The Changes

At my work, we regularly have to present "safety" moments - each meeting is supposed to start with a moment to share a safety, health or security learning.  I was assigned a safety moment to kick off a team meeting in December, and decided it would be a good opportunity to share my learning from "navigating a hard to diagnose medical condition" - and to tell the team about my disease, and the fact that I would soon be out of the office for several weeks for surgery.

It is therapeutic for me to share my story, as it helps me unravel my misplaced guilt and mistaken assumption that I am a hypochondriac and I am hopeful it will help others who also get written off as "anxious" by their doctors.  As I share my story, this happens all too often - particularly for women.  So I offered to share my story and learning as the topic for the Working Mother's Group, which holds a brown bag lunch every month to discuss different topics.  I put together a two-page PowerPoint presentation, which I'll try to cut and paste below.

 My Story: Diagnosing Cushing's Disease

"Normal", June 2010

I put this picture up to show what I used to look like.  I chose this one as it's when I'm fairly newly postpartum.  I think Katie is about 2 months old here.  I attributed a lot of my difficulty with weight to just being older and not being able to lose the babyfat from my pregnancy with Katie - but when I look back at pictures after she was born, I can see that's not true.  I gained weight and started getting the "moonface" months AFTER she was born.

October 2011

Weight gain, first anxiety symptoms
Consult with psychologist

January 2014

First physical symptoms (cardiac)
Consult with family doctor

August 2014

First onset of continuous physical symptoms
Consult with family doctor, cardiologist, psychiatrist

October 2014

Begin seeking specialists on my own

Diagnosed mid-November

January 2015
One day prior to surgery

January 2016

Average 12-18 months
for full recovery