I was aware, but know that fighting one disease is easier than two. Sorry I did not have time to post in your Cushings thread hon. I know nothing about Cushings, but do know there are ways to end the pain from the Endo.

Depression as a third issue on top of all this can be handled better and may be greatly improved by eliminating the Endo pain too. Pain and depression is an endless cycle unless the pain is dealt with it is harder to control the depression. I am just wishing you fewer issues to deal with at once I suppose.

I don't know if you are able to handle them all. I know I have had pain that I felt I could not handle, but knew I was handling it when I still woke and the sun still came up each morning. I think you are handling it...you are here.

Never loose hope honey just lean on your Just Say Hi Family and we will help you through it. But you already know that. Love ya

Perhaps watching a sunrise will help your state of mind. Every new day brings with it the promise of new opportunity.

the doctor said people with cushings feel rotten, as in depression, extreme tiredness, weakness, repeated infections, and ive got all those syptoms, so the depression is related to the cushins and the endo.

thanks

I know that my Doctors were forever trying to push depression meds on me, but I didn't feel I needed them since the alternative therapies I used for pain control also dealt with my any pain related depression. I was lucky that I never felt depressed because of that, but all chronic pain breeds depression they say, so less pain might make things easier it seems. I hope you find a good method to deal with this hon! God Bless!

i know your right, all put together and its to much for me, if i could cross the pain off my list that would help.

I will be praying that God open an opportunity for you to do just that! But then you have to DO it...stubborn!

i know, but its my dream to have a child, its a tough call. and one that needs to be thought about really well. im going to bed in a minute, ive had enough for one day,

thanks everyone. takecare

I am sorry for what you are going through.

Cry out to God... surrender it ALL to Him. Let Him lift you with his strength & healing power, & tell God you want to come into agreement with Him for your healing as well as any need you have. Then recieve it even if it means shouting it out. Proclaim it for yourself dear girl. Decree those promises if you have to shout down your own thoughts & feelings. You know what God can do. It is yours for the asking...don't let the devil beat you out of what is yours.

Be like that woman with the issue of blood. She pushed through EVERy obstacle because she knew just a touch...

Excuse me depression...but I have to touch his garment...just his garment...

Excuse me sickness...I just have to touch his garment...

Excuse me thoughts...but I just have to touch His garment...

Excuse me pain...but I just have to touch the hem of His garment...

God bless yu & I'll be praying as you wait on God to do the heavy lifting FOR YOU...

You just think you can't take anymore deb....The Lord will not ever give you more then you can handle...and remember that everything that is put in your path is so for a reason...You might not see it now...But I know that eventually you will..


When The Unexpected Comes

Through the unexpected things
That happens in our lives
We draw from God the strength we need
To carry on with Christ

For He will always hold us up
Whenever it gets too tough
And carry us through the hardest times
When we can’t feel His love

I know that at these times we feel
Abandoned by our Lord
We wonder what is going on
We can’t feel His presence at all

But He has not abandoned us
Nor forsaken us in our need
He allows the unexpected things
Be life lessons we should heed

So we will grow with deeper faith
And be strengthened in the Lord
Then when we face the storms of life
We’ll be stronger than before

So when the unexpected comes
Remember God’s in control
And nothing in life is ever wasted
But are memories that we hold

So when others come across our path
That are facing what we’ve faced
We’re more than able to share God’s love
And touch them with His grace.

BTW...someone once said pray until you get a result... We pray into the future too..

Throw it back.

Not true actually. There are multiple personality disorders that prove it. People splinter, go insane, commit suicide become alcoholics etc.

JB

Just say:

"I'm not gonna take it anymore!"

Then proceed to get rid of the things and people in your life that cause you stress.

(apart from killing them of course. )

Change your attitude, change your life.

I believe too, that there is a cure for every disease known to man.

JB

the one who cares the least wins thats my advise, A good friend gave it to me and even work has gotten better

Anyway, here’s the thing. You can do nothing and remain depressed and in pain and get worse and suffer ever more symptoms. You can take the word of a physician and just do whatever he or she tells you, or you can go from doctor to doctor or you can wonder why any god would allow such a continuous attack on your person. OR – YOU can take responsibility for your knowledge, for your treatment, for your health and well-being.

These are your choices.

Of course whenever we find out bad news we must first come to terms with what it all means. When you have taken the time to progress through the anger, through the depression, through the self-centered poor you syndrome then you will be ready to take control.

Then you will have this little guide to help you get started.


