Chronically Yours— Noura Costany

I’m not sure if this experience is universal, but my Cushing’s disease symptoms change with the weather. Maybe I’m not so alone in that; Georgetown University Medical System, for instance, lists heat…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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…

It hits me like a ton of bricks every single time. My stomach starts to knot together, I feel myself gagging, and I know that if I so much as breathe wrong, I’ll end…

In the past year, as I’ve been dealing with a recurrence of Cushing’s disease, I’ve found myself needing a wheelchair for myriad reasons. My bones are brittle, my muscles are weak, I have…

I’ve often thought that my chronic illness is a burden on me and everyone else around me. Because of this mindset, I’ve found myself apologizing for it. When my medicine caused me to vomit…

As of this writing, I’m preparing to travel from New York to Michigan to visit my brother. It’s my first time flying in over a year, and I’m a little nervous. Traveling with a…

I wake up around 7:30 a.m. to the sound of my alarms. I snooze them one, two, three times. I turn off the humidifier that sits by my bed to counter the dryness that’s…