Update & Cushing's Syndrome

About 2 years back I was un-officially diagnosed with Cushing's Syndrome. My mom, being in the medical field already knew about it, but I just recently looked it up, hoping there was some way to get rid of it. The symptoms of Cushing's are some of the same as JDMS, and could be part of why I'm experiencing JDMS symptoms whilst I'm in remission.

Symptoms
The symptoms in bold are one's that I'm experiencing

Signs and symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome vary, but most people with the disorder have upper body obesity, a rounded face, increased fat around the neck, and relatively slender arms and legs. Children tend to be obese with slowed growth rates.

Other signs appear in the skin, which becomes fragile and thin, bruises easily, and heals poorly. Purple or pink stretch marks may appear on the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, arms, and breasts. The bones are weakened, and routine activities such as bending, lifting, or rising from a chair may lead to backaches and rib or spinal column fractures.

Women with Cushing’s syndrome usually have excess hair growth on their face, neck, chest, abdomen, and thighs. Their menstrual periods may become irregular or stop. Men may have decreased fertility with diminished or absent desire for sex and, sometimes, erectile dysfunction.

Other common signs and symptoms include

• severe fatigue
• weak muscles
• high blood pressure
• high blood glucose
• increased thirst and urination
• irritability, anxiety, or depression
• a fatty hump between the shoulders (uuggghhh...some day I may post a picture of my "camel hump", but I'm going through a highly self concious period, and I feel like the hunch-back of notre dam)
  

Sometimes other conditions have many of the same signs as Cushing’s syndrome, even though people with these disorders do not have abnormally elevated cortisol levels. For example, polycystic ovary syndrome can cause menstrual disturbances, weight gain beginning in adolescence, excess hair growth, and impaired insulin action and diabetes. Metabolic syndrome—a combination of problems that includes excess weight around the waist, high blood pressure, abnormal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, and insulin resistance—also mimics the symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome.

Cushing’s syndrome occurs when the body’s tissues are exposed to high levels of cortisol for too long. Many people develop Cushing’s syndrome because they take glucocorticoids—steroid hormones that are chemically similar to naturally produced cortisol—such as prednisone for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other inflammatory diseases. Glucocorticoids are also used to suppress the immune system after transplantation to keep the body from rejecting the new organ or tissue.

Treatment depends on the specific reason for excess cortisol and may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy (lovely, if my doses are uped anymore I'll be on a cancer protical!), or the use of cortisol-inhibiting drugs. If the cause is long-term use of glucocorticoid hormones to treat another disorder, the doctor will gradually reduce the dosage to the lowest dose adequate for control of that disorder. Once control is established, the daily dose of glucocorticoid hormones may be doubled and given on alternate days to lessen side effects. In some cases, noncorticosteroid drugs can be prescribed.

Now for the Update!

Crazy
I just wanted to let everyone know that we have not abandoned you! Things are crazy and it's been hard enough to get through the day, none-the-less keep up online.

The sickies-

Sam is probably in the worst shape, with an 102* fever, no appetite, and a sore throat that looks like strep. Needless to say I'm worried as with this insurance bit we may not be able to get him in to the doctor for awhile, and a friend of Alex's recently had Encephalitis that routed from Strep.

Alex is just all around stuffy, achy, and tired, describing the pain as "like before I was in remission". Also very worried about that!

I am even more anemic than before, and not much closer to any type of diagnoses. I have Pitting Edema, mostly on my lower legs, and my all over my body I'm getting new lumps, bumps & swelling on my joints. The NP I waited and waited to get in with barely spoke english and hit offended me greatly for reasons I don't feel like sharing (let's just say that she REALLY needs to learn to listen, needs to learn English, and needs a course in "bed-side manner" ASAP!). She ordered the wrong labs, perscribed an anti-biotic I told her I did not do well on, and sent me off with nothing more accomplished than before. I saw a doctor @ the pain clinic today, who is getting on my nerves to say the least! In October he said I didn't have Lupus that he could see it "a mile away", and is now saying that it's likely I have it. Of course rather than running tests he just said that I wasn't going to be diagnosed until I saw the rhumatologist. Usually I just love this doctor, but lately I don't know what's going on with him (and the rest of the world!). He did, though, confirm that I have Reynaud's Syndrome (though the discoloration is not as severe as the pictures in the linked web-page show), which Alex has as well. Medical bills are piling up extremely fast and we've been sent to collections numerous times already. We are paying nearly everything out of pocket and aren't getting very far with the insurance stuff. Nothing like seeing suck-y doctors and paying cash for their ineptness!

Thanksgiving
Brian, my eldest son, came from Michigan for Thanksgiving this year, (just to remind us of all the things we have to be thankful for! Ha-ha. (FYI, I am kidding...I know that we have plenty to be thankful for)) Alex redid his DJ-ing site for him and within 4 days he had over 85 friend requests! This year, for the first time, we ate thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant...I just wasn't up to all the cooking and cleaning, as much as it breaks my heart. Brian went back home to his kids on Wednesday, much to Sam's dismay. We were all in a lot of pain, and after Alex apologized for "ow-ing" so much (of course I told her not to worry, she has every right to "ow!"), Sam remarked, "well at least your heart's not broken! That hurts more!" He's so precious =) Alex says she's going to upload pictures from Brian's stay soon.

Mindy
As if things aren't hard enough, the cat is on strike from her litter-box. Why? I don't know! We've been putting her in the utility room at night (where her litter box, food & water are), but it doesn't do any good! She would be 'outa here if Alex didn't love her so much. But makes Alex happy, so the cat will stay, even if our room is constantly filled with the smell of cat urine. Medically wise- Alex thinks that Mindy having seizures, and her arthritis is worse.

It's so hard taking care of sick kids on top of my own health...it leaves you in so much physical and emotional pain, with no answers. My kids keep apologizing for being sick, and I feel so guilty I can't do more for them. Don't get me wrong- I love them to death and would take care of them any day, in any pain, it would just be so much easier, for me and for them, if I didn't have to be in so much pain as well.