I am so thankful for all my doctors but today I am thankful for Dr. Amir Al-Juburi who saved my life by removing my kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma). In 2006 I picked up my husband for a biopsy and took him to an outpatient surgical center. While I was there waiting for …
Tag: kidney cancer
Nov 20
Giving Thanks, Day 20
November 3 was the 36th anniversary of my pituitary surgery at NIH. As one can imagine, it hasn’t been all happiness and light. Most of my journey has been documented here and on the message boards – and elsewhere around the web. My Cushing’s has been in remission for most of these 36 years. …
Nov 16
Giving Thanks, Day 16
Adapted from https://cushieblog.com/2010/11/22/40-days-of-thankfulness-days-thirty-one-to-thirty-five/ Today is the fifteenth anniversary of my one and only zipline experience. I had been thinking about doing this since my kidney cancer surgery 3 years earlier. I figured I had “extra years” and I wanted to do something kinda scary, yet fun. So, somehow, I decided on ziplining. All the following …
Nov 05
Giving Thanks, Day 5
I hope I’m not jinxing myself but today I am thankful that I haven’t had any migraines for a while. It’s not “just” not having migraines, but the fact that, should I get one, there’s nothing I can do about them anymore. I used to get migraines quite often, a hormone thing probably. …
Jun 24
National Cancer Survivor’s Day
Observed annually on the first Sunday in June, National Cancer Survivor’s Day has been set aside to “demonstrate that life after a cancer diagnosis can be a reality.” Each year on National Cancer Survivor’s Day, events and celebrations are held and hosted around the United States by local communities, hospitals and support groups honoring …
Jun 03
Cancer Survivor’s Day
Observed annually on the first Sunday in June, National Cancer Survivor’s Day has been set aside to “demonstrate that life after a cancer diagnosis can be a reality.” Each year on National Cancer Survivor’s Day, events and celebrations are held and hosted around the United States by local communities, hospitals and support groups honoring …
May 09
Irony
18 years ago today, I had my left kidney and 10 pounds of cancer removed. This anniversary is, of course, a big A few weeks before that surgery, I had returned to Johns Hopkins to be retested for Growth Hormone. There’s a whole lot of info on my past experiences with HGH in my …
Jun 02
It’s Cancer Survivor’s Day
Observed annually on the first Sunday in June, National Cancer Survivor’s Day has been set aside to “demonstrate that life after a cancer diagnosis can be a reality.” Each year on National Cancer Survivor’s Day, events and celebrations are held and hosted around the United States by local communities, hospitals and support groups honoring cancer survivors. …
May 09
NED for 14 years!
NED stands for No Evidence of Disease Amazing! It’s Been 14 Years, Already. Today is the fourteenth anniversary of my kidney cancer surgery. These fourteen years have been bonus years for me. What were the odds I’d get kidney cancer? According to my “risk factors”, I “should” have had colon cancer because both parents and …
Oct 30
40 Days of Thankfulness: Day 18
Adapted from https://cushieblog.com/2010/11/22/40-days-of-thankfulness-days-thirty-one-to-thirty-five/ I had been thinking about trying ziplining since my kidney cancer surgery 3 years earlier. I figured I had “extra years” and I wanted to do something kinda scary, yet fun. So, somehow, I decided on ziplining. All the following is I wrote then: Day Four, November 18, 2009: Belize City, Honduras Today’s …
Music
- Adrenal Insufficiency May Be Misdiagnosed as AnxietyThe hormone cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands, so adrenal insufficiency (also called Addison’s disease) is caused when the adrenal glands do not produce cortisol normally. Low cortisol can actually cause anxiety and depression, so some patients may really have anxiety — though doctors need to do further testing and/or evaluation to see that it is […]
- 11/17/24 – Webinar on Compounded Tirzepatide vs SemaglutideYOU’RE INVITED! Dr. Theodore Friedman (The Wiz) will be giving an updated webinar on compounded weight loss medicines. Topics to be discussed include: What is the difference between Tirzepatide and Semaglutide? Are compounded medications safe? Will they be discontinued? What are the side effects? How do they work with diet and exercise? Why is Dr. Friedman recommending compounded […]
- Tips for Living with Cushing’sTips for living with Cushing’s – before, during and after treatment. Please feel free to add your own tips here! Cushing’s disease may sometimes make you feel that your life is out of your control. But there are some general things you can do to help take back control. For specific tips such as Getting […]
- Tips from Message Board MembersThings I’ve learned and wanted to share From Cushing’s Message Board members. This is a continuing list, if you want to share. I have learned so much on this Cushing’s journey, much of it from all of you and this site. I wanted to share those learnings, in the event that it helps anyone else. […]
- Adrenalectomy and BLA (Bilateral adrenalectomy)More about Treatments|Adrenalectomy and BLA (Bilateral adrenalectomy) Pain Some pain is normal after any surgery. Different people have different levels of sensitivity to pain. In general, you should experience a little less pain every day. Pain is usually worse in the evening when you are trying to go to sleep. Do not be afraid to […]
