Listening to my body isn’t always easy with Cushing’s disease

I’m a huge believer in listening to my body’s cues. Whether I’m hungry, tired, thirsty, or bored, I love to hear my body out and give it what it needs. However, it’s not always that simple. While I want to trust my body, Cushing’s disease can wreak havoc, resulting in mixed signals.

So what does listening to my body look like? My mouth is dry and I feel thirsty a lot, so I bought myself a gigantic water bottle that I carry around and drink from all day. I’m often tired, so I make sure that I get plenty of rest, including taking naps during the workday if needed or calling in sick if I’m too tired to work.

I even adapted my workouts based on how my body responded. Running was too tough on my joints, but walking felt great. Low-impact yoga and Pilates sessions left me feeling fulfilled, but higher-intensity exercises made me feel sick. Listening helped me adjust to my body’s needs.

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However, while living with Cushing’s disease, I’ve found that sometimes my body lies to me. So I’m trying to figure out how to tell if the cues it sends me are “real” or not. For example, I had to stop taking my Cushing’s medication to do a frozen embryo transfer as part of the in vitro fertilization process. Since then, I’ve felt like I’m starving late at night.

To combat this, I tried upping my protein intake throughout the day, but it didn’t help. Then, I tried having a snack in the evening, but that didn’t work either. The only thing that helped was eating at 10 p.m. But this left me with too much energy to sleep, and it disrupted my entire evening. That was when I realized my body and I were having a miscommunication.

Now, when I feel hungry late at night, I’ll just drink water and lie down. To be clear, I’m not starving myself. I eat full meals throughout the day and am chock-full of vegetables. This nighttime hunger seems to be more of a Cushing’s symptom than a bodily cue, so I ignore it.

Another example of this miscommunication is brain fog. When I experienced this symptom in the past, I’d take a nap because I thought rest would help. However, it actually hindered me. I woke up feeling even more out of it, and I still had work to do.

Now, I make a list of everything I have to do and slowly work my way through it, taking long breaks and drinking something with a bit of sugar (either tea with honey or juice) for a boost of energy. This way, I can give my body chances to relax without shutting down entirely.

Many people highlight the importance of listening to your body, but with a disease like Cushing’s, sometimes symptoms can create confusion.

Now, when my body tells me I need something, I pause to decipher if it’s a symptom or a bodily cue. If it’s a cue, I’ll follow it. But if it’s a symptom, I’ll work to find a solution that truly helps. Of course, every body is different, and the relationship you have with yours is special. You know yourself and your needs best.

You can also follow my journey on TikTok and YouTube.

Note: Cushing’s Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Cushing’s Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Cushing’s.