Last week during a panel discussion, fellow columnist Claire Richmond, who writes for Porphyria News, talked about the effects of medical post-traumatic stress disorder. It took me some time, but I eventually realized that it was something I had suffered from, too. After reflecting on my own journey,…

This is the season of joy, jolly fun, and gifts. In my opinion, this is the greatest time of the year. The end of the year allows us to finish strong and to reflect on the growth and progress we have made toward our goals. The greatest gift I have…

One of the earliest lessons I learned as a former competitive athlete was how to deal with adversity and make adjustments during a game. Playing sports taught me about the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and what being pessimistic does. The combination of these lessons helped me…

If you’ve been reading my columns, many of you already know that gratitude is near and dear to me. It is a major part of my life, and I practice it every day. For me, it’s not a mindset, but rather a lifestyle one chooses to live. Because November…

Before my diagnosis in 2015, I hadn’t heard of Cushing’s disease. I didn’t even know what a pituitary gland was or what function it performed, but soon I found out how important it is to our bodies.  As a former competitive athlete who had always…

Stereotactic radiosurgery — a targeted form of radiation therapy — can effectively reduce hormone levels and control tumor progression in children and adolescents with hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas, particularly those with Cushing’s disease and acromegaly, a retrospective study shows. The study, “Outcomes after Gamma knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery in pediatric…

A recent case report describes a 7-year-old boy with Cushing’s disease who had an unusual clinical presentation, which significantly delayed his diagnosis. The study, “A variable course of Cushing’s disease in a 7 year old: diagnostic dilemma,” was published in the Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism.

A precise form of radiation therapy, known as Gamma Knife radiosurgery, produces a low rate of adverse radiation effects and provides good tumor control when used as an upfront treatment strategy in Cushing’s disease patients, an international study suggests. The study, “Upfront Gamma Knife radiosurgery for…

Radiation therapy targeting the entire sella — the compartment where the pituitary gland resides at the base of the brain — is effective at controlling Cushing’s disease and should be considered for patients with suspected invasive adenoma tumors, a new study shows. The study, “Technique of Whole-Sellar Stereotactic Radiosurgery for…

A type of precision radiation therapy, called stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), helped patients with Cushing’s disease (CD) control hypercortisolism. It may be a treatment alternative for those unable to undergo surgery or whose disease recurs after surgery, a retrospective analysis reported. The study, “Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Cushing’s Disease: Results of…