The Cushing's Chronicles — Jessica Bracy

Hello! I hope this column finds you doing well. My name is Jessica, and I was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease at the age of 30. A year after that, I had transsphenoidal pituitary resection surgery to remove a 3 mm pituitary tumor. Having Cushing’s disease is not…

Before my Cushing’s disease diagnosis two years ago, I was not only fit, but also quite active. It felt so good to move my body. I worked out at a gym three to five times a week and loved it. I also took walks around the neighborhood and went…

I was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease two years ago, at age 30. Last year, I had surgery to remove a 3 mm pituitary tumor. The tumor was causing a host of symptoms, including weight gain, moon face, buffalo hump, muscle weakness, bone pain, fatigue, and…

I opened my eyes and scanned the room. It was dark, so I knew it was late. I was in the neurosurgical intensive care unit and had just survived brain surgery. A nurse was standing nearby charting, and I could see the warm glow of the computer light on…

Last November, I had a transphenoidal pituitary resection surgery to remove a 3 mm tumor on my pituitary gland, in hopes of placing me in remission from Cushing’s disease. It’s laughable to say that having brain surgery was the easy part of this journey, but getting to the…

Six months have passed since I had transsphenoidal pituitary surgery to remove a 3 mm tumor on my pituitary gland. Since then, I have taken time to reflect on things I’ve learned. Before surgery, I had many expectations about how my Cushing’s disease symptoms might improve afterward. These…

To those who have a loved one with Cushing’s disease, Welcome. I’m glad you’re here. So a friend or family member has told you that they have Cushing’s. You might be unsure about how to support them, what to say, or how to ask how they’re doing. These are…

The internet has proven to be one of the most fundamental tools I have utilized while navigating my Cushing’s disease journey. My body felt off, and I didn’t understand why. In the most traditional fashion, I presented my symptoms to many different doctors, who all brushed me off.

For Cushing’s disease patients with a pituitary tumor, transsphenoidal surgery can help them achieve remission. But as with many other diseases, there’s a chance of recurrence. Surgical remission rates currently range from 65% to 85%, which is a large enough window to cause fear about recurrent…

I’ve been a social worker since 2018. Throughout this journey, I’ve found that working with a therapist was imperative for me. The social work field is both turbulent and relentless at times, and therapy helped me prevent burnout in both my personal and professional life. Yet I don’t think…

As social media has grown over the years, more users have started working as influencers — people who build a following based on their purported level of knowledge and expertise in a specific field. This includes health. Phrases like “weight loss supplements,” “balance your hormones,” and even “lower your cortisol”…