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.