The Cushing's Chronicles — Jessica Bracy

An illustration of a brain with glasses with full bookshelves in the background.

Jessica Bracy is a writer living in Columbus, Ohio. After struggling with a myriad of symptoms over the course of two years, Jessica was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease at the age of 30 years old. Jessica was then treated with brain surgery in 2022. Having a rare disease can feel very isolating so Jessica hopes that by sharing her story she will not only shed light on this unpredictable disease but also cultivate community to help others feel less alone.

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Key takeaways from my cyclic Cushing’s disease diagnosis

Throughout my Cushing’s disease journey, I’ve learned many skills that have helped me navigate the diagnosis and treatment processes. Among them are the importance of advocacy at doctor appointments, including helping physicians understand what I’m experiencing by documenting my symptoms. I also had to…

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How I learned to be a self-advocate during my diagnostic journey

Social workers like me learn the importance of advocacy. We advocate for our clients and strive to help them improve their lives in one way or another. Although we advocate for others, we sometimes forget to advocate for ourselves. When I started experiencing symptoms of Cushing’s disease, I realized…

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The power of community has been a silver lining of my Cushing’s journey

About three years ago, my body began to change. Movement became more difficult and running long distances was increasingly painful. I watched as the scale slowly ticked upward, purple marks started showing up on my stomach, and my face become noticeably round. I had no idea what was going on…

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How I found hope while recovering from pituitary tumor surgery

Three years ago, I started developing symptoms of Cushing’s disease. These symptoms included weight gain, deposits of fat at the base of my neck (called a buffalo hump), striae, bone pain, fatigue, and general weakness, among others. Initially, these symptoms developed slowly but were exacerbated over…

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