- Pituitary Post-Op by KateFrom Personal Stories-Kate, one week post op: [http://cushings.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=19414 on the message boards] Hello, my dear friends, It is strange to be writing to you from the other side of surgery (well, at least this time somewhat coherently, as my prior post-op posts have been, let’s say, lubricated nicely by some very nice pain pills). It […]
- Pituitary GlandWhat is the Pituitary Gland? The pituitary gland is a small gland, located below the brain and connected to the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland regulates the secretions of hormones in the body, and hormones impact metabolism, growth and development, reproduction and urine production. It is important to note that the hypothalamus and pituitary gland are […]
- 11/2/24 – 13th Pituitary Patient Education DayWHEN: SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2ND 2024 WHERE: The Johns Hopkins Hospital Chevy Chase Conference Center, Zayed Tower 1800 Orleans St. Baltimore MD 21287. The annual Pituitary Patient Education Day is a free event that features presentations from Johns Hopkins pituitary experts. To RSVP, please email pituitaryday@jhmi.edu. Space is limited. Each person can bring up to one guest. If […]
- DefinitionsPlease note! This page is being moved from it’s original home so some of the links might not work. Getting a diagnosis and dealing with tests can be a very trying time. Here are some words you’ll want to know. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O […]
- SymptomsAching, sore joints, muscles and tendons. (may include such problems as carpal tunnel syndrome) Acne Anxiety, feeling ill at ease Anxiety, irritability Backaches, unexplained rib and spinal column fractures Below normal temperature Blurred vision Bone weakness leading to fractures Bone, joint and muscle aches, inflammation, and pains Breast tenderness Brisk reflexes Brittle fingernails, which peel […]
Little Free Library
- Adrenal Insufficiency May Be Misdiagnosed as AnxietyThe hormone cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands, so adrenal insufficiency (also called Addison’s disease) is caused when the adrenal glands do not produce cortisol normally. Low cortisol can actually cause anxiety and depression, so some patients may really have anxiety — though doctors need to do further testing and/or evaluation to see that it is […]MaryO
- 11/17/24 – Webinar on Compounded Tirzepatide vs SemaglutideYOU’RE INVITED! Dr. Theodore Friedman (The Wiz) will be giving an updated webinar on compounded weight loss medicines. Topics to be discussed include: What is the difference between Tirzepatide and Semaglutide? Are compounded medications safe? Will they be discontinued? What are the side effects? How do they work with diet and exercise? Why is Dr. Friedman recommending compounded […]MaryO
- Tips for Living with Cushing’sTips for living with Cushing’s – before, during and after treatment. Please feel free to add your own tips here! Cushing’s disease may sometimes make you feel that your life is out of your control. But there are some general things you can do to help take back control. For specific tips such as Getting […]MaryO
- Tips from Message Board MembersThings I’ve learned and wanted to share From Cushing’s Message Board members. This is a continuing list, if you want to share. I have learned so much on this Cushing’s journey, much of it from all of you and this site. I wanted to share those learnings, in the event that it helps anyone else. […]MaryO
- Adrenalectomy and BLA (Bilateral adrenalectomy)More about Treatments|Adrenalectomy and BLA (Bilateral adrenalectomy) Pain Some pain is normal after any surgery. Different people have different levels of sensitivity to pain. In general, you should experience a little less pain every day. Pain is usually worse in the evening when you are trying to go to sleep. Do not be afraid to […]MaryO
- Pituitary Post-Op by KateFrom Personal Stories-Kate, one week post op: [http://cushings.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=19414 on the message boards] Hello, my dear friends, It is strange to be writing to you from the other side of surgery (well, at least this time somewhat coherently, as my prior post-op posts have been, let’s say, lubricated nicely by some very nice pain pills). It […]MaryO
- Pituitary GlandWhat is the Pituitary Gland? The pituitary gland is a small gland, located below the brain and connected to the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland regulates the secretions of hormones in the body, and hormones impact metabolism, growth and development, reproduction and urine production. It is important to note that the hypothalamus and pituitary gland are […]MaryO
- 11/2/24 – 13th Pituitary Patient Education DayWHEN: SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2ND 2024 WHERE: The Johns Hopkins Hospital Chevy Chase Conference Center, Zayed Tower 1800 Orleans St. Baltimore MD 21287. The annual Pituitary Patient Education Day is a free event that features presentations from Johns Hopkins pituitary experts. To RSVP, please email pituitaryday@jhmi.edu. Space is limited. Each person can bring up to one guest. If […]MaryO
- DefinitionsPlease note! This page is being moved from it’s original home so some of the links might not work. Getting a diagnosis and dealing with tests can be a very trying time. Here are some words you’ll want to know. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O […]MaryO
- SymptomsAching, sore joints, muscles and tendons. (may include such problems as carpal tunnel syndrome) Acne Anxiety, feeling ill at ease Anxiety, irritability Backaches, unexplained rib and spinal column fractures Below normal temperature Blurred vision Bone weakness leading to fractures Bone, joint and muscle aches, inflammation, and pains Breast tenderness Brisk reflexes Brittle fingernails, which peel […]MaryO