tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45375466893923865652024-03-14T00:02:26.672-07:00The Original ZebraStanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-56669150939384198322019-06-12T09:14:00.000-07:002019-06-12T09:14:07.609-07:00More Surgery Ahead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is still some debate about whether Cushing's is an autoimmune disease or not. But I thought this meme would be quite appropriate anyway for the reason of the last part of the meme.<br />
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I went to the doctor on Monday about a problem I've been fighting most of this winter. I ended up walking out with a referral to a plastic surgeon to have a panniculectomy. That means to have my fat removed surgically and skin removed and tucked up as well. I knew I would have to face that one at some point after I lost more weight anyway. It came as a shock, though, anyway. The problem being aggravated is balanitis and phimosis caused by that several hundred pounds of fat pulling on things from behind and above. And things are getting worse instead of better. I am also a candidate for a recircumcision as well.<br />
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I'll keep you posted, my friends and readers.Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-11082591843035744692018-06-10T15:56:00.001-07:002018-06-10T15:56:47.177-07:00Where Should You Go After Leaving the Jehovah's Witnesses<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2kxDCiKaSoM" width="480"></iframe><br /><br />
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I stumbled on this excellent video today and decided to share it with my audience.Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-51579015820108695932018-03-19T15:57:00.001-07:002018-03-19T15:57:55.487-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Greetings my fellow readers!</div>
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Long time no see but that's my fault. I haven't felt very well lately what with insomnia and other irritating things I think most of us Cushies would understand. Back in February, I was hospitalized twice, once for a heart attack and shortly after I went home to an embolism which caused a painful cardiac arrhythmia. The heart attack had masked itself as a kidney issue. That's the thing, "widow maker" heart attacks often do just that. They'll only consist of a lite pain or the pain refers to areas normally felt with other acute problem, such as the right back normally felt when one is having a kidney stone trying to go down the pipe like what happened to me.<br />
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The attack was also a wake-up call, I don't have a lot of time left to get what I'm supposed to do down here on earth done. Deep down I would like to take a trip to Israel and walk the face of the land and visit the places tourists don't usually go to and taking more time to meet people I know of and have some limited contact with face to face. That is my bucket list.<br />
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Until that time I'm going to keep on along the path the Lord has given me to tread and drink of the cup he has handed me until the cup is dry and it is time. There is plenty more for me to do here so expect more, much more. If anybody out there has questions they would like to see answered, bring them on! This is one of the things I live for!Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-77407758532970469182017-06-28T06:40:00.002-07:002017-06-28T06:40:24.848-07:00RIP Fellow Cushie, Kalyn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kalyn Allen, a fellow Cushie whose disease was finally diagnosed not that long ago (last year), lost her battle with Cushing's disease. We've been blessed with all the resources now available to get to know and help fellow Cushing's, who are often quite alone in our journey as we are with families who often aren't that supportive. Kalyn had a family who loved her and supported her through her treatment. But sometimes even that is not enough. It sounds like embolisms were the cause of death a reminder of how deadly they are. I had a close call in 2002 with a pulmonary embolism which struck and nearly took me out 15 years ago.<br />
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The Announcement of Kalyn's death with a link to her story and a donation page for medical bills can be found <a href="http://cushingsmoxie.blogspot.com/2017/06/rest-in-peace-kalyn.html?m=1" target="_blank">Rest In Peace Kalyn</a>. The page contains a before and after photo of Kalyn.<br />
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RIP Dear Lady, KalynStanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-32226735210108811632017-05-25T06:35:00.000-07:002017-05-25T06:35:26.770-07:00A New Discovery About Cushing's!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my Facebook friends and a fellow Cushies posted the following to her blog and then posted the link to one of the Cushing's forums today. Instead of simply posting my own write-up of the material I felt it best she gets the credit she deserves for both bringing this to our attention and the well-written post she put together. So here is the link to her post:<br />
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<a href="https://cushingsmoxie.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-we-know-just-changed-adrenal.html?m=0" target="_blank">What We Know About Cushing's just changed!</a><br />
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One of my Sister-in-laws has Cushing's and had the surgery. Her tumor was in the Pituitary gland and there is no evidence the last I heard of a return of the tumor though there has been a return of the Cushing's Disease. Could this be the answer?<br />
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Catch you later, my friends and readers!Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-27307665410723974412017-05-12T10:07:00.000-07:002017-05-12T10:07:52.415-07:00Ring, Ring, Ring: Am I going crazy/<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello there again from Cushie land!<br />
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Okay, do you hear a ringing in your head all the time? Is it something that just won't go away and just keeps on nagging you day and night no matter what you do? If you do have it you may well be a victim of <i>Tinnitus</i>.<br />
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Tinnitus is a constant ringing in the ears which just goes on and on and on, sometimes to the point of driving people crazy. People are often driven to all kinds of doctors and take medications for it that only work in the short term if at all. They try alternative medications, treatments, such as acupuncture, all to no avail. That's because when it's that bad there is really nothing we can do shy of firing a bullet through our gray matter.<br />
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That's because unless one has worked in an environment which was extremely loud without adequate hearing protection the problem isn't in the ear at all. And to add insult to injury the medical community has known this since the 1950s, but hasn't adequately trained the doctors in the trenches who have to deal with the patients who have it. The problem is deep in the brain where communication throughout the brain takes place and is a sign of damage to that system of some sort. And the kicker is the cause of the damage.<br />
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Cortisol and other anabolic steroids are chief culprits. I found this out when I listened to one of those ads out there promising a cure for tinnitus. You know, those nice little ads from somebody who went on this big journey looking for a cure to his own problem and discovered a miraculous cure he is willing to peddle to you and me...for a hefty price. In this case, the man offered up proof of what he was saying, genuine studies which I checked out. And boy did they check out!<br />
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The problem goes back to the old statement of too much of a good thing. Those of us with Cushing's do know that the cortisols have several uses in the body. They help regulate our blood sugars. They repair damaged tissues. When women get pregnant they do several things to protect both the mother and the baby throughout the pregnancy. But the problems take place when there is either too little or constantly too much of them in our system, hence both Cushing's and Addison's Diseases.<br />
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Where they come in where today's topic is concerned is that when there is too much in the body they can get into the brain and damage the communication system within the brain itself. Those with Cushing's often become forgetful, especially of short-term items. They can also experience mental disorders of the sort which involve the communication within the brain if predisposed towards them genetically to start off with. But the early symptom if such damage which often gets missed is the ringing in the ears of tinnitus.<br />
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What the fellow was pushing was an herbal concoction designed to suppress cortisol production on the assumption that was the problem. And perhaps it might work if caught and treated early on. I guess a doctor might have better information on that if any studies have been done.<br />
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I went on to one of the Cushing's support groups I'm on and asked them if they had tinnitus. The answer was an overwhelming yes! So it would appear that it might be another symptom to add. I also asked those who'd had surgery successfully to cure their Cushing's if the tinnitus was resolved as well. Sadly it wasn't for most. So the best thing to do is to get treatment as early as one can if they notice the ringing and if one is on steroids or know they have Cushing's they need to mention that while they're at it so the doctor can factor that into one's treatment.<br />
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That's it for now!Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-8806174667114001542017-01-18T16:53:00.001-08:002017-01-18T16:53:51.918-08:00Hey There Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's me again my friends!<br />
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Above is the newest picture of me and it was taken back in November. Were it not for the garden that room would be my world with the computer my window on the rest of the world. You can see a refrigerator, a coffee maker, and my guitar in the background along with my bed. Since my back started giving out my legs have gone with it to a large extent and I no longer walk like I used to. but I do fight the trend by getting out and doing what I can in the garden. Of necessity, I use something folks might call the lazy way to garden, but that's because I am losing strength.<br />
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I'm still taking medicine but not losing weight at the moment since I'm on a plateau right now and even gained some over the holidays. I do have activities and some new goals to meet in the coming year. That's the thing to keep the spirits up as the battle rages on. The point is to grow in some way, to work towards and accomplish something and that requires goals. The wise person doesn't just make it a New Year's resolution thing, they do it all the time and when a goal is reached they replace it with a new one.<br />
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I plan to publish a book in and you'll be surprised where I'm going with that, though, I have had it suggested to me that I ought to do one on living with Cushing's Disease which would be kind of autobiographical. I skipped that because I couldn't quite figure how to not write such a depressing book as I can easily write if I'm not careful. I am not ruling that out because I consider my knowledge on the subject second to nobody's and may do it after I get my first book or two out of the way and in the market.<br />
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The subject matter is emergency preparedness and was inspired by riding out Hurricane Matthew, which was at category two strength when it hit where I live on the South Georgia, USA Coast. The maps all said we would be under water where we were, but thanks to God that didn't happen though it got kind of hairy, at least for everybody else as it wasn't my first major storm and I slept right through the worst of it that night. But we were prepared with some last minute help when my housemates finally realized it was going to hit us too late to get out and some preparations I'd made during the previous months as I could during the summer because I had a little niggling feeling they would be needed. And they were. But because of them, we rode out the days following in relative comfort to some who hadn't made such provisions. If those of you watching the news saw a shot of a fat man waving up at a news helicopter the day after in Brunswick, GA it was probably me. Since the power and net were both out I had no way to watch TV and have no idea if they filmed me or not.<br />
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This winter the garden hasn't reached the goal I set but that's alright because I am learning and expect some disappointment along the way. My Garlic is taking off, though and I do have some miniature brassica plants going, but I'm not harvesting. I had a tomato plant make it through to Christmas with some tomatoes on it but the last freeze got it. So there are some positive things there. So my two goals of a completely edible garden, flowers included and a year-round production are still ongoing.<br />
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I'll let you know how things go and I'll try to keep you informed on various topics and issues as well.<br />
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<br />Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-41903913103639739822016-07-24T15:47:00.000-07:002016-07-24T15:47:09.127-07:00MENS: Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndromes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It looks like we've made this young lady kind of famous the way this picture has brought traffic to this blog. So this article is about a very special young lady and her struggle with a very different disease which virtually mirrors Cushing's Syndrome, MENS, or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndromes. Her name is Brandi Fouche, and she and her mother graciously gave me permission to use this photograph of this young lady when she posted it to a private forum for people with Cushing's syndrome because she was essentially the poster girl for the disease. It took some courage in my book for a teenager in her shape to pose for a picture in a bikini to show a forum she had the classical look of Cushing's, much less to let me expose her to public view to help those seeking information about their own health problems.<br />
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A few months ago her mother, Nancy, informed us that testing had revealed Brandi suffered form a form of MENS instead of Cushing's. Because of what it does MENS often raises the cortisol levels just like Cushing's Disease/Syndrome with the same predictable results. However, MENS is a more serious disease.<br />
