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Leadership is very important to me. When I was little, my father taught me that leadership skills can be displayed in many forms. A leader is not always the loudest or the most talented person, and leadership is not about power or being able to control others. How do you…

One of the biggest lessons that I learned on my Cushing’s journey was that listening to my body wasn’t always what I wanted to do, but it’s what was best for me. My journey with cyclical Cushing’s disease spanned several years, with my symptoms first appearing in 2011. I…

How would you feel if you woke up every day feeling less and less like yourself, until one day you no longer recognized yourself? What if you told someone with the expertise and the ability to help, but their response was along the lines of, “What you’re saying isn’t true;…

Dear Me, I know what you’re thinking. There’s a desperate voice in your head begging for your body to return to the way it was before this disease. There are spiraling questions that seem to lead to no answers: “Why can’t I lose weight?” “What am I doing wrong?”…

Last February, my wife and I were out walking our dogs. On the way back I stepped on some uneven concrete and severely injured my ankle and foot. For the next two weeks, I had a noticeable limp and decided I should probably get some X-rays, just in case. As…

When someone is hurting or struggling, we may find ourselves wanting to have all the answers for them. We may jump to offering solutions and making assumptions about what’s needed, but that isn’t always the best approach. Other times we may back off because we don’t know what to say…

Michael Corleone is a central figure in “The Godfather” film trilogy, played by Al Pacino. In the third film of the series, he refers to a life of crime when he declares, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” So what does this have to…

College is stressful, but adding a chronic disease to the mix can make taking classes even harder. I didn’t realize it at the time, but at some point during my interpreter training program for English and American Sign Language, from 2017 to 2019, a pituitary tumor caused me to…

March Madness is the time of year for sports fans and nonsports fans to get together and watch the magic take place. Pools are created at work, some with small, friendly wagers and others with a more hefty prize for the winner. As for the basketball tournament itself, this is…

Navigating the medical system can be extremely time-consuming and stressful, as it often involves significant coordination and planning. It’s especially difficult when you’re struggling with the symptoms you’re seeking help for. When I first saw a neuroendocrinologist for the symptoms I now know were caused by Cushing’s disease, I…