I am the mother of a 19 girl who is currently being evaluated for Cushing’s Syndrome/Disease. My daughter is in her first year of college and over the past eighteen months, she has gained close to 50 pounds. I have watched her struggle and we have even attended two military-style bootcamps for weight loss.
Despite eating healthy, during that five weeks, she gained 2 pounds. Her facial features are so distorted from her moonface appearance that she does not even look like herself. She has a Buffalo Hump and purple stretch marks on her rotund abdomen. She has almost no energy and when not in class, she is sleeping in her dorm. She has a brown stripe of skin in the crease of her neck which prompted her roommate to ask her if she had worn a necklace with copper in it. Her vision is poor and her periods are now very irregular. She has excessive thirst and urination.
About a year ago, she had her wisdom teeth extracted and ended up with a life-threatening infection which included a second surgery emergency surgery and she was placed on a ventilator in ICU for three days, due to the possibility of the infection (swelling) occluding her trachea. The doctors were so perplex how a healthy girl could have such a poor outcome from this surgery.
I looked up some of these symptoms and it seemed rather clear what she likely had. I took her to an internist and expressed my concern about Cushing’s when she was home for Christmas break. The physician ordered blood tests, including a CBC and metabolic panel, thyroid panel, and prolactin. She also ordered a 24 hour urine for Cortisol. Her CBC was normal as was the prolactin and thyroid. Her liver enzymes were elevated about three times normal. She then followed up with a Hepatits panel and an abdominal ultrasound, both of which were normal. The 24 hour urine Cortisol was elevated and we are now waiting on a referral to an endocrinologist.
My daughter’s university is about 350 miles from our home, therefore I requested the endocrinologist be in her college town. I plan on going there for her appointments and my husband and I have discussed moving there if necessary. She has a very kind roommate who is dependable and helpful. I still do not like her being so far away, knowing that she likely has a very serious condition. My daughter’s spirits remain high and I think she is looking forward to beginning treatment, whatever it may be, and feeling better. I know that the weight and the fatigue are the most troublesome for her. I appreciate this site which has allowed me to express my concerns to so many who have been there. God bless you all!
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