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That's because Neoplasias are tumors that form in two or more endocrine glands at the same time and can have multiple affects.. As we found out in exchanges with Nancy they can spread to the lymphatic system, which is an ugly scenario any way one look sat it. When the tumors grow in the glands they affect whatever hormones are produced for the worse. So when they take up residence in the Adrenal glands watch out for both Cushing's and intractable hypertension pretty much at the same time. MENS comes in two types with the second type in two variations<br />
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<b>MENS Type I</b></div>
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This is from the<a href="http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/multiple-endocrine-neoplasia-syndromes/multiple-endocrine-neoplasia-syndromes" target="_blank"> Merck Online Manual</a>:<br />
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<i style="background-color: cyan;">People with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 develop tumors, or excessive growth and activity, of two or more of the following glands:</i></div>
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<li><a class="anchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="v773578" style="color: #a9020a; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; height: 1px; margin-left: -1px; margin-top: -64px; max-height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-decoration: underline; visibility: hidden; width: 1px;"></a><div class="para">
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<i style="background-color: cyan;">The parathyroid glands (the small glands located next to the thyroid gland in the base of the neck)</i></div>
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<li><a class="anchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="v773580" style="color: #a9020a; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; height: 1px; margin-left: -1px; margin-top: -64px; max-height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-decoration: underline; visibility: hidden; width: 1px;"></a><div class="para">
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<i style="background-color: cyan;">The pancreas</i></div>
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<li><a class="anchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="v773582" style="color: #a9020a; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; height: 1px; margin-left: -1px; margin-top: -64px; max-height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-decoration: underline; visibility: hidden; width: 1px;"></a><div class="para">
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<i style="background-color: cyan;">The pituitary gland</i></div>
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<i style="background-color: cyan;">The thyroid gland (less often affected)</i></div>
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<li><a class="anchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="v773586" style="color: #a9020a; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; height: 1px; margin-left: -1px; margin-top: -64px; max-height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-decoration: underline; visibility: hidden; width: 1px;"></a><div class="para">
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<i style="background-color: cyan;">The adrenal glands (less often affected)</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.6px;">Depending on which glands are tumors and where those with MENS I will have multiple problems. One could see a combination of any of the following:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.6px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.6px;">Low blood sugar.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.6px;">Intractable high blood pressure</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.6px;">Gigantism</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.6px;">Cushing's Disease</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">Menstrual abnormalities and breast secretions while not nursing (in women).</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">Peptic ulcers</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">Decreased sexual desire and erectile dysfunction (in men)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">It appears that MENS I will have a familial history, though, with the relatively recent recognition of the disorder and difficulty recognizing the Syndrome that history may not be known.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><b>MENS Type IIa</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"> Once again from the Online Merck Manual:</span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="para" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: avenir, "avenir medium", "century gothic", helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; line-height: 1.4;">
<i style="background-color: cyan;">People with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A develop tumors or excessive growth and activity in two or three of the following glands:</i></div>
</div>
<div class="list" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; position: relative;">
<ul data-mmanualobjecttype="List" style="background-color: white; font-family: avenir, "avenir medium", "century gothic", helvetica, sans-serif;">
<li><a class="anchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="v773610" style="color: #a9020a; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; height: 1px; margin-left: -1px; margin-top: -64px; max-height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-decoration: underline; visibility: hidden; width: 1px;"></a><div class="para">
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; line-height: 1.4;">
<i style="background-color: cyan;">The thyroid gland</i></div>
</div>
</li>
<li><a class="anchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="v773612" style="color: #a9020a; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; height: 1px; margin-left: -1px; margin-top: -64px; max-height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-decoration: underline; visibility: hidden; width: 1px;"></a><div class="para">
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; line-height: 1.4;">
<i style="background-color: cyan;">The adrenal glands</i></div>
</div>
</li>
<li><a class="anchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="v773614" style="color: #a9020a; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; height: 1px; margin-left: -1px; margin-top: -64px; max-height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-decoration: underline; visibility: hidden; width: 1px;"></a><div class="para">
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; line-height: 1.4;">
<i style="background-color: cyan;">The parathyroid glands </i></div>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.6px;">People with this disease often develop thyroid cancer. They'll often have intractable high blood pressure. They can also develop kidney stones. Once again there does seem to be some family association with this form of MENS.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.6px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.6px;"><b>MENS Type IIb</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.6px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.6px;">Lastly, from the same Online Merck Manual:</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.6px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="para" style="font-family: avenir, "avenir medium", "century gothic", helvetica, sans-serif;">
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; line-height: 1.4;">
<i style="background-color: cyan;">Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B can consist of</i></div>
</div>
<div class="list" style="font-family: avenir, "avenir medium", "century gothic", helvetica, sans-serif; position: relative;">
<ul data-mmanualobjecttype="List">
<li><a class="anchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="v12804043" style="color: #a9020a; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; height: 1px; margin-left: -1px; margin-top: -64px; max-height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-decoration: underline; visibility: hidden; width: 1px;"></a><div class="para">
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; line-height: 1.4;">
<i style="background-color: cyan;">Medullary thyroid cancer</i></div>
</div>
</li>
<li><a class="anchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="v12804045" style="color: #a9020a; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; height: 1px; margin-left: -1px; margin-top: -64px; max-height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-decoration: underline; visibility: hidden; width: 1px;"></a><div class="para">
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; line-height: 1.4;">
<i style="background-color: cyan;">Pheochromocytomas</i></div>
</div>
</li>
<li><a class="anchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="v12804047" style="color: #a9020a; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; height: 1px; margin-left: -1px; margin-top: -64px; max-height: 1px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-decoration: underline; visibility: hidden; width: 1px;"></a><div class="para">
<div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; line-height: 1.4;">
<i style="background-color: cyan;">Growths around nerves (neuromas)</i></div>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white;">
This is the scary kind because of its association with cancers. It is not considered familiar instead being a genetic mutation. Because of that it can show up as early as three months of age. There are also often other abnormalities associated with it. The link i provided to the Merck Manual has more detail on these and other things associated with the other types of MENS as well.</div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<b>Diagnosis</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
There are DNA test for this disease. A doctor may also order a nuclear scan of the body to detect the tumors. The test is done by injecting a special nuclear die which will concentrate in areas of high blood usage and then a scan is done with a detector which maps out the areas of concentration. Other testing, such as hormonal tests may lead a doctor to suspect and test for this condition.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<b>Treatment</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
The treatment is to go in surgically and get the tumors out. It may require the complete removal of the thyroid or one or both of the Adrenal glands. So treatment can be a rather expensive proposition. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
I've missed the latest of my friend, Brandi, and i don't have the link I'd planned on including to help her and her family out on the medical expenses. When I get it I will come back and edit this article to include it and send it back out for folks to see. Brandi has a rough road and this has affected her health and some of her familial relationships. Her mother is in her corner for sure and so am I.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-66182499375703045092016-06-27T11:45:00.000-07:002016-06-27T11:45:21.680-07:0060, And I'm Still Moving Along!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/uOPzrrIU9vAkvheE65oqaVIIpuKm_lB3wCKgB/s1600/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/uOPzrrIU9vAkvheE65oqaVIIpuKm_lB3wCKgB/s320/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Hello, my friends and readers! I hit the big 60 a couple of months back and feeling great considering my disease and the problems it causes. I saw my endocrinologist and he decided it was time to increase the daily dosage of the medicine we're using and hoping I don't have any trouble with it. So far I'm feeling alright.<br />
<br />
I'm about to take the time to look at more of the research and start reporting what I find. However, I would like for my readers to go ahead and suggest topics they would like to see me address for them. Remember, I'm not a doctor and cannot hand out advice which amounts to practicing medicine. So I cannot really answer those kind of questions. But things which the research shows or topics f a personal nature on how to overcome or work around this disease are fair game. So go ahead!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ey7RABYUyQ4/UCqI8EVXZ7I/AAAAAAAAABw/jU8VjphY8IQxea0vL5Fu7wViFf-e0Z7HgCKgB/s1600/Young%2BCushie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ey7RABYUyQ4/UCqI8EVXZ7I/AAAAAAAAABw/jU8VjphY8IQxea0vL5Fu7wViFf-e0Z7HgCKgB/s320/Young%2BCushie.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This young lady has been responsible for plenty of visits to my blog and I am very grateful to her for allowing me to use her photo. It turns out she has a different disease which kicks the cortisols up through the roof and is being treated for that now. Such diseases are often characterized as "pseudo" Cushing's because they fit the profile so well and only get caught in the workup. The last I talked with her mother they did have a fund set up to help them with the medical expenses. If the mother will contact me after i post this to Facebook I'll be sure to let you know how you can help.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xTxYGYRRpIA/V3FyOHPQY4I/AAAAAAAAAfQ/0SLhb0k_djkf846IkM6jXR467WX496AGACLcB/s1600/Screenshot_25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xTxYGYRRpIA/V3FyOHPQY4I/AAAAAAAAAfQ/0SLhb0k_djkf846IkM6jXR467WX496AGACLcB/s320/Screenshot_25.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I would like to announce an addition to my blog family, <i>The Cushie Gardener</i> at <a href="http://thecushiegardener.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://thecushiegardener.blogspot.com/</a> . This will be a site for people who want to garden, but especially those who are disabled or low income and want to know how to have a vegetable garden which won't break the bank or their health in the process. It will be joined by a Youtube channel which is already set up of the same name. I just have to start videoing and figure out how to edit my videos. Please feel free to go over there and follow me on that part of my journey in life.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Catch you later!</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-70396541141026080122015-09-28T12:42:00.000-07:002015-09-28T12:42:25.031-07:00Hello Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s1600/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s320/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Hello
Everyone!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Today my
legs don’t seem to have the strength to go out and do some of what’s needed in
my garden, so I have the time to blog a little.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To catch up,
the treatment I’m getting for my Cushing’s, a D9 agonist, is working slowly,
which is what the doctor wants right now.
