Negative for Cushings

The doctor FINALLY called me after one week of waiting on test results. My blood cortisol levels were normal and the 24hr urine free cortisol was normal. The Endocrinologist is wanting to put me on Metformin to assist the weight gain and fatigue. I took Metformin earlier in the year when I switch to a new general practitioner, she prescribed it for PCOS. I took it from Feb to April but the side effects were so inconvenient I stopped. I have been doing my research and it appears there is an extended release version that has less severe side effects. I asked if they could prescribe that instead, we will see..... Hypothyroidism and polycystic ovarian syndrome, thats my life. ::sigh::

And I said hey...what's going on

Countdown to the cruise...


We're less than 30 days from our Thanksgiving cruise. I cannot wait to see the Bahamas again :) it will be a much need relaxing vacation. I know, I know, we just went on a honeymoon in May but it's been 4yrs since we vacationed with my mom and younger brother so I'm really looking forward to it - this will also be our first vacation as a family since my mom re-married in May of 09. I wish my older brother, Michael and his soon-to-be wife Kristin were able to come...then it would be complete - - there's always next year!

Horror-movie-thon...

We're on our final week of our horror-movie-thon, a tradition Hardy and I have followed the last 3yrs. So far we've done: Creatures, Children's/Comedy, Ghosts, The Dead, and laslty, this week's theme is Vampires.

Rot N. Rusty's Haunted Attraction...

This week is our final weekend open. We are open at dark 10/28 thru 10/31 until 11pm.   If you haven't come by yet - PLEASE DO!! 1250 Red Oak Flats Rd - Dahlonega, GA 30533 (look for the search lights)!!

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Budrock!!!

Saturday October 23, 2010 at 2:00pm, Ashley Coker married her long-time boyfriend Eric Budrock. It was such a sweet ceremony, all of the wedding party was beautiful/handsome (Especially my BFFLADYFI Tabitha). When I saw her parents walk Ashley down the isle, my eyes filled with tears of joy. She was soooooo beautiful. Really, I can't say how beautiful she was, she is such a pretty girl to begin with, but when you're dressed as a bride about to marry your soulmate you have an extra special glow. Her dress and veil were gorgeous, again no words could really describe it. The ceremony was lead by Ashley & Tabitha's grandpa who was very comical - - whether he meant it or not, it really made the ceremony enjoyable. The newlywed couple drove off in a Plymouth Road Runner, I'm not sure what year because I don't know that much about cars and I only knew what kind of car it was because of Hardy ha ha ha...but it was cool to watch.


The reception was held at Fish Tales Lakeside Grille in Flowery Branch at Hideaway Bay Marina (very cool spot by the way). The tables/displays were set up so nicely. Hardy and I were not able to stay for food because we had to head up to the haunted house, but it smelled DELICIOUS and I certainly will plan a trip to eat there. For wedding favors they had pear preserves made from pears off a pear tree in their backyard and personalized M&M's. I wish Ashley and Eric much happiness in the many years to come.

I LOVE YOU!!!

By the way, that's not orange juice

For about 5yrs now I have continued to gain weight and gain weight with no luck trying to lose it. In March 2008 I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and it was thought to believe that was the cause of the weight gain. Assuming once I got on track with thyroid medicine, these symptoms should fade away.


Well here I am 60lbs heavier than I was when I graduated high school. I beat myself up every day for ever thinking I was fat before...looking back at any photo from the last 7yrs I didn't look nearly as bad as I do now. It's embarassing being this big, even when people tell me "You don't look like you weigh that much!" well, I do. Scales don't lie - - at least not when you've been on as many as I have in the last several years during every doctor visit. Luckily at least the last 10mos I haven't gained any more..thankfully. I weigh more than my husband, I weigh more than my mom, my brother...the list goes on. I hate it. Anyone who knew me as a child/pre-teen and teen, know that I was never active in sports - I hate sports, I hate to sweat...period. BUT - NO ONE in my family is overweight, absolutely NO ONE. So why did this hit me? What's wrong with me? Well this year, I was tested for PCOS and it was inconclusive, I have several traits pointing to PCOS (including the pearl-like cysts on my ovaries) but according to the bloodwork, I don't have it. I still have the under active thryoid, you know...that never corrects itself and Synthroid will I suppose be my best friend.

I finally after all this time went to see an Endocrinologist yesterday - in Cumming at that. Blast you Aetna for not having an Endo closer to my work or home. Well she was very nice, yet professional. We didn't get very far into our conversation before I burst into tears. On top of physically hating myself, this has made me an emotional wreck. Again something else that's not normal for me. Overall I have been a passive person most of my life, always wanting to please people or make them laugh instead of getting into arguments - - oh well...not anymore. Anyways, she told me for now to stay on NAME BRAND Synthroid to see if it helps with my symptoms (because I have never noticed a change in all this time I've been taking stuff). She also sent me home with a urine jug (yep you read it right), I am getting tested for Cushing's syndrome. A very rare disease but apparently worth testing for. Before we move forward with any other issues, we need to get this test out of the way. So what do I do?? Well for 24hrs exactlty - every time I pee, I am supposed to pee in a cup and pour it into this special ORANGE pee jug - - and I have to keep it cool either over ice or in the fridge. Since I do not have a cooler large enough to accomodate this container, I am keeping it in a wal-mart bag in the fridge here at work. By the way, that's not orange juice...

WHAT IS CUSHINGS?

