl anymore. I would be the girl that people admired. I wanted to be the perfect skinny, beautiful girl with nice things. I wanted to be liked by everyone and popular in school. I wanted to be so perfect, that nobody could say or find anything wrong about me. So I went on a diet with my sister and I got down to a low weight. I felt perfect for a while but deep down I felt so much self hate and doubt. I felt like the most insecure girl. When I hungout with friends I would think about how skinny they were. They had better arms or a flatter stomach than me. I compared myself in the pictures with other girls and picked out a body part that I needed to work on. Why was this girl so perfect and likable and I am not? I assumed she was prettier so that was why.

I don't know how many diets I've tried throughout the years. My first time was when my aunts called me fat and told me I shouldn't eat the cake at Golden Corral. I went to the restroom and cried and threw up the food I ate. When green tea pills were trending to lose weight, I started taking the pills. I remember trying to take metabolife and I think they had lawsuits and stopped producing those lol. I took a subway footlong and cut it into four pieces and ate a piece every few hours and nothing else. I worked out 4 hours a day at the gym then came home and did workout videos. I've tried every herbal remedy and diet teas out there to lose weight. I remember at my thinnest, I still felt huge even though people said my weight was too low. My weight would yo yo and I just couldn't stop fixating on my flaws. I would say I was obsessed with my looks. I was vain but I couldn't stop myself I was addicted to finding my flaws and trying to fix it. My hair was too wavy, frizzy, I had hairy arms, my belly was too big, I had pimples, I am too tall (yes LOL I am only 5'4) etc.. I had trouble embracing my looks and I had no idea what inner beauty was. I had no sense of self or morals. I just wanted to look perfect on the outside. I didn't feel like I was ever smart enough but I knew I looked pretty decent. What needed improvement was my mentality and self worth.

Pre Cushing's at my thinnest. I felt like a fat girl trapped in a small body.

Being sick with Cushing's pushed me to the edge. I had so much self worth in my looks that I was nothing without it. I hated myself for how I looked. I couldn't look at myself in the mirror without bursting into tears. I blamed myself for getting sick because I was so vain all these years and I deserved all that was happening to me. People talked about my looks and I thought this was the worst thing I have been afraid of my whole life. When I was diagnosed with Cushing's I accepted that this was what it is. I began to stop fighting myself and finding inner acceptance. My security blanket was gone and I was forced to face my fear. Sure some days were easier than others. But I took a real hard look into myself to find something good about me. I realized one of my biggest fears happened. I was fat, hairy and pimply. And got called out for it. But I was still alive. I accepted it all. I still had people around me at my worst. I had support. Still I was ashamed at times for what I looked like. But now I see that what I was doing before was all wrong. I am so thankful for this to have happened to me for me to finally realize my self worth. And I am thank ful that I have never felt more perfect now than ever. As the layers of shame, fat, acne started to melt away, I am left with just me. I still have my days where I feel not smart enough or prettiest but I am okay with that. I would rather radiate inner beauty any day than be the prettiest girl in the room who is vapid, vain, and conceited. Because looks will fade but not my inner true self. Much love you guys! Let's all have cake and enjoy ourselves =] Here's some progress pics. My next post will be about my eating habit and lifestyle during recovery.

RECOVERY 11 Months

FEVER FLU and Adrenal Insuffiency

Hi there quick post. I am feeling extra sick. This feels like the time I had a fever a month ago and I don't know why I am getting it so often. I wonder if that is normal for A.I. but I need to double up on the steroids. I hope I will feel better tomorrow. I have a headache, sore throat, weakness, and I cannot focus. Earlier I did not recognize the street I was on. That was pretty alarming. I don't know if It is all related but I hope things will resolve soon. Alright that's all I got for today.

Cushing's Awareness Day

So I am a newbie here. I didn't know that April was the month to write a post everyday for 30 days for Cushing's awareness. I am 8 days late but I will try to catch up. Who's counting eh? Lets talk about symptoms and progress. Oh yeah thanks Marian for updating me on this!!