My weight is on a downward trend, slowly, but that appears to be one of
the important things the doctor is using to gauge the best way to proceed
without causing an adrenal event. I’m on
board with that considering how painful such things are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve been
physically active, working with my garden to the extent I can. The result has been a good harvest of
tomatoes and peppers lately, too much for me to eat! Ah, but the variety and taste! It’s been wonderful to have and use to make
sure I’ve got some real nutrition in the diet were are forced to have around
here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My kidney
function is kind of low right now. Not
all of the tests ordered are posted to my portal yet, so I don’t know yet if it
may be an infection causing the problem, or need to look to something
else. I’ve had several infections, which
is kind of strange with this one considering my wife is 800 miles away looking
after her mother right now and I’m not doing anything which should cause an
infection. I guess it’s just one of
those things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-78861909176611787782015-06-20T11:08:00.000-07:002015-06-20T11:08:02.093-07:00Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VBMAvb2gO44/UJR0-p9H0TI/AAAAAAAAADc/DkyYSsjWBqg/s1600/DSC03202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VBMAvb2gO44/UJR0-p9H0TI/AAAAAAAAADc/DkyYSsjWBqg/s320/DSC03202.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Okay, I didn't get the
blogging done:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">I having too much fun strumming that guitar! April turned out to be
both a busy month, and one with some challenges. I'm working on the
garden I talked about, and shortly after posting my last message I
moved some bags of compost around, forty pound bags. By the next
morning I was in the emergency room. I had a flight to make in early
April and worried I might not be able to make the planned trip. But
I made it. Afterward I continued to work in my garden, but the way I
had to adjust made things take longer and I just wasn't up to
updating blogs.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Because of the way I have
to do things my garden has moved more slowly than most. But I'm
already enjoying some lettuce and tomatoes out of it and should soon
be adding a little sweet potato leaves into the greens mix. I have
seven varieties of tomatoes growing and three of them starting to
produce fruit. I'm harvesting lettuce, of course, I planted some
butter-crunch, and then bought and planted a mix of 20 heirloom
varieties, part of the purpose to figure out what varieties will do
beast in my climate and the way I'm gardening. But my salads now
have a pleasant diversity of lettuce varieties in them.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">I'm using three methods to
grow, container gardening, square foot gardening, and a method
suggested by a professional horticulturist, who also teaches
horticulture in a university. The irony is that the method she
suggests to everybody is really the easiest and less physically
demanding of the three, though the other two aren't that hard either
and have their advantages. I may take the time to go into more
detail in another post sometime on that one since I think it is a
really great method for disabled gardeners who have land to plant in.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Since most of the really
demanding stuff is done in the garden and I need to get back to
writing for another reason, I’ll try to start blogging more about
the other issues which we deal with and the research as I wade
through it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Take care everybody!</span></div>
Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-31435673231145798522015-03-02T09:34:00.000-08:002015-03-02T09:34:06.349-08:00Cushing's Blogger Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Hlmo2scREI/UZaz_T6hJCI/AAAAAAAAAHc/74QtpEzFpow/s1600/DSC03517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Hlmo2scREI/UZaz_T6hJCI/AAAAAAAAAHc/74QtpEzFpow/s1600/DSC03517.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Hello again!<br />
<br />
Next month there will be a challenge to Cushie bloggers to post everyday in their blogs and I've accepted the challenge. Four days in particular will be difficult to do since I will be out of town for a religious convention. If you've read through my blog then you already know my faith is a major part of how I cope with the challenges of my disease.<br />
<br />
Generally I put quite a bit of effort in my posts, to make sure the information I present is accurate, so plenty of research is often involved. The challenge page offers a nice list of themes to blog on, so I'm going to see how many I can hit along the way. I should also have my garden going for this season, I've already got some lettuce, spinach and onions up and running and they should be transplanted by then.<br />
<br />
Since I mentioned my faith being important to how I cope and maintain some personal balance, I'm going to leave you with a devotional piece I try to read daily. The last three parts are what I really like about it because it is a reminder of who is in control and the attitude I should work to have in the face of my problems. It is called <i>My Morning Resolve:</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>My Morning Resolve</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>My Earliest Thought I Desire Shall Be:<br />
<br />
"What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I
will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord [for
grace to help]. I will pay my vows unto the Most High." – <a href="http://www.mostholyfaith.com/Beta/bible/bibleXref.asp?xref=bible%5EPsalms%5E116%5E12-14#Here">Psalm 116:12-14</a> <br />
<br />
Remembering the Divine call, "Gather My saints together unto Me; those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice" (<a href="http://www.mostholyfaith.com/Beta/bible/bibleXref.asp?xref=bible%5EPsalms%5E50%5E5#Here">Psalm 50:5</a>),
I resolve that by the Lord's assisting grace I will today, as a saint
of God, fulfill my vows, continuing the work of sacrificing the flesh and
its interests, that I may attain unto the Heavenly inheritance in
joint-heirship with my Redeemer. <br />
<br />
I will strive to be simple and sincere toward all. <br />
<br />
I will seek not to please and honor self, but the Lord. <br />
<br />
I will be careful to honor the Lord with my lips, that my words may be unctuous and blessed to all. <br />
<br />
I will seek to be faithful to the Lord, the Truth, the brethren and all
with whom I have to do, not only in great matters, but also in the
little things of life. <br />
<br />
Trusting myself to Divine care and the Providential overruling of all my
interests for my highest welfare, I will seek not only to be pure in
heart, but to repel all anxiety, all discontent, all discouragement. <br />
<br />
I will neither murmur nor repine at what the Lord's providence may permit, because</i></div>
<br />
<center>
"Faith can firmly trust Him,<br />
Come what may."</center>
<center>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Link to Cushie blogger's challenge:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://cushieblog.com/2015/03/01/fourth-annual-cushings-awareness-challenge/" target="_blank">http://cushieblog.com/2015/03/01/fourth-annual-cushings-awareness-challenge/</a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b> </b> </i></div>
Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-55611471683273258132015-02-04T19:33:00.000-08:002015-02-04T19:33:07.935-08:00So, How's That Treatment Going?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s1600/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s1600/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
Since it's been awhile since we talked about our treatment we thought our online friends might want to know how things are going. We went to the doctor just last Friday, 01/30/2015. I'll get to what we found out in a minute, but first a review of the treatment we started.<br /><br />
Back in October of 2014 we reported among a number of things that <a href="http://originalzebra.blogspot.com/2014/10/ive-been-busy-and-i-have-some-things-to.html" target="_blank">we began a course of treatment</a> with a medication of the same class as one which is being evaluated to treat Cushing's, that is Cabergoline. Specifically it is not cabergoline used in my case, but another D9 agonist which is also a wider acting drug. a couple of years back we underwent surgery to remove a tumor we hoped might be the culprit for our Cushing's though it is sited in a place more typical for a Cushing's like disease known as MENS, or <span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_endocrine_neoplasia" target="_blank">Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia</a>. MENS is a Disease in which the victim presents with multiple tumors which secrete excessive amounts of hormones, cortisols being the most common. It's not a nice disease to contemplate having as in many cases the tumors are cancers.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto">Within days we entered the local emergency room with agonizing muscle spasms only to find out that though we had removed a tumor suspected of causing Cushing's and prophylactically been given some corticef to head AI off, the local ER wasn't allowed to test for AI (Adrenal Insufficiency) because it wasn't considered an emergency situation, a really dumb idea given this patient had informed the staff that the possibility was on the table because of the surgery and that AI can kill in a hurry. So the attending doctor pumped us full of another kind of steroids and muscle relaxers until the cramping stopped. Then we were sent home on a very high dosage of prednisone and told to see the attending surgeon in couple of days.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto">On the day of our appontment with our surgeon we tested our blood sugar and the home tesotr informed us that our blood sugar was <i>high</i>, no figure, just too high for the machine to test. Since the appointment was an hour away and the office in the same building as the hospital's ER, we kept the appointment. Naturally the doctor sent us down to the ER, where we were found disoriented on the way by a nurse who was off duty on break and she rounded up a wheelchair and somebody to take us down to the ER where we were admitted with a blood sugar of 608, a deadly situation. When our condition was stabilized we got a referral to the only local physician we trusted enough to deal with the situation though it was outside his specialty.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto">Because that doctor felt our neurological system had been compromised he started us on two medications to deal with the situation, Gabapentin and Ropinerole. We are sure the Ropinerole was a good call because we'd already started having some trouble with some mild restless legs style symptoms but hadn't reported them yet. So we were on the way there and the ER treatment just probably hurried the situation along. That was back in 2012 and I haven't had a high cortisol test since. I've had a couple of very low ones, but no high one. What made that really frustrating is that during 2013 we did an evaluation with the object of putting us on one of the two new medications to teat Cushing's and all of our test results came back on the high side of normal. What is more certain symptoms of Addison's I have increased since. So we couldn't get the medication to treat Cushing's, yet our cortisols were not at a level low enough to begin reversl of my condition.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto">While a friend and I were on the phone one day looking into a personal theory he had which he felt might explain our Cushing's, we stumbled on a paper about a trial of a medication being explored to treat Cushing's, the D9 agonist used to treat Parkinson's disease, Cabergoline. It hit us one of our new medications, Ropinerole, is also used to treat Parkinson's, along with Restless Leg's Syndrome. So we checked and fund out it is also a D9 agonist, along with acting on some other receptors as well, which would explain why it wasn't being evaluated as well. So we talked with our endocrinologist on our next visit who felt we might be on to something and looked into Cabergoline and the possibility that tweaking our dose of Ropinerole might be a strategy for treating our Cushing's. As a research physician as well as a professor of endocrinology the possibility struck a note with the doctor. After six months of research and forming a plan, our dosage was slightly increase to see if the Ropinerole was indeed suppressing our cortisols and a treatment stratagem established. By the way, the doctor who at the time was prescribing the Ronpinerole approved of our little experiment, tomorrow I'll tell him how it is turning out.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto">Now for the money part of the post. The doctor who started me on the Ropinerole will probably like what I have to report. Technically I'm still at the small dosage range, small enough that increasing the dosage as we did probably wouldn't have hurt a thing. Yet, my endocrinologist is pleased with results. Our cortisols are now at a level he feels comfortable with for treating the disease. Something to remember is that we are cyclical and our cortisols do drop far enough on their own to cause problems, and may already have done so once since treatment began. So the doctor wants to go slow enough to avoid that problem as much as possible. While we don't blame him, we do have a problem with patience and are willing to risk much to gain much.