Ok, so now you have some information you didn’t have before but what can you do with it?
Put the depression aside and take your health into hand. You can begin with the tool in front of you – the computer and the world wide web

Example: below is a clinical trial for a new treatment for cushings syndrome.

http://clinicaltrialwatch.com/display/cushings/Cushing%27s+Syndrome+Clinical+Trial+Qualification+Questionnaire

Of course you may be far from ready for that, but how would you know, especially if you have only seen one physician. Now here is a web site that gives ALL manner of information about this syndrome. I was reviewing it, as I had not heard of cushings. Quite interesting and if I had been diagnosed, I sure as he ll would be reviewing and reading all this stuff.

http://www.endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/cushings/cushings.htm#symptoms


I also found some sites for alternative treatments. I find, very often, that alternatives are more natural and it is precisely because they are natural that you don’t often hear about them. When something cannot be patented it makes no money for anyone and its use is completely directed by the physician and not by the precision of a pharmaceutical company.

There, now get on line and through your favorite search engine do your homework. You WILL feel more in control and that will help you feel better. I don’t even know you and I already believe you will find the inner strength you need to follow through. YOU ARE WOMAN and that says a lot.


PS - JB and I don't often agree about the whys of things, but we do often agree about the hows - like taking contol BACK, with positive thought and positive action. YOU CAN DO IT.

Debbie1980.........hope you don't mind my sharing the info below.

Also Deb....get another report form another dr...don't settle for just one....very important...and in the meantime, I will be praying for you to get well.

Praying for yuo too, AmyGurl..that the drs will find the prob, and that soon so you be on your way to full recoveery.
You are in my prayers too.

Here is the article for Deb now...Be Blessed.
You Both Stay Encouraged Now.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.....Cushings Disease.........

Diagnosis
Biochemically confirming the presence of Cushing's disease can be very difficult in some cases since there is no "gold standard" for making the diagnosis. Stated otherwise, virtually every test available for diagnosing Cushing's disease will sometimes falsely diagnose a "normal" person with the disease and conversely will sometimes fail to diagnose the disease in those who have it. However, a thorough history and physical exam combined with multiple tests can correctly rule in or rule out the disease in most cases.

The diagnosis of Cushing's is often made by measuring free cortisol in a 24-hour urine collection (UFC). Most clinicians consider a level of more than four times the upper limit of normal as diagnostic. For example, a urine cortisol of more than 300 mcg/24 hours with the normal being 8-70 is diagnostic of Cushing's. If the UFC is elevated but less than four times the upper limit of normal, more tests are necessary. This is because other entities can lead to small elevations in urine cortisol (e.g., depression, alcoholism, chronic and severe stress, etc). Conversely, a "normal" 24hour UFC suggests the absence of Cushing's but does not rule it out (i.e., there is a population of surgically proven Cushing's disease patients who had a "normal" UFC as part of their evaluation).

There are many other tests available for evaluating a patient for Cushing's disease. This author primarily uses two additional tests. The first is the sampling of serum cortisol over a 24-hour period. Normal individuals typically have serum cortisol levels of 18 ug/dl or higher around 8:00 a.m. The serum cortisol level steadily drops through the day and is typically undetectable around midnight. This is referred to as diurnal variation. Cushing's tumors typically do not follow this pattern and serum cortisol levels greater than 5 ug/dl at midnight are very suggestive of Cushing's. A second useful test is the "low dose" dexamethasone suppression test followed by CRH stimulation. ACTH secreting pituitary adenomas are typically less sensitive to suppression by dexamethasone than are normal pituitary cells but are typically more sensitive to stimulation by CRH (normally released by the hypothalamus). Therefore, a serum cortisol that is not suppressed (i.e., greater than 1.4 ug/dl) 15 minutes after CRH stimulation is suggestive of Cushing's. A multitude of other tests for evaluating Cushing's are also available (e.g., salivary cortisol measurements, "high dose" dexamethasone suppression test, etc.) As with virtually all tests for the evaluation of Cushing's disease, there can be false positive and false negative results.

Once the diagnosis of Cushing's has been made, the second step is to confirm that the serum ACTH level is not suppressed. This is important so as to rule out other causes of Cushing's syndrome (i.e., confirm that an ACTH secreting tumor is driving the disease). Third, it is important to localize the tumor to a pituitary versus a non-pituitary (or "ectopic") source. If a pituitary tumor (greater than 4mm) is clearly seen on MRI, many clinicians will proceed with surgery to treat ACTH dependant Cushing's. Alternatively cavernous or petrossal sinus sampling may be helpful to clearly localize the ACTH source. In this procedure, a catheter is placed in the vein of each leg and fed up past the heart up into the blood sinuses around the pituitary. Blood is then sampled from either side. This test not only confirms whether the tumor is in the pituitary, but helps the surgeon know which side of the pituitary to look for the tumor. In the hands of a good interventional radiologist experienced in the procedure, this process is relatively straightforward. Bad patient experiences with the procedure usually result from having it performed by an interventional neuroradiologist inexperienced in the procedure. The dexamethasone suppression test is also sometimes used for tumor localization but it is not as reliable as sinus sampling.

