Chronically Yours— Noura Costany

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…

I’m currently not taking any of my medications for Cushing’s disease and polycystic ovary syndrome to prepare for the first steps of in vitro fertilization. My husband and I are freezing embryos so that we’ll have choices if we eventually decide to have children. Stopping my medications…

My partner and I are knee-deep in the complicated and stressful process of freezing embryos. To have a successful procedure, I had to stop taking all of my medications for Cushing’s disease and other conditions two weeks before starting the fertility medication. Now I have to take fertility…

Having Cushing’s disease has changed me in a thousand ways. In some ways, I’m better off. I’m kinder, I have an amazing community full of chronically ill friends, and I’ve become an advocate for people with Cushing’s. In other ways, my life is worse. I’m in constant pain,…

Living with Cushing’s disease is a daily battle. With insomnia, weight gain, vision problems, and bone density issues, managing my symptoms takes up a large part of my day, every day. Cushing’s disease can be debilitating; it can take over both my physical and mental health if…

Slow-healing wounds have been one of the worst symptoms of Cushing’s disease for me. The situation hasn’t improved, even with medication. Every time I get a cut, bruise, or burn, it seems to linger forever. I have a scar from a minor burn on my finger that happened…

I’ve always had difficulty with taking up space. But after I became chronically ill with Cushing’s disease, it’s been even harder for me to simply exist without feeling like a burden. I often worry about how my illness affects others. I’m unable to go places without an elevator…