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto">Our heamogobin A1C is stabilized a 7.0 and we have a demonstratable, if slow weight loss going. We've gone from 368 lbs, at the beginning of treatment to 358 lbs, so the weight slope is downward. Although we are still hypertensive, and that worries the Doctor, our blood sugars are well into normal range in the mornings. So everything points toward success at this point.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto">We've also improved our health in other ways. We are now off of pain medications and getting around better. My back Doctor would probably be pleased with that and I might want to schedule an appointment with her for a new evaluation for that. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto">If we continue to improve and could get our experience into the medical literature it would add another bit of evidence for the efficacy for treating Cushing's with D9 agonists safely. With more treatment options open for Cushies more personal stratagems for the treatment of this disease be available to personalize the treatment to what works best for the individual. That can't but help those of us who've waited so long for this day where more treatment options open up for us.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto">So I just thought my friends might want to the update. I have a few more topics cooking and will hopefully have something more for you in a bit.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto">Chiao!</span></span></span>Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-74042154235864566242015-02-01T15:32:00.000-08:002015-02-01T15:32:30.876-08:00Doing For Ourselves: Quality Food And Some Of the Benefits Of Gardens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello again my friends!<br />
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This is one of those occasional doing for ourselves posts you will probably see more of since this blog is more than just an informational blog on Cushing's, it's about my journey and taking a more holistic approach to living with it. This topis, food, get's a little touchy for us. So please, if you are a disabled Cushie please take some time to consider carefully what I'm about to say to you. If you are a family member, please think about it as well from the standpoint of doing something for your loved one suffering from this disease from more than the standpoint of, "Hey, here's something <i>You</i> can do!" It may well be that your loved one may just be too much to do this for themselves, but you may be able to do this for both them, and the rest of the family.<br />
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Earlier last year I was sitting in front of the computer and exchanging comments in a Forum for Cushies like me on Facebook when the conversation took a turn which made some of us uncomfortable, but made me think, "Why Not?" The fact is that Cushies who've reached the state of advancement with their diseases to be disabled have a special problem on their hands, FOOD! The truth is that if one gets SSI here in the United States the government limits what their spouses can make pretty strictly while being able to keep on receiving benefits. In many cases, they can't get extras many people on other forms of welfare can get, such as food stamps to help stretch things where they can get quality food.<br />
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When that happens we generally end up eating cheap, minimally nutritious foods like the morbidly obese we see featured on TV. We get stuck with things like boxed macaroni and Cheese, or pasta salad, food which doesn't fill us up to start with, and does nothing but pile the weight on as we try to find some feeling of satiety. Such food is devoid of nutrients, so it adds to the problem by denying us the nutrients we need to maintain our health as we fight this disease. So what can we do?<br />
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There is a counselor in the group and she asked us why not grow a vegetable garden? Well, there were plenty of answers to that one. The expense of gardening, the work involved, we are disabled after all and can't do a whole lot, not knowing how, and so on. In a way I don't blame my fellow Cushies. I'm 358 pounds as of my last weigh-in two days ago at my Endocrinologist's office. My back is shot, I can't bend over much or stand for very long. So chores like weeding are just out of the question. And, yes, there is the expense, if I could really afford to garden in the first place I could just go ahead and buy the food I need, right? Added to that, what the heck do I know about gardening and who am I kidding anyway? Yep, I thought, there are some pretty big obstacles to following that advice. But I decided instead to follow that advise anyway and do so with a view to overcoming those obstacles.<br />
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More often than not those with Chronic diseases don't have much space for a garden to begin with for various reasons and their disability won't permit them to have much of a garden anyway. Added to that there is a public perception that vegetable garden are inherently unsightly anyway and home vegetable gardeners are running afoul of local codes because they don't know how build an attractive garden. Look at the picture above of a relatively small patio garden which makes clever use of the way the vegetables are combined in a way that the garden at least isn't unsightly and is hard to tell from any other bed with non flowering ornamental plants. Of course most of us with Cushing's can't grow a garden quite like that, even with help, which a disabled gardener would want to get from family members capable of doing some of the heavy lifting and other tings we can't. So the obvious answer is:<br />
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Yes, my friends, that is a picture of a dwarf tomato in an ornamental planter, or container. Container gardening is the obvious answer to the problem. It requires little in the way of tilling soil, raises the plant higher up making it easier to reach and permits the gardener to move the plant around if necessary for the conditions. As we can see here, containers also permit us to plan an attractive as well as productive garden, at least in areas readily visible to the public, as in the case with that tomato plant. I will admit planters like that don't come cheap. But in areas where the appearance of the containers is not a real issue it is possible to get them cheap, or even for nothing, if one knows where to go, such as with these:<br />
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The fellow pictured here with his container garden is using five-gallon containers such as the sort folks often see for sale in hardware stores for mixing things up in and other purposes. They can be cheaper than ornamental containers, but they can also be found for free. Restaurants, bakeries, and other establishments often order needed supplies in three or five gallon containers just like the ones above, and are willing to give them away to anyone willing to take them off their hands after they're empty, for free. One just has to have courage to ask around and find those businesses. A word of caution, stay clear of businesses like janitorial services and the like unless you are certain the chemical supplies they use are biodegradable and non-toxic. <br />
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By the way, the same can be said for nitrogen fertilizer, coffee bars and the like brew enough coffee to fill containers like that daily. Some are happy to give the grounds away to those wiling to take them. So that's a potential free source for compost material, and long term nitrogen needs since it takes a couple of months for the grounds to be processed in the soil and the nitrogen made ready for the plants to use. There are many other resources for gardeners who need to garden on the cheap can use. There are community mulch and compost heaps which are maintained by municipalities as part of their sustainability programs. One simply needs to use the internet or get out in their community and find out what is there.<br />
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Seeds aren't <i>that</i> expensive. One tip is to buy and use heirloom an/or open pollinated varieties of vegetables such as Brandywine tomatoes, etc., and collect and save seeds from the produce. Open pollinated (heirloom varieties are open pollinated varieties with a known history of fifty years or more) plants often are a bit less productive than hybrids, but they are generally tastier and reduce seed costs in the long run if one learns to collect the seed and store it from year to year. It is just one more way to reduce the cost of gardening as time goes by, just like composting and slowly accumulating durable containers a little at a time. Something else to keep in mind is that your garden won't be that big, just what you can handle, so the expense if one uses a semi-organic approach and uses strategies to avoid expensive fertilizers and chemical herbicides or pesticides will keep the costs down.<br />
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Start out small to start off with. You will have to make your mistakes while you learn and you will also have to convince family to help you with the tasks you can't do yourself. It is better for both if you start small, just a couple of kinds of crops and a few plants of each, I grew some onions, tomatoes and peppers last year. I also started a small compost pile. That was a freebie, though raking up grass clippings and pine straw was trying, even with my small lot. <br />
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I found information online. YouTube is a great source for information. Some of the gardeners who have YouTube channels hold annual seed giveaways for subscribers willing to send self addressed stamped envelopes. I got my hands on five packet of seeds that way from one channel I subscribe to, and I have five more on the way, from another one who is giving away seeds given to her by an heirloom seed company which is dedicated to the preservation of heirloom varieties through encouraging beginners to garden with thing like free distribution to other like minded individuals and organizations.<br />
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I will provide links to a number of seed companies. One of them is the company I mentioned, another sells all his seeds for $0.99 a packet and has a fixed shipping rate. His desire is to make gardening with heirloom vegetables more affordable and he is a recent start-up with his own YouTube Channel I recommend subscribing to. another is one I've dealt with which has a pretty good selection. There are lots more companies out there, but the links I posted will be a place to start if you would like to take the counselor's advise and garden.<br />
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More than just food, gardening will slow the degeneration of one's health through keeping you active, and I discovered another benefit of gardening. Just sitting on a stool among he plants was calming and made one really great way to reduce unhealthy stress and find some balance.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Seeds </span></div>
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<a href="http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0LEViyqr85U1wEA7fEnnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTE3ZGRnZ3VqBHNlYwNvdi10b3AEY29sbwNiZjEEdnRpZANZSFMwMDJfMQRwb3MDMQ--/RV=2/RE=1422860330/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2f1180513.r.msn.com%2f%3fld%3dd3friOH3YbQ4zQMoBKS1lMjjVUCUx3t-0G3gZINHAlORLiKWxYnkR0HUdIb2LBZzuaQxPaSzuotGOyFwnk7MjX97xKCTx0ATtyfMUwJAj3tuikvawEAOkBPGlMtAjTNAZLLPJXtIh3HliDKbOhtkDohkvUbd_N_vo43On-APbP6NdcLGQF%26u%3dwww.anniesheirloomseeds.com%252f%253futm_source%253dmsn%2526utm_medium%253dcpc%2526utm_term%253danniesname%2526utm_campaign%253dcampaign3/RK=0/RS=kULY3B1lnbrhjk4xjVvq5VknEQU-?p=annie%27s+heirloom+seeds" target="_blank">Annie's Heirloom Seeds</a><br />
<a href="http://www.burpee.com/heirloom-seeds-and-plants/" target="_blank">Burpee's Heirloom Vegetable Page</a><br />
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<a href="http://store.tomatofest.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=traveler+tomato&Search.x=15&Search.y=20" target="_blank">Gary Ibsen's TomatoFest</a><br />
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<a href="http://migardener.com/" target="_blank">MIgardener</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.rareseeds.com/" target="_blank">Baker Creek Seed Company</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">YouTube Channels To Start With</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7XYsCA4dn2z57JwAJYv-Ww" target="_blank">Alberta Urban Garden Simple Organic and Sustainable</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/CaliKim29" target="_blank">CaliKim29 Garden & Home DYI</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/pilarchik" target="_blank">Gary Pilarchik</a> </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Praxxus55712" target="_blank">Praxxus55712</a></div>
