Don’t forget to take care of yourself this Cushing’s Awareness Month
A columnist offers 4 gentle suggestions as April draws to a close
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 I let it.
That’s why it’s so important for those of us with Cushing’s to take care of ourselves and celebrate our strength. While doing so is beneficial year-round, taking time for ourselves and our community becomes especially vital as we wrap up Cushing’s Awareness Month, observed every April.
Following are four ways you can care for yourself and others during the last week of the awareness month.
Spread awareness
One way to uplift our community this month is, of course, to spread awareness. While most of us know a lot about Cushing’s, many others are in the dark that it even exists! Follow content creators who discuss living with this illness and share their posts. If you’re feeling up to it, make a video of yourself talking about your journey.
If you want to do something less public, consider writing an email to a few friends or even sitting down with one person to tell them what you’ve been through. Spreading awareness often occurs through word of mouth.
Take yourself out to eat
Although this month is exciting, raising awareness and seeing our disease discussed in media can also be exhausting. There’s always time to treat yourself, and one of the best ways to do that is by taking yourself out to eat.
Not only are you giving yourself a special treat, but you’re nourishing and caring for your body, which is always needed. Get your favorite food, maybe even take a trusted friend, and make the meal all about you.
Meet with another Cushing’s survivor
Camaraderie can be everything when it comes to living with a chronic illness. Your friends and family can try to understand, but it’s not the same as connecting with someone who’s going through the same thing. Having someone to share doctor disappointments, medication experiences, mobility aids, and low-impact workouts with is a game changer.
If you’re not sure where to look, start with this column! Comment below, and I’ll be sure to respond. You can also look on social media or email the Cushing’s Support & Resource Foundation for help.
Let others know
This awareness month is important to me, and I’m sure it’s important to many of you as well. However, that doesn’t mean that everyone in your life knows it’s happening. Tell them! Doing so isn’t the same as spreading awareness about the disease and its effects; you’re simply letting people in on something that matters to you. You might be surprised by how friends and family step up to support you.
Cushing’s is a difficult illness to manage, and now is the time to talk about it. Over the next week, take time to celebrate yourself, spread awareness, and let yourself feel every emotion and frustration this disease can cause. I hope this month has been special for you and that you find a way to treat yourself. You deserve it.
You can 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.
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Comments
Jenn
I appreciate these personal articles even though I am considered recovered. My recovery was severely mismanaged and prolonged due to my insipidus condition. I wish there was a good way to alert doctors to look for symptoms from being over medicated with DDVAP. I no longer have diabetes insipidus or Cushings but was kept on DDVAP and steroids for way too long, suffering with new symptoms for over eight months when I should have been recovering. Now I’m off steroids and DDVAP, but recovering from iron deficiency due to heavy periods while on DDVAP. I complained of chest pain and shortness of breath, new tiredness, dizziness, cramps, pain and more but everyone was looking elsewhere for a cause. I switched endocrinologists twice and finally got off both medications very quickly, but still suffered from many symptoms. I just recently saw a functional medical doctor who ordered an iron panel. None of my endocrinologists picked up on my iron deficiency. I am now finally starting to address my iron deficiency after more than likely having this condition for over half a year. So I can very much still appreciate the time and effort it takes to care for one’s self while in a chronic state.