Chronically Yours— Noura Costany

I turn 30 in a few months, which has me reflecting on how my life has unfolded. Have I done enough to give back to others? Am I as far along with my career and other ambitions as my peers are? Reflecting helps me outline the things I still want…

I am a big believer in science, and I’m grateful that many vaccinations exist to keep me healthy and safe. But I also tend to have strong reactions to vaccines, partly due to my Cushing’s disease. Cushing’s disease weakens the muscles and thins the skin, which means injections can…

I generally like my health insurance plan, because it covers a lot of what I need. But I have Cushing’s disease, which is complex and can lead to complications with my insurance coverage. Here’s a recent example: Step one: I had a regular checkup with my OB-GYN. Because I…

I’m currently about halfway through my pregnancy, which is an amazing and exciting feat. To ensure the baby’s safety, I am currently off most of my medications for Cushing’s disease. I am currently taking the following medications and supplements: Synthroid (levothyroxine) Prenatal vitamins Vitamin D Iron Vitamin…

Working out with Cushing’s disease can be incredibly tough. I have weak bones and nonexistent muscles, and starting any new workout routine is intimidating. I’ve tried lifting, Pilates, yoga, running (the worst for my body), and even spin classes. When I was living in New York City,…

I’m terrible at asking for help. It’s important to me to prove that I can handle anything, despite my disability with Cushing’s disease. I have high expectations for myself and big goals I’m striving to achieve, and I don’t want to rely on anyone else to reach them. But…

My pregnancy is both high risk and low risk, which can be a bit confusing to explain. Because of my Cushing’s disease and polycystic ovary syndrome, my partner and I decided to pursue in vitro fertilization (IVF). I’m currently 16 weeks pregnant, and while my pregnancy has been going…

Recently, an image depicting a “disability hierarchy” has gone viral on social media, sparking controversy within the disability community. The pyramid has three levels that seem to indicate the severity of one’s disability: Wheelchair users are at the top, people with limb differences and other visible disabilities are in…

I have Cushing’s disease, so I always travel with a mask. That’s because whenever I’ve gotten sick with something like COVID-19 or norovirus, it’s taken me out for weeks and posed great risk to my health. Even a common cold has landed me in bed for several days. That…

I’ve previously written about the spoon theory, which posits that different tasks require a certain amount of energy, or number of “spoons,” to complete. Those of us with chronic illness have a limited number of spoons each day, and tasks cost us more spoons than they cost a healthy…

Last week, I announced that my partner and I are expecting our first child in February. We couldn’t be more excited about this development and are pumped to become supercool parents next year. After struggling through in vitro fertilization, we’re grateful we’ve made it this far and hope our…

You might’ve guessed it from my recent columns about parenthood, my limited posting on social media, or these headlines, but surprise, I’m pregnant! I had a frozen embryo transfer on June 4 and found out I was pregnant four days later. We wanted to keep it a secret…