Living with Cushing's syndrome
in Health ·
My brother actually underwent surgery for this when he was about 8 or 9 years old at a major hospital in Chicago; his case was even used as a clinical example in a textbook later on.
It was the same exact situation—a pituitary tumor, those spider-like capillaries across the abdomen, bruising...
At the time, he was roughly 22 or 23 years old, and he was suffering from Osteoporosis (to use my doctor's words, his bone density looked like that of an 80-year-old man). Regardless, he was carrying about 65 to 75 pounds of excess weight, had a very prominent abdomen, and a very rounded face—I believe the medical term is "moon face"—due to extremely high cortisol levels and other hormonal imbalances.
Back then, the general survival rate for coming out of surgery successfully was only around 40% to 60% by European standards.
Thank God and the doctors, everything turned out perfectly!
He lost that weight quite rapidly, probably around five or six pounds a month, and I would take profile photos of him once a month—head, abdomen, etc.—so we could closely monitor his progress.
His skin was peeling terribly all over his body, so he constantly had to apply oils, and he was taking certain pills (I can't recall the specific names right now) along with two 500mg calcium supplements daily to manage the Osteoporosis.
In the beginning, he had to go in for checkups every two or three months, then moved to every six months, and eventually every two years.
The stretch marks will fade for you, though you might always have a little bit of a belly. As far as physical fitness goes, he plays soccer twice a week and hits the gym two or three times a week, though I can't say if he's ready for anything high-intensity just yet.
After everything settled down, he finished his degree and started a career...
So, there it is... I truly hope this provides some comfort and help.
It was the same exact situation—a pituitary tumor, those spider-like capillaries across the abdomen, bruising...
At the time, he was roughly 22 or 23 years old, and he was suffering from Osteoporosis (to use my doctor's words, his bone density looked like that of an 80-year-old man). Regardless, he was carrying about 65 to 75 pounds of excess weight, had a very prominent abdomen, and a very rounded face—I believe the medical term is "moon face"—due to extremely high cortisol levels and other hormonal imbalances.
Back then, the general survival rate for coming out of surgery successfully was only around 40% to 60% by European standards.
Thank God and the doctors, everything turned out perfectly!
He lost that weight quite rapidly, probably around five or six pounds a month, and I would take profile photos of him once a month—head, abdomen, etc.—so we could closely monitor his progress.
His skin was peeling terribly all over his body, so he constantly had to apply oils, and he was taking certain pills (I can't recall the specific names right now) along with two 500mg calcium supplements daily to manage the Osteoporosis.
In the beginning, he had to go in for checkups every two or three months, then moved to every six months, and eventually every two years.
The stretch marks will fade for you, though you might always have a little bit of a belly. As far as physical fitness goes, he plays soccer twice a week and hits the gym two or three times a week, though I can't say if he's ready for anything high-intensity just yet.
After everything settled down, he finished his degree and started a career...
So, there it is... I truly hope this provides some comfort and help.