Cushing's syndrome (also called hyperadrenocorticism or hypercorticism) is a hormone (endocrine) disorder caused by high levels of cortisol (hypercortisolism) in the blood. This can be caused by taking glucocorticoid drugs, or by tumors that produce cortisol or adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Cushing's disease refers to one specific cause, a tumor (adenoma) in the pituitary gland that produces large amounts of ACTH, which in turn elevates cortisol. It can usually be cured by surgery

When Cushing's syndrome is suspected, either a dexamethasone suppression test (administration of dexamethasone and frequent determination of cortisol and ACTH level), or a 24-hour urinary measurement for cortisol offer equal detection rates. Dexamethasone is a glucocorticoid and simulates the effects of cortisol, including negative feedback on the pituitary gland. When dexamethasone is administered and a blood sample is tested, high cortisol would be indicative of Cushing's syndrome because there is an ectopic source of cortisol or ACTH (e.g.: adrenal adenoma) that is not inhibited by the dexamethasone.

When any of these tests are positive, CT scanning of the adrenal gland and MRI of the pituitary gland are performed to detect the presence of any adrenal or pituitary adenomas or incidentalomas (the incidental discovery of harmless lesions). Scintigraphy of the adrenal gland with iodocholesterol scan is occasionally necessary. Very rarely, determining the cortisol levels in various veins in the body by venous catheterization, working towards the pituitary (petrosal sinus sampling) is necessary.



So I started the 'test' - if that's what you want to call it - this morning and will stop tomorrow morning, then return the jug to the lab and have bloodwork drawn to see if the dexamethasone suppresses the cortisone levels or not.

Update

.LIFE.

Well things have been really tight lately. Who hasn't it been tight for? The economy has sucked for a while now but there seem to be up and down points where it doesn't feel AS bad and then other times where it feels like you can't even pick yourself up off the ground. You want to pay off a credit card but find yourself having to use it to buy gas or groceries because your bills have officially eaten all of your paycheck. We're trying to pay extra to our house payment now because our stupid taxes are outrageous this year (thank you stupid county assessor who can't assess a property correctly). I will make certain to appeal the stupid assessment next year. Work is work is work, Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm every week. Married life is great, I guess other than the new jewelry and last name every thing is the same as before, lol. But I do love my Hardy :)

.FALL.

Does it not feel AMAZING outside?!? Ahhh I'll admit I've gotten a tad chilly from time to time over the last week but still I love it. It seems you can always find a way to warm up but you can't always find a way to cool down. I love seeing the leaves change and fall off their tree's, I love how crisp the air feels. I just love it all. Every October for the last three years Hardy and I have what we call a "horror-movie-thon" where we pick a theme each week of October and watch a movie or two each night after work that associates with that theme. We started it a week early this year since October started on a Friday. Week 1 Sept 27 - Oct 1 was creature week (Cujo, Gojira, Alone in the Dark and one other I can't remember). This week Oct 4 - 8 is Comedy/Children's week and so far we've watched Hocus Pocus, Harry Potter & The Scorcerer's Stone, Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Ghoulies II. We haven't decided on a theme for next week yet but we have plenty of zombie movies so I'm sure we will have a whole week dedicated to that genre.

.FUN WITH FRIENDS.

Volunteering at the haunted house gives us an outlet...it's like a world in its own. Through this we have met a lot of interesting people who will always be in our memory. Last year Hardy and I met a couple, Danny & Shannon (they're getting married next May at the marina). We always talked during the haunted house in 2009 but never really did anything outside of it. This year after seeing one another before the haunted house season began we decided we should hang out more. We've spent two Friday's over at their house so far and have thoroughly enjoyed our time with them. It's not often you find a couple where all four of you get along, but we do. Hardy and Danny especially have a lot of similar interests in music and movies and Shannon and I can talk about anything and everything. I am so thankful to have found them - - I will forever keep in touch with them.

My friend Ashley (from work) is getting married to her long-time boyfriend Eric on 10/23/10, I'm so excited for her - she is such a sweet girl and she and Eric are perfect for one another :), 2010 seems like the year to get married...so many people on Facebook have gotten married, I got married - something is in the water!!!

.HAUNTED HOUSE.

PLEASE COME SEE US!!! This past weekend we had 8 people pee their pants! Coupons are available at Spirit Halloween in Buford, Gainesville and Cumming as well as numerous businesses/restauraunts in Dahlonega, GA. Tickets are $12/pp (without coupon). We're open every Friday and Saturday thru Halloween at dark (also open Thursday 10/28 and Sunday 10/31). LOOK FOR THE SEARCH LIGHTS!!

1250 Red Oak Flats Rd
Dahlonega, GA 30533
706-867-9105
http://www.rottenrusty.com/
www.myspace.com/rottenrusty
www.facebook.com/rotnrustyproductions
(like us on Facebook if you haven't already!!)

I'm not a character INSIDE the haunt this year, I'm OUTSIDE. I am supposed to entertain the que. Last weekend we had a tough crowd but I did manage to make a few people laugh. I also hop to the exit and try to get feedback from customer's. So far we've gotten great reviews :)

.VACATION.

This Thanksgiving, Hardy and I are going on a cruise with My mom, Phillip and Trevor. We're going on the same cruise we went on during our honeymoon (Royal Caribbean, Monarch of the Seas). My mom was so taken aback by the photo's of the crystal clear water in the bahama's she wanted to see it for herself. Hardy's hoping we'll have enough time either before or after the cruise to make a pit stop at Universal Studio's to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I think we'll have a blast regardless of what we do. Cruising is sooo relaxing, especially since you have all these activities to do on the ship while still having the ability to run back to your room real fast if need be. Can't wait!