Treatment
The treatment of choice for Cushing's disease is pituitary surgery. A good surgeon will most often be able to cure Cushing's with one attempt. More details on the process of selecting a qualified neurosurgeon are available in the section: I Have Been Diagnosed with a Pituitary Tumor - What Should I Do Next? Alternate treatments include steriotactic radiosurgery, adrenalectomy, and medications. All of these alternate treatments have potential complications making surgery in the hands of an expert pituitary surgeon the treatment of choice. In the case of large ACTH producing tumors (macroadenomas), deficiencies of other pituitary hormones may be present due to the damaging "mass effect" of the tumor. Patients with pituitary macroadenomas should be evaluated for pituitary hormone deficiencies as discussed in the section: How Do I Work With My Doctor To Find Out if I have a Pituitary Disorder? Pituitary hormone replacement therapy is discussed in the section: Pituitary Hormone Deficiency and Replacement.

The experience of cortisol withdrawal during the first several months after being cured of Cushing's can be very unpleasant. During this period, cortisol must be given back to the patient and then tapered off over time. Classic symptoms of this withdrawal process include fatigue, aching, and depression. Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and dizziness are indicators that the cortisol withdrawal is occurring too quickly (adrenal insufficiency is occurring) and the hydrocortisone taper should be slowed.

There are two main phases that a cured patient will go through after surgery. The first is the cortisol withdrawal phase. The features of Cushing's disease are due to cortisol excess and the body reacts to having the cortisol withdrawn. To make the process tolerable (and safe), large doses of glucocorticoids are given to the postoperative patient and then tapered over a month or so as symptoms allow. This can be an awful experience for the patient marked by fatigue, depression, and body aches. Headache may be present but if severe (especially if accompanied by nausea and dizziness) may indicate that the taper is happening to quickly. After the initial withdrawal phase, the second phase is marked by the temporary need for continued glucocorticoid replacement (typically 20 mg hydrocortisone or 5 mg prednisone) until the hypothalamic/pituitary/adrenal (HPA) axis awakens. This phase may last many months and may last over a year. Until this axis awakens, the patient is adrenally insufficient and should be treated accordingly.

Assessment of Cure
Just as the initial diagnosis of Cushing's disease can be difficult to make, "proving" someone has been cured of Cushing's can be very challenging as well. One early indicator of biochemical cure is the measurement of very low (or undetectable) post-operative morning cortisol levels (typically measured 72 hours after surgery). In this post-operative setting, morning cortisol levels are typically low because normal ACTH producing cells in the pituitary have been suppressed by elevated serum cortisol levels. Therefore, the removal of the ACTH secreting tumor leaves no source of ACTH, the adrenal glands are no longer stimulated and cortisol levels plummet. It is important to note that as high as 30% of patients with long term cure of cushing's disease do not have a history of undetectable 72 hour post-operative serum cortisol levels. Therefore, if 72-hour post-operative cortisols are not below 5 ug/dl, further evidence should be obtained to confirm the presence or absence of cure.

After a patient has been tapered off replacement glucocorticoids post-operatively, it is important to demonstrate the normalization of the tests that were initially used to diagnose Cushing's disease. For example if a patient had a significantly elevated 24-hour UFC pre-operatively, it should normalize if a cure was obtained. Other evidence of cure is the dramatic resolution of the features of Cushing's disease. For example, many patients note a dramatic weight reduction in the first few months after surgery. By contrast, even in the context of a biochemical cure, features may resolve slowly. Even in the context of a biochemical cure, the symptoms of fatigue and depression can persist for many months since they are also the symptoms of cortisol withdrawal. It is important to note that even with an incomplete cure (i.e., not all the pituitary tumor was removed), many symptoms will begin to resolve at first but they usually return over time.

In general, when a cure is obtained, most of the features of Cushing's disease will reverse over time. Some of these changes can be dramatic. Some may take years. Of note, the need for medical treatment for high blood pressure and diabetes should be evaluated closely and will likely need to be tapered.

Finally, even in the hands of an excellent neurosurgeon, there is a recurrence rate of about 10% over time for Cushing's disease. Therefore, even in the context of a "biochemical cure", Cushing's patients should be monitored by history, physical, and biochemistry over time for possible recurrence of their disease. Work up and treatment are similar to those done at initial presentation.

Long-term Course and Potential Complications
Cured Cushing's are typically delighted with the resolution of most of their Cushing's symptoms. This can, however, take from months to even years to fully happen. As stated above, recurrence does occur and should be watched for by the patient and their clinician. Associated diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and osteoporosis should be followed (and treated if necessary) although each may resolve fully over time as well.



© 2001-2007 Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon

I agree with what Redy shared.

Along with Faith in God...meditating on God's Word (getting God's Word for healing into your spirit), it is good also to do all we can in the natural..and God will do the rest.



Be Blessed Now....

Praying and Beleiving for Deb and AmyGurl now ....that Healing is ON THE WAY ,in Jesus Name...Amen!!!!!