Columns

Cushing’s disease can often feel isolating. When I received my diagnosis in 2020, I couldn’t find any communities online. As I went through my diagnosis, surgery, and recurrence, I almost always felt alone. Because of this pattern, I’ve worked consistently to chat with people, help them reach…

Before my Cushing’s disease diagnosis two years ago, I was not only fit, but also quite active. It felt so good to move my body. I worked out at a gym three to five times a week and loved it. I also took walks around the neighborhood and went…

I’m out in public, trying to take public transportation. There aren’t any accessible stations nearby, so I decide to brave the stairs with my cane. As time goes by, my legs begin to ache, my knees start to twist, and my ankles feel like they’re giving out. By…

I was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease two years ago, at age 30. Last year, I had surgery to remove a 3 mm pituitary tumor. The tumor was causing a host of symptoms, including weight gain, moon face, buffalo hump, muscle weakness, bone pain, fatigue, and…

Summer is a time of celebration and contemplation for me. June is LGBTQIA+ Pride month, and July is Disability Pride Month. These are two identities I’m proud of, two communities I love dearly, but being queer and disabled has made my life very different from what I expected.

I am struggling right now due to a rough Cushing’s disease flare-up. That’s been clear in some of my recent columns and to those who are close to me. While I hope for better days, it’s not easy. I should’ve seen the signs as soon as I started…

I opened my eyes and scanned the room. It was dark, so I knew it was late. I was in the neurosurgical intensive care unit and had just survived brain surgery. A nurse was standing nearby charting, and I could see the warm glow of the computer light on…

I’ve spent many recent days wrapped up in blankets and trying to get out of my head. Cushing’s disease affects my cortisol, its levels fluctuating due to a teeny-tiny tumor. While my medication, for the most part, helps stabilize my cortisol, sometimes this disease grabs…

I usually try to stay hopeful through my Cushing’s disease — so much so that people often comment that they’re amazed I’m still happy and thriving despite all the hardships my condition has caused me. While I’m proud of my ability to overcome those challenges, a lot of those…

Last November, I had a transphenoidal pituitary resection surgery to remove a 3 mm tumor on my pituitary gland, in hopes of placing me in remission from Cushing’s disease. It’s laughable to say that having brain surgery was the easy part of this journey, but getting to the…