Catarina Louro-Matos,  —

Catarina is a 24-year-old post-surgery Cushing's disease survivor. She writes to support Cushing's sufferers and raise awareness of the mental health fights involved in both pre- and post-surgery life. Find her on social media: @CrushCushings.

Articles by Catarina Louro-Matos

Putting Yourself First with Cushing’s

Reading that title probably gave a lot of you instant feelings of guilt and anxiety. Trust me, I absolutely understand. After spending the last two years getting to know hundreds of Cushing’s patients through my Crush Cushing’s Facebook page, I’ve noticed that the guilt of having to put ourselves…

My Experience with Health Anxiety

Impending doom. Shortness of breath. Pale skin and shakes. Body shivers. Teeth chattering. Those are just a few of the many symptoms of a panic attack. Anxiety and panic attacks are shockingly common for many people who have Cushing’s disease, even before they realize what they have. Raised levels…

Trusting Your Instincts When Things Go Wrong

Hey, everyone! I’ve never been someone who goes to the hospital just because I’m not feeling well, but given the circumstances of my health the past few years, I decided to go last Sunday. Long story short, last month and last week, I had a very strange thing repeatedly happen…

Learning to Adjust with Cushing’s

Having Cushing’s is a major scare and an even bigger adjustment to life. No matter how much you want to do things you used to do, you keep finding that the reality is you can’t — you have to adjust. You think that after surgery, everything will be amazing and…

Strength in Mindfulness and Vulnerability

Welcome to another end of the week! Last weekend, I had the privilege of going on a couple’s retreat with my boyfriend, hosted by the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. It was all about reconnecting with your loved one and focusing on communication — not only with your partner,…

Comparisons Are Thieves of Joy

Cushing’s disease is terrible for so many reasons. If you’ve seen my posts before (thank you!), you’ll have read what I’m saying next: This disease is taxing on your mental and physical health. Cushing’s is so horrible that people without the disease cannot even begin to comprehend its toll.

For a Cushing’s Diagnosis, Talk to Your Doctor

Hello again, everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic week. For me, it’s been a weird one for many reasons. One relates to Cushing’s and a situation I realize wasn’t just me being easily annoyed. It’s truly something that needs to be worked on within the community. I’ve been in…

How Cushing’s Affects Your Weight

Hey, everyone! People often ask about diet and exercise on my support page, Crush Cushing’s. It’s a tricky topic because there are different types of Cushing’s (florid versus cyclic), but generally, the answer is quite simple for most of our situations. With Cushing’s, usually no diet or type of…