Cyclical Cushing's

I think to explain what Cyclical is, we need to first talk about endocrine tumors in general. Unlike many other tumors, they produce hormones and affect the body that way. They also turn on and off, which is unique to endocrine tumors. Now, it just depends on how long a switch it is. Some folks turn on and off like a toggle switch, like a light switch. For other people it's like a riostat, a dimmer switch where you can slowly dial up the lights.

I think that even folks with florid Cushing's have cycles to, just not very dramatic. These people will and do consistently have high test results, with no normal or low readings. The difficulty lies when you have a tumor that shuts off and on, with patterns that are difficult to see at first. This is why journaling is VITAL, so that the pattern can be visualized. Folks with Cyclical Cushing's can have very dramatic swings in their physiology, which of course, gets captured in the test results.

And that is the problem. There are many, many doctors that do not "believe" in Cyclical. If you have one normal or low result, they will only focus on that normal or low, claim the other High results are a fluke or find someway to write it off.

Technically it is impossible to have both Cushing's and Addison’s, because these diseases are polar opposites. Cushing's of course is too much cortisol, and Addison's is too little. Many doctors who don't understand the nature of endocrine tumors refuse to see the obvious. I've had the argument with several doctors and nurses who insist that it isn't possible to have both because they insist tumors don't shut off and on. They keep telling me that it is a gradual process, not something that flips.

And they are idiots because they will not see what is standing before them.

Those of us who fall into this category have a very difficult time getting both diagnosis and treatment. There are a few of us here on the board who are documented to have both Cushing's and Addison’s, I'm one such platypus.

Wheee! It is good being on a High, but not too High.

Yesterday was my husband's company Holiday Dinner and party. It's the first one I've been to in three years. Because of the schedule at ISU, there was no way for me to get there and back in time during Finals week. I needed to be reviewing my course work, not driving 14 hour each way. Ah, sweet break from school!

No one puts on a party like my husband's company, hands down. A few years ago he was in a different group and they rented the EMP in Seattle, and the "pick-up" band that played Had about a dozen members... from groups like Yes, Styx, Pink Floyd... The lead singer was Edgar Winters. The lead guitar player was Jeff Beck... some pick-up band, eh?

And the dresses! oh the dresses! Everything from the finest saris to bead encrusted gowns to cute little cocktail dresses and beyond. I wore my black knit sheath dress with my cream beaded and pearled knee lenth coat. I know I didn't technically need any more jewlery, but I decided to wear my huge amethyst pendant, which added the spot of color I needed. I sure need girl shoes... I ended up wearing my back cowboy boots. And this are not dress boots :blink: but they are new and they are black, and smart looking too.

My hair was wonderfully co-operative, and my curls were perfect. I had wanted to make an appointment to have an up-do, but as usual I procrastinated and didn't get that appointment made.

The parking garage locked it's doors at Midnight, so we had to walk down one floor to the elevators. Part of the problem with cowboy boots is that they are not made for walkin', they are made for ridin'. We'd parked down on the 4th floor, so it was a good think that the elevators doors were open inside the garage. I insisted that we go back up to let other people in. Mike just looked inside the door way, and didn't see anyone, but I went outside and called everyone to the door.

I checked out one of Lee J. Ames' Draw 50 Cats books from the Library. He's got a whole collection of Draw 50 (fill in the blank), and I really like the series. I know when I've done a good job... I show Mike the cat, and if he gets sad, then I know I did well. I'm allergic to cats, and he loves them... He doesn't want to get an outside cat, and he doesn't want to do the work necessary for an inside cat. The reason I'm learning to draw cats is that I want to do a cat painting for my sister-in-law. A cat clown. She loves cats and she loves clowns. I thought to combine her love of the two into a cat clown. No clown holding a cat from me! At least not the painting I have in mind specifically. I just need to scan what I've done now and post it to my blog.

Still fighting the good fight

today's pic this is one of my "beverton" fish that I started drawing my last trip to OHSU. I used this as a modle for the last painting I did. I need to as my sister to take a picture of it, since I forgot to before I handed it over to her.