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Someone once told me that you don’t “discover” yourself, rather you “invent” yourself. I’ve found it necessary to reinvent myself countless times. With each evolution, my aim is to create an improved version of me. Each time, I hope it will be the finalized version that will provide my soul…

Last week was one of the worst weeks I’ve had in a long time. My husband and I were supposed to visit my brother and his family in Michigan. I looked forward to seeing my nephew and other relatives and getting a break from New York City. Unfortunately, before we…

The constant, overwhelming feeling starts in my stomach and spreads throughout my entire body. I have to take several deep breaths so that I can focus. My anxiety has been taking over several times a day, every day, since I started showing symptoms of Cushing’s disease in 2018.

It took me over two years to receive my Cushing’s disease diagnosis, mostly because my doctors weren’t well-versed in Cushing’s and didn’t know what to look for. I know that so many in the Cushing’s community have experienced that same sort of pain: We go to a…

Having Cushing’s disease is a full-time job. On many days, I just want to curl up in bed, pull a blanket over me, and sleep all day because my body is so tired and aches all over. However, life goes on, even with my illness, and I can’t ask…

I grew up in New York City, which has continued to be my home. My parents have a gorgeous house on Staten Island. I went to high school and college in Manhattan. I spent endless time at my best friend’s house in Brooklyn. Eventually I moved to upper Manhattan and,…

I’ve been living with Cushing’s disease since 2018. Over the years, I tried out multiple doctors until I formed my perfect care team, which includes endocrinologist Theodore Friedman, MD, PhD. He helped me obtain my diagnosis in 2020, pushed for my endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery to…

Choosing a doctor, or a team of them, is a personal decision. Finding them can be an intimidating process, and it’s exhausting when we have to deal with people who are dismissive, who engage in medical gaslighting, or who misdiagnose us. Throughout my diagnosis and treatment journey with …

Since my diagnosis with Cushing’s disease in 2020, I’ve felt more alone than ever. My friends and family are very loving, and they want to understand, but I’ve needed to connect with people who have been through the same health challenges. Finding others who are chronically ill has been…

Cushing’s disease is known to cause osteoporosis, a condition that weakens the bones. For me, adjusting to this issue was devastating. It has defeated me over and over, forced me to take time off work, and required the most support of any of my conditions. I’ve currently stopped…