Have you experienced unexplained, sudden weight gain? Or, despite the number of times you’ve faithfully stuck to a diet, have you failed to lose weight?
If either or both of these questions apply to you, then it’s time to dive deeper and ask yourself some of these additional questions—because this is really important:
- Do I have a moon face—a face that looks unusually round, with heavy fat deposits on my cheeks, jawline, and under my chin?
- Do I have a large, broad lump on my back, right between my shoulders?
- Is my tummy more like the shape of a barrel and yet, I have relatively thin arms and legs?
- Do I have purplish or pink stretch marks on my stomach, arms, legs, and/or back?
- Do I have cuts on my skin that are slow to heal?
- Do my muscles feel weak?
If you answered yes to at least two of these questions, it’s time to have a talk with your doctor, because it’s very possible that you either have Cushing’s disease or Cushing’s syndrome and you NEED to get help!
Check out this video about Cushing’s syndrome for more info!
The good news is that both conditions can usually be treated fairly successfully. The bad news is that you might have to deal with costs associated with several diagnostic tests, including an MRI.
But hey, it’s worth doing, because you’ll know definitively if you are one of less than three people out of a million who get diagnosed each year.
Surgery is not without risk, of course. But it’s also possible that you won’t need surgery to treat and potentially cure your condition.
If you have Cushing’s disease/syndrome, what was the first sign you noticed that led to your diagnosis? Please post on Patient Worthy.