It's been almost 10 months since my adrenalectomy. Symptoms I still have is rapid heartbeat for certain things. Food can trigger it, high activity, social anxiety and caffeine. It's not as bad as before but it still happens maybe 2 or 3 times a week. No more panic attacks! YAY! No more paranoid feelings when I am out. The depression is much better. I find myself enjoying life more. I am socializing again and doing more of my hobbies. My menses come once every two months. I am getting more tired lately and extra unmotivated to get things done. I don't know if it is related but before I could multitask and wake up early but now it feels impossible to get out of bed. My memory is getting pretty crappy. The short term memory is bad. I repeat things and lose things that are right in front of me. Everyday is a struggle. Can't remember what I am studying and my textbook is a puzzle to me. I will be getting a brain MRI in a week to figure out why I am having headaches every night and the memory problems. THE STRUGGLE IS REALLLL lol hmmm.. weight is still stable. I am eating lots of fast food, takeout and restaurants. I have mad sugar cravings. Still get faint often.. The nurse says I have low blood pressure so i guess that's why I will eat a cookie then crave another piece of chocolate. SIGH I hope this won't make me gain weight once my hormones regulate.. I have absolutely no motivation to eat healthy and go workout or be productive versus before surgery I was working, going to school, eating super healthy and working out. Now I have to find great effort to do simple things. My bones still hurt, I tried to squat and heard my knees crack and pop and it hasnt stopped cracking ever since so I guess no squats for me. lol I will probably get a fat ass from eating all these carbs i'm inhaling anyway. The hairy-ness is sooo much better. This guy in my class said he hates hairy arms and asked to look at mines and said I had nice hairless arms. HA! He should have seen me a year ago. I was a furry hamster... But yeah I shaved my whole body and the hair growth is much thinner and almost blonde so that is very good progress. The acne is better as you saw in my last video.. But I still get pimples here and there so I still feel paranoid about that. The hair on my head is filling up nicely. Just got a fresh cut and now my hair feels so soft! Okay there's so more stuff but I don't remember so I will post a better blog next time. I am a little distracted right now =] Here's some pics of my haircut and progress pic!

Loving this hair. I did not change my color this is a box color from walgreens =]

Recovery is a beautiful roller coaster. Hello dimple, never thought I would see you again.

My Battle with Depression, Suicide & Stuck Up Betches

I've been fighting with depression for a very long time. In the past as a young child, I was bullied for my weight. Everyone called me fat and ugly in elementary school. My family was not too well off so I didn't have nice materialistic things so I was bullied for that too. It doesn't help to have vain, judgmental, abusive people around while growing up either. (not my parents) of course.With all of that being said I am growing into a woman of my own and do not call myself victim to these experiences however they do make me more predispose to the likelihood of being depressed.

Chubs

Life in general felt rough to me. I had no one to tell me what was right and wrong and usually I would make the "wrong" choices. I did lose weight when I got to middle school and found a bit more self esteem and made some friends. Still, I felt awkward and I was not comfortable in my own skin. When Highschool rolled around I blossomed into a young lady and shedded the awkward phase. Not to say my blonde phase wasn't awkward! lol anways, I joined rotc, sports, cheerleading, and extra curriculars to validate that I was accepted socially. I did pageants and other stuff on the side to feel more beautiful. All those things did temporarily void my emptiness however when it was over, so was my little life. Then I would go on to find other things to temporarily fix the void. Deep down I was still the scared little fat kid.

In the beginning of University I made a lot of new friends and partied a little too hard. Which is OK because we all go through that phase and nobody can judge us for wanting to have fun and enjoy life. However I lost sight of who I was. I put away the scared fat kid to become another persona which everyone seemed to enjoy. But those days I have to say that I didn't like what I was becoming. I was hanging out with bullies. The people who inflicted pain in me when I was young were now the people I called friends. I hated them but mostly I just hated myself... I drank & smoked the pain away. Finally reality hit me that I don't want to be that way anymore. I stopped seeing these certain people (not all) and decided its time for some soul searching. I never felt more depressed and alone at that point. I chalked all those sad emotions up to my losses. But something deeper was hurting.

A year later I was hurting inside. I hurt so much that I stopped going out at all. I stopped seeing family members who put me down and I stopped self medicating. I was going insane with my anxiety that was growing so strong. I was paranoid and felt like I had a demon inside of me. I began to look in the mirror to see a face I didn't recognize. My face was getting swollen, cushinoid, acne all over down to my neck. I stopped getting a period and stopped feeling like I was a woman. I felt like a monster. I had intense feelings of mood swings and did not know why. I felt more depressed, anxious, and rapid heartbeat. I was so fatigued. I saw it in my eyes. I blamed myself for becoming that way. I must have been a terrible person to deserve this. Family & others shamed me for looking that way. Nobody was supportive or there for me. I will never forget the day this irrelevant person called me fat in front of my boyfriend and laughed in my face. You had your chance to make it right with me, and you haven't. I forgive you, but I will never forget what you did to me. Because of you, I started having suicidal thoughts. It's not because they called me fat. It's the fact that someone had that much hate at me to say that to my face in front of other people then laugh about it when nobody asked for their opinion. But whatever happened was in a way a good thing. Atleast it helped me hit rock bottom.. Well, I was already at rockbottom before that. That was just kicking someone when they are down.

                  This was my pain, please do NOT attempt. If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself or others, please contact immediate help or hotline!!