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Remember, these are all starting points for videos on how to garden, and several of them have smaller gardens. The one in Alberta pairs up with another gardener who has his own channel, and he is worth checking out as well. If you do start, you will want to explore YouTube and find gardeners who fit your particular circumstances more. The same with the seeds, there are many other fine seed companies out there and if you don't live in the United States of America you'll want to research reputable companies in your own home country.Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-72606470573744429532014-10-17T11:48:00.001-07:002014-10-17T11:49:39.747-07:00I've Been Busy: And I have some things to report on<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hello dear
friends and readers!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It has been
a while since my last post, but I’m going to try and do better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been a busy boy!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First, let
me inform all of you of a couple of things I’ve come across.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, let me say that I have a friend who
came into my life by phone who is a cured Cushie and sadly discovered, to his
dismay, that problems don’t just disappear when an ATCH tumor is removed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although we Cushies do lose all or most of
that weight gain we had as Cushies, other damage still remains and if things
are strained to the breaking point with friends and family sometimes those
relationships just aren’t recoverable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was because of those things that I was brought into his life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, we
made a project out of researching those issues, and he made a project out of
researching Cushing’s to, perhaps, gain more insight in my condition, where
there is no visible tumor obviously causing my problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the things we did find out is that it
is possible, though there doesn’t seem to be a proven case yet, for a problem
with the HPA axis feedback systems, most likely a problem with the sensors,
could be behind some cases like mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
will mention, though, that my diagnosis is no Cushing’s Disease and my
endocrinologist thinks I have a micro tumor which is slipping between the
cracks of my MRI scans, a more common happening than most folks realize.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, in the
course of our research of the medical literature we stumbled onto one article
where the doctor implied Cushing’s may be much more common than officially thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I contacted the doctor, who lives in
France to find out if that was his position and he sent me back what appears to
be an article he has, or is going to submit for publication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The contents astounded me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a review of research which has been
done in Europe on the incidence of Cushing’s in the Diabetic population, the
papers he reviewed had an incident rate when averaged together of about 1.5%,
which is well above the official rate on an order of magnitudes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that we knew where to look, we dug up two
more papers, one out of the UK and another out of Turkey, which had even higher
rates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of the UK, they found
a rate of 10% of Diabetics tested had Cushing’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Turkish research test obese men and found
a similar rate of 10%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And all of those
used the Dexamethasone suppression test as their standard for diagnosis, which
misses a significant number of cases with Cushing’s!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the Western European papers and the
Turkish paper recommended screening for Cushing’s for all of the populations
studied as a matter for course.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the
course of our hunt for all things Cushing’s we stumbled across a study on the efficacy
of treating Cushing’s with Cabergoline, a D9 agonist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The study was quite favorable towards its use
because it seems to be quite effective with a certain subset of Cushing’s
sufferers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That had particular
significance for me since I am on a D9 agonist and my cortisols have all tested
in the upper normal range with the exception of one occasion, since I’ve been
on that medication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one occasion was
when I collapsed in an intermediate care center and they called an ambulance,
on that occasion I was diagnosed with adrenal failure, given Cortisef and sent
home after I came out of it and they were sure I was stable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That opens up some possibilities right there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Also on a
personal note, in early spring I had a realization hit me like a falling brick wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My back is still degenerating and it is
become more difficult to walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can
only stand up for short periods of time and walk a short distance before the
pain becomes overwhelming, and that even with pain medication!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without it I can barely make it to the
kitchen at the front of my home and back to get a cup of coffee, and sometimes
I don’t even make it that far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I want
to cook, say an egg, then I better take the pain medication before I try that,
and anything which requires more time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, I put a stool in the kitchen for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The realization was that I was giving in and
letting it take its course without a fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So I decided to fight!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Earlier,
last winter in fact, there’d been a discussion between some of us on a Cushing’s
forum where a number of us complained that on disability we simply can’t afford
quality food, that is, fresh fruits and vegetables, on what we are given to
live on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of that we are pretty
much forced to live on pasta dishes and the like, which makes our weight gain
even easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, somebody very knowledgeable
on nutrition suggest that we garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I realized what I was doing by giving in to my back problems and
recalled that online conversation I decided it was time to go after two birds
with one stone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So with the help of my
family I started a small garden this year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We’ve left
an old broken office chair outside to serve as a stool for me to use and, after
some experimentation I found that container gardening is the best way for me to
go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we’ve only bought several packs
of tomatoes since my vines of beefsteak tomatoes started bearing their
fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>True, they aren’t that
productive, but this is my first year at it and here at the late season they
are popping out since I got my fertilization scheme right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they have pretty stably provided me
enough tomatoes for my sandwiches to cut down on the food bill some.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m looking
to the long run, which means I’m using heirloom varieties instead of the easier
to grow and cheaper hybrids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can save
the seed from the best plants among my heirlooms and have reliable seed to
plant next year, or later, if I choose to grow more varieties an my small space
in the yard of the duplex I live in can really handle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means my seed cost will go down in the
long-run as I build up a nice variety of stock I and my family can use and rely
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also means, since I am using
containers, that my initial high cost for soil will go down in a few years and
all I’ll have to do is replace some of the nutritional factors as I go along and
reuse my potting soil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the way,
although we didn’t do it this year, my plan is to use organic growing methods
from now on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have already planned out
next year’s garden and gotten most of the seeds I plan to use.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve also started
a New Channel on YouTube, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC20o32quaX14dHhf7PMi9Hw" target="_blank">Disabled Gardening.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I haven’t uploaded my first video yet, though I have shot most of the
video footage for it, I just haven’t put it together and narrated it yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I intend to use it to both chronicle my
gardening and to offer tips on how those of us who are disabled or otherwise disadvantaged,
can grow gardens and feed ourselves, right now in an urban environment where it
is wise to also make our gardens appealing in appearance as well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So there you
are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is what I’ve been up to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope you’ve enjoyed my story.</span></div>
Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-40140379235488278692013-07-26T10:13:00.000-07:002013-07-26T10:13:06.638-07:00Update.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hello my
dear friends and readers:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I know it’s
been awhile since my last post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several
things have happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of
continued back problems I went to my orthopedic doctor and it turns out my spinal
deterioration has increased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I now have
three spinal joints in deterioration instead of just the one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those would be the last to lumbar joints and
the first sacral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not that
unusual in patients with Cushing’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both
the leaching of calcium from the bones and the strain from the weight combine
to cause the problems, which are pretty painful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we add the swings of my cortisol into
Addison’s territory part of the time and I get a double whammy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I also have
another problem which I began to feel when I took my airplane trip back in April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would be bursitis in the hips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of the Bursitis it is difficult to
sit most of the time and it is also painful to rise from a sitting or lying
position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given I weigh 366 pounds is it
any wonder I developed inflammation of the bursas in that area?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since then I’ve
been looking into more research on Cushing’s, its causes and effects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve also looked into research suggesting the
incidence of Cushing’s is much wider than the medical community realizes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the things I’ve learned will be
presented in other posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I
still do have to put up with the new problems and adapt, which is taking some
time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So keep an
eye out for what’s ahead.</span></div>
<br />Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-41558343515457385152013-05-17T15:52:00.000-07:002013-05-17T15:52:48.729-07:00Back Pain and Cushing’s<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s1600/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s320/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sorry for
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="b714f9be1f0f8da0610a6973187029c7bcc36ff3" grtype="null" id="GRmark_b714f9be1f0f8da0610a6973187029c7bcc36ff3_not:0">not</span> posting something for a while, but I’ve been kind of busy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wife, Debra, and I took a trip to see some
