On Amy Schumer, May 5, 2015: Do we really want a gaggle of chicks on TV "with obese bellies and Muppet tits?" My obese abdomen, my Muppet tits, were the first parallel that made my jaw drop. My sad body, with its buffalo hump, was depicted under the headline, "What are the symptoms of Cushing's syndrome?"

Upper body obesity with thin arms and legs. Check
Buffalo hump. Check
Red, round face. Check
High blood sugar. Check
High blood pressure. No
Vertigo. Check
Blurry vision. Check
Acne. Occasionally
Female balding. Defs thinning
Water retention. Unknown; don't think so
Menstrual irregularities. Before my hysterectomy, defs
Thin skin and bruising. Half
Purple striae. No
Poor wound healing. Maybe
Hirsutism. I fear my mustache.
Severe depression. Check
Cognitive difficulties. I say Yes, friends say No.
Emotional instability. To an extent
Sleep disorders. No
Fatigue. Check

By my reckoning, that's 12 of 20, from a list that begins with the words, "There is no single symptom shared by everyone with Cushing's...some symptoms occur more frequently than others."

Then, move on to the symptoms that are seen over and over in Cushing syndrome, but don't merit the status of "more frequently." These are the ones that I have:

Stress fractures or osteoporosis
Unintentional weight gain, unrelated to changes in intake or activity
High cholesterol
Straw-like hair
Joint and muscle pain
Vitamin D deficiency
Headaches
Incontinence
Anxiety
Memory problems
Itchy skin
Thin nails
Allergic reactions
Backaches after little activity
Arthritis
Weakness
Poor balance
Dry eyes and skin

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Location:Symptoms

I was told by an endocrinologist that she was going to run a test for Cushing disease. This was 3 weeks ago. I have twice submitted sample sets, and both times was told that the samples could not be processed. It's a long story that I think could be related to how rare this disease is: The lab has guidelines, the kits come with directions, physicians understand certain protocols. When these three do not line up, you encounter intense frustration, as the would-be patient.

The day I saw the endocrinologist--hoping she would look at my thyroid function--I had never heard of Cushing disease. I worked the rest of my day. I had dinner with an old friend and stayed late, laughing and listening. I got home and said goodnight to my husband. Then I looked up Cushing. You know when people say the hair on the back of their necks stood up? They got chills down their spines? Time stood still?


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Location:Why Cushing?

Cushing

Do I have Cushing syndrome? I may well be a sufferer. I want to blog about it, but first I have to see if BlogPress is working with WiFi...it was not, the last time I tried it with 3G.

I have had a number of problems with Posting ANYthing to this blog! My capacity gave out during Key West. It does look now like it's cooperating.


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We arrived last night (Wednesday) [January 2015] and had a great conversation with the owner, who moved here from San Francisco about 3 years ago. Her partner in crime is an Aucoin, a family whose roots in Louisiana extend back for centuries. He (Kevin Aucoin) is a drummer, and he's playing tonight...we may have to go see.


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Location:Courtyard in the Quarter (test)

New Orleans (test)

I realize that I left off saying that I would continue to post pictures from Key West...10 months ago [now 14 months ago]. I ran into difficulty uploading pictures from my underwater digital camera, and that became a roadblock. I took pictures of my garden all summer long (2014), but never posted a one because I kept feeling like, FIRST, I have to finish Key West.

Well, now Victor and I are in New Orleans, and blogging is a must! So I am going to pick up in the moment, and perhaps sprinkle in some of my 2014 garden--maybe even some Key West pics. We had a grand time at the Keys Scuba Diving Museum, many snaps to share.



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Key West (test)

Victor is a little disappointed that what in 1998 was funky, fun, and tasteless is now corporate, moneyed, and blah. One business alone is flying the rainbow flag. There's absolutely no flamboyance, at least not where there once was.


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