Everyone has inner pain, and inner demons they fight. Most people can hide it from the things they do everyday but whatever that was happening to me was about to come out. I was falling apart. One night I started getting panic attacks. It was the worst feeling ever. The next time I had a panic attack I decided I DO NOT WANT TO LIVE ANYMORE. I took a lot of sleeping pills and walked out to the third floor balcony. I said a prayer to God, "please forgive me but I can't live my life feeling this way anylonger" and sat on the railing of the balcony ready to end the pain. Luckily Muffin saw me and held on to me. My second attempt was when I started cutting. I made a cut for each pain I felt. Then Muffin caught me and told me I needed to see someone to figure out what was wrong with me. I told him I hated myself and my life and he said, "listen to me, you are not yourself this past year, you are a good person, you're not yourself and we will figure it out." I thank him everyday for telling me I needed to find help and it wasn't me. When I finally went through the months of diagnosing Cushing's things were not easy but it made me feel so much better that I had an answer to why I felt that way.

After surgery I expected to feel better immediately but instead I felt worse. Due to extreme low levels I was getting even more depressed and anxiety. But it was different this time. It was intense and I had crazy CRAY CRAY thoughts. Anyways I decided to seek help of other patients and hear their story and most people are the same as in "be prepared for the long recovery". I will say the sadness took a turn at month 5. The feelings became less intense. I felt more at ease. The little things don't bother me anymore. I smile more than have strange negative thoughts. Then two weeks ago from today, I felt REALLY good. I can't explain it. Sure, I'm probably still more prone to moods than a normal person but that's okay. Atleast I am on my way to brighter days. I am not "there" yet most definitely. Here's my advice for depressed person or Cushies before, during, after: Get a psychologist, get meds from a psychiatrist, talk to a counselor. Seek advice from other patients including ME! I would love to answer any questions you have. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. I am not myself yet but I am getting close to an even better version! I'm so glad I did not give into the darkness and there is better things to come. I want to thank all of the people who gave me advice that I will feel better in time. You guys were right!

I wish I could tell my old self that I am good enough as I am. Everything will be alright. Just be yourself and everything else will follow. I'm thankful to have been through the sadness because now, I have room for happiness. I've been slowly peeling back the layers or false belief and pain and revealing the wonderful thing that we all are. Perfectly imperfect Purrrfection!

Happy New Year! Happy New You! and My Instagram!

Destroy What Destroys You.
 

Just posting a quick motivational photo for the new years. Recovery journey is starting to take a big turn and  it feels real good to me. I want to do a post about my experience of falling out of depression, so probably next blog will be about that. And no it's not because of the physical changes that is making me happier.... It's mentally too. It's amazing how things can change when I've felt so stuck in a rut for many years. Anyways I'll save all of that for next post!

Any who so I joined two social networking! One is called "Experience Project"-- if you feel depressed, like you need someone to talk to and nobody is there for you, go join this website! You can find people who are going through similar things that you are going through and seek advice.. Or just to talk to. NO HATERS ALLOWED! So try it out!! and I also joined Instagram. Sure I don't have many followers but I just wanted to have a place where I can post up some motivational stuff and progress pictures! I already have some Cushie friends that are seeking advice and seeing the progress of other fellow Cushies... If you have an account for either social networking sites, join us & add me!! See you in 2014!

INSTAGRAM: MEOMEEOOW
ExperienceProject: Yoshigirl12

Body Progress Pic Update

^Bloated, I couldn't suck in my stomach lol

I've been kinda in a funky mood feeling extremely weak and dizzy. Yesterday I halfway blacked out. I started seeing grey and tingles then I fell in the hallway. So I greyed out lol.. It usually happens when I stand up too quickly. I feel  numb on my face & chest like I am not getting enough air in my lungs. which makes the anxious feelings worse. And the low energy feeling lasts all day. To get my mind off it, I took some pictures to remind me I AM getting better. And I want to share it here. The other day the nurse weighed me and the scale said 112lbs. I couldn't believe her I made her weigh me again. And I haven't been that low since highschool. I think even then I was 115lbs. So great my body doesn't hate me anymore! The weird thing is that my height was 5'3 but I use to be 5'5, before surgery I measured 5'4 - how did I lose 2inches???  I'm posting up some pictures with Cushing's and 6 months after Adrenalectomy. And the last one is a few days after surgery. The scars are healing nicely. So far I have lost maybe 2 or 3 lbs every month to a total of 17lbs! And what is my secret? Getting a Cushing's tumor removal! Lol I have barely exercised, or changed my diet, I do eat smaller portions because if I stuff myself I feel sick... Every time I try to run it is too painful & nauseous. And I am constantly craving sweets and carbs these days. I guess that is what low sugar and adrenal Insuffiency will do to you-- give mad cravings but still lose weight. I just walk for like 30 mins a day... But I am very inactive compared to before. So it is just a joy to see progress!

My Picture Timeline on Youtube

Hello! I decided it's time to put up some pictures of my progress.. I want to talk more about Cushing's, my experience, and support through videos but I'm a bit still shy so I decided to make a slideshow instead... I'm not a pro and some of the captions don't show up idk how to fix it loll I'm a newb but here it is:

Please share this video!