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="bb7348c30078c5848f6ddad3d1a4571f1d5cbdb8" grtype="null" id="GRmark_bb7348c30078c5848f6ddad3d1a4571f1d5cbdb8_friends:0">friends</span> in Texas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there this
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="38929f10cd9b3f126b536ccc7c8abdc1b6a8d3a8" grtype="null" id="GRmark_38929f10cd9b3f126b536ccc7c8abdc1b6a8d3a8_picture:0">picture</span> of us together was taken:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Hlmo2scREI/UZaz_T6hJCI/AAAAAAAAAHc/74QtpEzFpow/s1600/DSC03517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Hlmo2scREI/UZaz_T6hJCI/AAAAAAAAAHc/74QtpEzFpow/s320/DSC03517.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="d4ef8c7ae8163be9ccd2c591b100b89f71816fa2" grtype="null" id="GRmark_d4ef8c7ae8163be9ccd2c591b100b89f71816fa2_probably:0">probably</span> one of the better pictures taken lately which showcase my <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="d4ef8c7ae8163be9ccd2c591b100b89f71816fa2" grtype="null" id="GRmark_d4ef8c7ae8163be9ccd2c591b100b89f71816fa2_truncal:1">truncal</span>
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="3ae4300f4085bc90ef27c9c0998498eed4422e6e" grtype="null" id="GRmark_3ae4300f4085bc90ef27c9c0998498eed4422e6e_obesity:0">obesity</span> really well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that is part of
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="12427598ad7fe34d2c7200eb25d038267d81a7e6" grtype="null" id="GRmark_12427598ad7fe34d2c7200eb25d038267d81a7e6_the:0">the</span> why on today’s subject. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="92b9e02750881aae21f2b2fe10c321e4ac9a3ed3" grtype="null" id="GRmark_92b9e02750881aae21f2b2fe10c321e4ac9a3ed3_effects:0">effects</span> that Cushing’s has is that it causes back deterioration and consequent
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="90705e0c5e04f6343ffb0eeac98bde65622ceab6" grtype="null" id="GRmark_90705e0c5e04f6343ffb0eeac98bde65622ceab6_pain:0">pain</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are several mechanisms to
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="ca712c994f33b8bf1b3ccb798aa91c64178d9e5e" grtype="null" id="GRmark_ca712c994f33b8bf1b3ccb798aa91c64178d9e5e_the:0">the</span> end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One obvious one is the stress
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="30a54bc958af43aa4b214d2077df9b1b52b1cbca" grtype="null" id="GRmark_30a54bc958af43aa4b214d2077df9b1b52b1cbca_the:0">the</span> weight places on the spine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="5efa1a50bcdb50154641374cc65edbdcad59f0fe" grtype="null" id="GRmark_5efa1a50bcdb50154641374cc65edbdcad59f0fe_other:0">other</span> two are that Cushing’s leads to general bone deterioration often causing
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="8fad523a2972473ba2eae32c2405b090b4afffb6" grtype="null" id="GRmark_8fad523a2972473ba2eae32c2405b090b4afffb6_osteoporosis:0">osteoporosis</span> and deterioration of discs in the spine on top of that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I do have spinal
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="6402dbdea467dd17f6b3fa0a3a7d75dba77e5de0" grtype="null" id="GRmark_6402dbdea467dd17f6b3fa0a3a7d75dba77e5de0_deterioration:0">deterioration</span> and a ruptured disc to add to the mix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I started having back pain as far
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="7ccb9967275f4cc8d4929b1e6440f9f017826711" grtype="null" id="GRmark_7ccb9967275f4cc8d4929b1e6440f9f017826711_back:0">back</span> as the early 2000s, it was in 2009 that I really had the extent of the
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="2b072beca9d9476f6701b520f60c0cb7f3e2379d" grtype="null" id="GRmark_2b072beca9d9476f6701b520f60c0cb7f3e2379d_problem:0">problem</span> brought home to me when I was struck by back pain so severe that I was
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="ee41cc2c438935488240bfb0b9fcc1acdc6e5ca2" grtype="null" id="GRmark_ee41cc2c438935488240bfb0b9fcc1acdc6e5ca2_bed ridden:0">bed ridden</span> for a month and spent several more in a wheelchair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t until I managed to bring my weight
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="b002b344fdd010ac5ad5fb297141dc640df72576" grtype="null" id="GRmark_b002b344fdd010ac5ad5fb297141dc640df72576_down:0">down</span> enough to fit into an MRI that the ruptured disc was discovered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It presses onto the sciatic nerve.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At the time
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="bfb378d025981d6b822390ccaedc9d1b09ebc8c3" grtype="null" id="GRmark_bfb378d025981d6b822390ccaedc9d1b09ebc8c3_of:0">of</span> the 2009 attack I was refused hospitalization on the grounds that I was not
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="b252e95ea21d2132b8372b8ba499f1cc50f1a70f" grtype="null" id="GRmark_b252e95ea21d2132b8372b8ba499f1cc50f1a70f_a:0">a</span> candidate for surgery, though how they came to that conclusion without a
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="4baa97b76411453be9429ccf0e5d47d25a8bafca" grtype="null" id="GRmark_4baa97b76411453be9429ccf0e5d47d25a8bafca_proper:0">proper</span> evaluation is beyond me unless they were basing that opinion on my
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="d416b10a256e917dd76dd9e33731efacadad031d" grtype="null" id="GRmark_d416b10a256e917dd76dd9e33731efacadad031d_having:0">having</span> a large Abdominal hernia from a previous surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So on that occasion I was crammed screaming
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="b6d9e23c489929c4dc86d584d3182846ded3aedf" grtype="null" id="GRmark_b6d9e23c489929c4dc86d584d3182846ded3aedf_in:0">in</span> agony from the pain into our small car and sent home, after my doctor had
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="be0db286f1cdc1a26566a4eba0519fe4422bc88a" grtype="null" id="GRmark_be0db286f1cdc1a26566a4eba0519fe4422bc88a_sent:0">sent</span> me to the ER for admission in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, yes, I’m harping.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A couple of
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="cea574282db73340e3df47698935bc7e982c8e27" grtype="null" id="GRmark_cea574282db73340e3df47698935bc7e982c8e27_days:0">days</span> ago I woke up in serious pain and gutted it through the first day hoping
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="8f55822272b054f0b386aceaacb9a397bb1a46b3" grtype="null" id="GRmark_8f55822272b054f0b386aceaacb9a397bb1a46b3_it:0">it</span> would go away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the next day I
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="3826178a7a33d095c628c0202cedb5c28c0b53b5" grtype="null" id="GRmark_3826178a7a33d095c628c0202cedb5c28c0b53b5_went:0">went</span> to see a doctor and have been taking a painkiller and a muscle relaxer
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="a26dc2ec3c9c42b2858b5e7938943a525f22ff3c" grtype="null" id="GRmark_a26dc2ec3c9c42b2858b5e7938943a525f22ff3c_which:0">which</span> both make me kind of sleepy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="f2724f9767776ca735aca49099e277e8469d83a2" grtype="null" id="GRmark_f2724f9767776ca735aca49099e277e8469d83a2_one:0">one</span> of the things which can be done.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There is
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="9f1402ca17577712025a302abd208df283b8e71a" grtype="null" id="GRmark_9f1402ca17577712025a302abd208df283b8e71a_also:0">also</span> what are called TENS units, which use a small amount of electricity to
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="69ea81ee03018c7c24574c8521d70260351bc4e6" grtype="null" id="GRmark_69ea81ee03018c7c24574c8521d70260351bc4e6_neutralize:0">neutralize</span> the pain impulses sent up the nerves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also surgery of course, which I
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="61248b3bacff3322b7468f915fef006674a2c829" grtype="null" id="GRmark_61248b3bacff3322b7468f915fef006674a2c829_think:0">think</span> the doctor I saw thinks may be necessary since he’s asked me to follow up
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="2d6e192e447bf0326938519dff1879c20d7fa78e" grtype="null" id="GRmark_2d6e192e447bf0326938519dff1879c20d7fa78e_with:0">with</span> my orthopedic surgeon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sadly, the
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="442cbc1556c57234c7a77ce7f2f59e9760667697" grtype="null" id="GRmark_442cbc1556c57234c7a77ce7f2f59e9760667697_options:0">options</span> are growing fewer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="552dcda36b26710cd313b813fd9d67b4bfa9a32b" grtype="null" id="GRmark_552dcda36b26710cd313b813fd9d67b4bfa9a32b_research:0">research</span> boards tasked with recommending standards of care under the new
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="784e29c81ca2daa6ee60d7e9eaf5b06e2862c29c" grtype="null" id="GRmark_784e29c81ca2daa6ee60d7e9eaf5b06e2862c29c_healthcare:0">healthcare</span> act in the United <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="784e29c81ca2daa6ee60d7e9eaf5b06e2862c29c" grtype="null" id="GRmark_784e29c81ca2daa6ee60d7e9eaf5b06e2862c29c_states:1">states</span> recommended a few months back that TENS
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="1a759fe559d1e140a78b3e7f57bd72ba88bcc415" grtype="null" id="GRmark_1a759fe559d1e140a78b3e7f57bd72ba88bcc415_units:0">units</span> should no longer be used in the treatment of back pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s sad because they are a relatively
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="15290a3d0528882b5ce6f3a327ba9d36163cbff5" grtype="null" id="GRmark_15290a3d0528882b5ce6f3a327ba9d36163cbff5_inexpensive:0">inexpensive</span> mode of treatment. And it is being recommended that access to
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="65298d795cab3cf40ce8c228c8b67ce9f54673e1" grtype="null" id="GRmark_65298d795cab3cf40ce8c228c8b67ce9f54673e1_narcotics:0">narcotics</span> for those in chronic pain be even further restricted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For a Cushie
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="5d33de72683ae4cfa3f316b9b013b55030bbdbe2" grtype="null" id="GRmark_5d33de72683ae4cfa3f316b9b013b55030bbdbe2_back:0">back</span> pain can pretty well be counted on at some point if one’s condition
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="4b0247fd56b315fee6061e52e2e3247f2ad58c32" grtype="null" id="GRmark_4b0247fd56b315fee6061e52e2e3247f2ad58c32_remains:0">remains</span> untreated for any real length of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just the strain from the added weight will cause it if nothing
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="6c2dc68d045f3b32ce1a8a4480c963fb20551ffc" grtype="null" id="GRmark_6c2dc68d045f3b32ce1a8a4480c963fb20551ffc_else:0">else</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your doctor will determine if you
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="018ba39aa00f761114aab86d535c77ab77b39564" grtype="null" id="GRmark_018ba39aa00f761114aab86d535c77ab77b39564_need:0">need</span> to be referred to a specialist, more often than not an orthopedic surgeon
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="a97aeec4e86705d0acde8a1772a42d8f8a90ed21" grtype="null" id="GRmark_a97aeec4e86705d0acde8a1772a42d8f8a90ed21_who:0">who</span> will evaluate your condition and decide if surgery is an option or not.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We’ll see
<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="829dbb30d7856864e9bf2c71a442205d344da30d" grtype="null" id="GRmark_829dbb30d7856864e9bf2c71a442205d344da30d_how:0">how</span> it goes for me this time around.</span></div>
Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-63721457591282345292013-04-12T14:53:00.000-07:002013-04-12T14:53:49.174-07:00A tale of Stretch Marks!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s1600/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s320/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Everybody
hates stretch marks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get them when we
gain weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get them when we get
pregnant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, oh, how unsightly they
are!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But guess what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can be far worse as any Cushie
knows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a meme I picked off of
Face book which shows fairly normal postpartum stretch marks, the most typical
for women:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8REp9_CZr_4/UWh8dI-nfJI/AAAAAAAAAGc/mgT4BqXbcAg/s1600/Postpartum+Maeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8REp9_CZr_4/UWh8dI-nfJI/AAAAAAAAAGc/mgT4BqXbcAg/s320/Postpartum+Maeks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And the
worse a woman is likely to see if they maintain anything like normal weight is
here:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t0Grlj0bnmc/UWh8osdxWeI/AAAAAAAAAGk/26Hcydrl7vI/s1600/your+a+tiger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t0Grlj0bnmc/UWh8osdxWeI/AAAAAAAAAGk/26Hcydrl7vI/s320/your+a+tiger.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Sorry about the language.<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span>
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Those are
more typically called striae and there’s a reason a woman will end up with
those during pregnancy and keep them post-partum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I sat through anatomy and physiology class
the professor teaching the class revealed something a little unexpected at the
time about pregnancy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During pregnancy
women typically experience a rise in cortisol levels and actually develop Cushing’s
during their pregnancies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The body’s
response serves the purpose of providing tissue mass to support and protect the
developing child during the pregnancy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Consequently women will develop stretch marks during the pregnancy and
keep them after.</span>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, for
those who suffer from any variant of Cushing’s the situation typically becomes
worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stretch marks get bigger,
wider and will often turn anything from pink to purple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my friends let me use this image of
her striae showing how wide they can get:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-so4Lj1ERZuQ/UWh9M-ipdkI/AAAAAAAAAGs/xcYThdH-md0/s1600/Liz+Striae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-so4Lj1ERZuQ/UWh9M-ipdkI/AAAAAAAAAGs/xcYThdH-md0/s320/Liz+Striae.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And here are
links to more images of Cushing’s striae:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.riversideonline.com/source/images/image_popup/sn7_stretchmarks3.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.riversideonline.com/source/images/image_popup/sn7_stretchmarks3.jpg</a> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.dermnetnz.org/systemic/img/s/cush1-s.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.dermnetnz.org/systemic/img/s/cush1-s.jpg</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.skinsight.com/images/dx/webChild/striaeStretchMarks_16044_lg.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.skinsight.com/images/dx/webChild/striaeStretchMarks_16044_lg.jpg</a> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://o.quizlet.com/h0q1jDE1x0sv5LUECmjMzw_m.jpg" target="_blank">http://o.quizlet.com/h0q1jDE1x0sv5LUECmjMzw_m.jpg</a> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What can you
do about the striae, nothing much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put
skin lotion on them and accept them for what they are, a symptom of a much
bigger problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re big enough
that you will be losing a ton of weight when you’re cured you may be a
candidate for having some skin removed, that will remove most of the striae
with the trade-off of some surgical scarring unless a really skilled plastic
surgeon handles the procedure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
striae just make us resemble our namesakes, the zebras, more than most folks
with rare diseases.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-87108563430909782362013-01-15T12:38:00.002-08:002013-01-15T12:38:48.052-08:00Cyclical Cushing’s Syndrome<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hey there
everybody!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today one of
my Facebook friends posted a link to a post on the CSRF website about Cyclical
Cushing’s syndrome:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://03342db.netsolhost.com/page/cyclical_cushings_syndrome.php" target="_blank">Cyclical Cushing's Syndrome</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You have to wade through the
usual Doc speak, but it’s worth the effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To summarize, Dr. A. Brew Atkinson is part of a group who noticed that
some patients were cyclical way back in the 1950s and has been studying the
phenomena ever since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What they
concluded is that a significant number of Cushies, upwards of one third in one
sample of Cushing’s patients were cyclical, making it more common than doctors
think.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They also noted
the difficulty diagnosing for several reason, one being the need to do
extensive testing, which is expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another reason is that cyclical patients do not respond to some tests,
such as the dexamethasone test, in the expected ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is something those of us with the
disease know all too well!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So they
suggested those patients with Cushing’s features yet who don’t have the
expected test results should be considered for more extensive testing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also suggested certain testing, such as
AM long-range urine or long-range serum cortisol testing with a suggested 28
consecutive day period which will catch most of the known cycles they’ve
documented.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As noted,
that is kind of expensive and don’t be surprised if insurance companies balk at
covering the cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my case we just
happened to catch both peaks and troughs in the standard testing done, so I
know I’m a cyclical Cushie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I don’t
know is what pattern I fit because no testing occurred to establish my pattern.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you didn’t
already read the article please read the article if you are trying to find out
if you or a loved one has Cyclical Cushing’s or if it was suggested to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you or your loved one may have it please
persist in getting the right testing done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-19741553626719659352012-12-14T18:13:00.000-08:002012-12-14T18:13:02.484-08:00Cushing’s And the Immune System<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s1600/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s320/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Greetings
again my friends and readers!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, it has
come time to talk about another aspect of Cushing’s, compromised immune system response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most old time zebras know well enough how
vulnerable they are to opportunistic infections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s one of the things long term exposure
to steroids do is to make the immune system weaker and less able to ward off
disease and infections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what is
Cushing’s syndrome but long term exposure to steroids?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was forcibly
reminded of that fact this past week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
set the stage I was having some problems with what seemed to be a stomach bug
of some sort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I went to a clinic not
far down the highway from where I live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After seeing the doctor and being told I was suffering from “food
poisoning” I waited out in the waiting room for my wife to pick me up since she’d
run out to run a couple of errands real quick while I was in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I collapsed right there in the waiting room
and was rushed to the hospital where I remained until yesterday.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although there
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which affected more than one system and also severely dehydrated me in the
process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right up to the last minute
before release I was pumped full of antibiotics and fluids.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That is one
of the things those of us who suffer from Cushing’s have to be aware of and
watch out for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our immune systems become
less able to cope with invaders over time and one can easily get into in
trouble if one doesn’t stay on top of things, like I didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means not waiting until what seems like
a small problem gets out of hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So one
has to treat almost every sniffle as something serious, don’t wait around to treat
it and be ready to get help at the first sign of trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know doctors and insurers get a little bent
out of shape by us “hypochondriacs,”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But let me tell you three days stuck in a hospital
bed eating the low calorie diets us fat folks inevitably get put on in the vain
hope we’ll lose weight is no fun.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another thing
I found while checking the net for this post was multiple reports on some
research done which is another reason to be careful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems there is some evidence that
infections can cause the production of cortisols to go out of control in a
victim of Cushing’s with fatal results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since
all I could access were abstracts I couldn’t get down to the details.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So there’s another reason for anybody with
Cushing’s to be careful, very careful.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That doesn’t
mean a Cushie can’t live a reasonable life on that score.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just exercise common sense and care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do that and you can generally avoid ending up
in as extreme a situation as I ended up in.</span></div>
Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-2641398519136538812012-12-10T14:57:00.001-08:002012-12-10T14:57:46.915-08:00My first Cataract Surgery Is Done<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s1600/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s320/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Greetings
again my dear friends and readers!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My first
cataract surgery is done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a week
post-op as of today and everything went fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were no complications and my sight is already better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have the second one done next week.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The way the
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insurance generally will only cover the cheaper monofocal lens, so you would
have to pay out of pocket for the multifocal ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s all over in a few minutes and I was in
and out of the clinic in a little over an hour.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After the
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the eye.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s great
to be getting it over with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll let you
know how it works out when everything is done.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataract_surgery" target="_blank">Wikipedia On Cataract Surgery.</a> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/cataract-surgery.htm" target="_blank">Cataract Surgery, From An Opthalmic Surgeon's Site.</a> </span></div>
Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-30336542991659244592012-11-29T17:00:00.001-08:002012-11-29T17:00:35.640-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HIWcZ2uiDmI/UK5rFKbDZVI/AAAAAAAAAEM/mrPbOhBkhms/s1600/DSC03203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HIWcZ2uiDmI/UK5rFKbDZVI/AAAAAAAAAEM/mrPbOhBkhms/s320/DSC03203.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Hey there my friends and readers!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This is just a short post to let you kn<span style="font-size: large;">ow what is going on. This coming Monday, Dec. 3, 2012 I will have my first cataract surgery. Then on the 17th of December I'm supposed to have the other one done. So I<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: large;">am going to stay clear of the net for at least a few days after surgery to give each eye a chance to heal properly.</span></span></span></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once I'm <span style="font-size: large;">past the surg<span style="font-size: large;">eries I will be back</span></span>. My wishes for a blessed holiday season to all<span style="font-size: large;">!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stanley Loper </span></span></span>Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-45422992077086186612012-11-22T10:15:00.000-08:002012-11-22T10:15:02.265-08:00The Moon Face<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s1600/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqohpRcuCAI/T7q8-ukdmvI/AAAAAAAAABI/QztMQE--erE/s320/151216_copy_57200533219PM_4a_shading.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Greetings from the Original Zebra!</span></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Take a look
at the following picture of my mother in her teenage years:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1spEaaQ5Wj4/UK5pJUthcHI/AAAAAAAAADs/kEprLSa_bgk/s1600/Mom+from+Vonice+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1spEaaQ5Wj4/UK5pJUthcHI/AAAAAAAAADs/kEprLSa_bgk/s320/Mom+from+Vonice+pic.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is
probably one of the best examples of another symptom typical of Cushing’s
syndrome, the round, or “moon” face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
moon face is another phenomenon which often accompanies exposure to high levels
of cortisols and is a sign which differentiates the victim of Cushing’s from
other morbidly obese people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a
picture of one of my friends on Facebook who has given me permission to use her
images:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_lKpCKwloyU/UK5pRBYbb_I/AAAAAAAAAD8/GIc-D5Mqg-g/s1600/Monica+Before+Cushing%2527s+b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_lKpCKwloyU/UK5pRBYbb_I/AAAAAAAAAD8/GIc-D5Mqg-g/s320/Monica+Before+Cushing%2527s+b.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here she is
now as a confirmed victim of Cushing’s:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vfTtMutiCHI/UK5pWHI0BuI/AAAAAAAAAEE/eGpGQvbChBQ/s1600/Monica+Howell+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vfTtMutiCHI/UK5pWHI0BuI/AAAAAAAAAEE/eGpGQvbChBQ/s320/Monica+Howell+face.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is more
typical of how the round face will appear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This lady gained over a hundred pounds in a matter of months when she developed
Cushing’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you contrast it with my
mother’s:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-og3dYbECvjQ/UK5pOIKC4FI/AAAAAAAAAD0/tz705jZdoEg/s1600/Mom+closeup+1982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-og3dYbECvjQ/UK5pOIKC4FI/AAAAAAAAAD0/tz705jZdoEg/s320/Mom+closeup+1982.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is easy
to see how Cushing’s can be a little hard to spot in some stages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet my friend, unlike my mother, is a
confirmed Cushie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we can see how this
symptom of Cushing’s can fall in quite a range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet it is still recognizable wherever it falls within its range. Mother went untreated and from the first picture of her she suffered from "Mild" Cushing's all her life. Yet she died at age 65 from the ravages of the disease. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s post
was composed on Thanksgiving Day, so here’s to all my friends and readers from
this moon face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HIWcZ2uiDmI/UK5rFKbDZVI/AAAAAAAAAEM/mrPbOhBkhms/s1600/DSC03203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HIWcZ2uiDmI/UK5rFKbDZVI/AAAAAAAAAEM/mrPbOhBkhms/s320/DSC03203.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Happy Thanksgiving!</span></div>
Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-33194488065732346402012-11-07T12:12:00.000-08:002012-11-09T18:24:30.069-08:00Cataracts and Cushing’s<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VBMAvb2gO44/UJR0-p9H0TI/AAAAAAAAADc/DkyYSsjWBqg/s1600/DSC03202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VBMAvb2gO44/UJR0-p9H0TI/AAAAAAAAADc/DkyYSsjWBqg/s320/DSC03202.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Circumstances
force me to interrupt my planned series for a short discussion on Cushies and
cataracts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been having growing
problems with my sight lately and suffered from eye strain and headaches as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day I noticed that when I
closed one eye type on the monitor screen and in printed material simply
disappeared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I already knew I had
cataracts in both eyes in the early stages and feared one of them had
accelerated its development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My fear was
confirmed and my doctor wants me to have the cataract removed as soon as we can
get it done while my eyes are stable.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cataracts
are a condition where the lens of the eyes becomes opaque.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As cataracts develop the patient experiences
increasing difficulty seeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will
probably be things like not being able to read type which or an eye exam which will
be the first clue that something’s wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, the cataract will eventually cause complete blindness in the
eye if left untreated.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
formation of cataracts in cases of steroid treatment and exogenous Cushing’s
syndrome (Cushing’s caused by medical therapy) is a well known side
affect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, research seems to
document that cataracts are not a common side effect in endogenous, or Cushing’s
caused by tumors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t find anything
on it, but I imagine that cataract formation or acceleration would be a likely danger
with the use of glucocortical steroids such as prednisone for the treatment of inflammation or injury with a patient who already has exposure to elevated
levels of cortical steroids to begin with because of Cushing’s syndrome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is another reason steroids should be
used with care to treat Cushies.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The treatment
for advanced cataracts is removal and replacement with an artificial lens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While reading through the brochure I was
given I found out that great strides in advancement in both the surgery and the
lenses have taken place since my days as a practicing nurse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is now possible in people with no
astigmatism, or even certain cases of astigmatism to have such sight
improvement after surgery that eyeglasses are no longer needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, most cases of people with
astigmatism will still require eyeglasses.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As with any
other surgery there are risks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According
to the patient plan I was given they include cornea/retina injury,
hemorrhaging, pain, blurred vision, double vision and loss of vision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I’m on clotting therapy the risk of hemorrhaging
is especially pronounced and I will probably have to go on a heparin bridge to
reduce the likelihood of that complication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That requires an added week before the surgery can be done.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Naturally I
will not be in a position to write for awhile after the surgery and don’t know
how long my recovery to the point I can resume writing will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I will be back and will continue with the
series I started.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Helpful links:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.parkhurstexchange.com/ophthalmology/2009-10-15" target="_blank">Do Steroids Cause Cataracts?</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://ibdcrohns.about.com/od/prednisone/a/Cataracts.htm" target="_blank">http://ibdcrohns.about.com/od/prednisone/a/Cataracts.htm</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.iovs.org/content/34/13/3497.full.pdf" target="_blank">Catarcts and Cushing's Syndrome</a></span></div>
Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4537546689392386565.post-90575361510674793932012-11-02T18:43:00.000-07:002012-11-02T18:43:53.953-07:00Truncal Obesity<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VBMAvb2gO44/UJR0-p9H0TI/AAAAAAAAADc/DkyYSsjWBqg/s1600/DSC03202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VBMAvb2gO44/UJR0-p9H0TI/AAAAAAAAADc/DkyYSsjWBqg/s320/DSC03202.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes, that’s
a brand new picture of me taken just this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That makes it among the most recent in ten years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But let’s take a look at the rest of me:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jgzo3tB2eK8/UJR05pz_g3I/AAAAAAAAADU/yHRr6Ekhu34/s1600/DSC03201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jgzo3tB2eK8/UJR05pz_g3I/AAAAAAAAADU/yHRr6Ekhu34/s320/DSC03201.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As you can
see I’m playing a guitar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flamenco
guitar is one of my hobbies and I do enjoy playing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the important thing to focus on is the
fat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My fat is concentrated mainly in my
trunk area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look at how thin my arms
are, almost like skinny sticks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the
classic portrait of what is called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Truncal
Obesity</i>, the rather distinctive trait of Cushing’s syndrome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normally the morbidly obese have plenty of
fat on their arms and legs as well as the trunk of the body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, those with Cushing’s syndrome, or a
few other disorders such as PCOs (Polycystic Ovarian Tumors) will display
truncal obesity to varying degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anytime one sees the pattern one should consider endocrine problems.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the
following picture you’ll see that my mother displayed the pattern as well:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hkWJHEEHltI/UCqJ4foi0gI/AAAAAAAAACc/N7bOesjgye8/s1600/Debra+and+Mom+1962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hkWJHEEHltI/UCqJ4foi0gI/AAAAAAAAACc/N7bOesjgye8/s320/Debra+and+Mom+1962.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once again,
we see morbid obesity combined with a relative lack of fat in the
extremities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With both my mother and me
you could see the individual muscles in the forearm clearly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the same with both our lower legs and
my thigh muscles stand out really well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In my case both my arms and legs are free of fat until I reach the joint
with my torso, then some shows up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next
I repost the picture of my friend:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ey7RABYUyQ4/UCqI8EVXZ7I/AAAAAAAAABw/iGTrxQSL3CY/s1600/Young+Cushie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ey7RABYUyQ4/UCqI8EVXZ7I/AAAAAAAAABw/iGTrxQSL3CY/s320/Young+Cushie.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I her case
the differences in the trunk and extremities aren’t so pronounced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet she does suffer the disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look more closely at her forearms, though,
and you will see the difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally
I will repost another picture I’ve used:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dOprTWhUAv0/UCqJXTyNFqI/AAAAAAAAACU/nh-m_IOiqzc/s1600/Cushing%2527s+before+and+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dOprTWhUAv0/UCqJXTyNFqI/AAAAAAAAACU/nh-m_IOiqzc/s320/Cushing%2527s+before+and+after.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In this picture
which was posted on Facebook the woman shows the clearly distinct truncal
obesity which is often the first big sign of Cushing’s.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is the
first in a series of posts on the things those with Cushing’s can <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">see</i> for themselves or which may be
noticed by friends and family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some
of those the clothes will come off, or the pictures themselves may be shocking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m choosing the photos and getting
permission to use them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are folks
out there who are willing to expose themselves that those who are seeking to
know what is going on with their own bodies, or those of loved ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have my hearty thanks!</span></div>
Stanley Loperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08375288990836726724noreply@blogger.com1