k-k-k-kawaii

beach

ocean

sand

sea

waves

untold stories and treasures hidden beneath gleams

of angelfish dancing just almost too close to the tides

and dolphins cackling and whales who cried

out for a change in their world, the thing they only knew

their minds we know not of trying to construe

of these deadly intruders crawling along

for them? the whales would not sing their songs

the angelfish and seaweed would soon no longer dance

and the dolphins would vanish before given their chance

to make amends with these creatures, so horrible and vile

to no success, for these creatures were surely in denial

now for who could amend with this species so stuck in their own confusion;

I meant to post this yesterday, but I wanted to spread this around.

April 8th is National Cushing’s Awareness Day.

Now… A lot of you are probably wondering what Cushing’s is (or really is). In case you’re wondering, typically, Cushing’s is a form of a benign tumor that sits either on the pituitary gland (a small gland about the size of a pea that sits just underneath your brain), or your adrenal glands. Those two places control your cortisol, hormone, and steriod production. When those things are out of wack… EVERYTHING is out of wack.

But is it cancer?

No, it’s not. But let’s take a look at these side effects.

- Excessive weight gain. This is due to cortisol, hormone, and steroid overproduction.

- Insomnia

- Facial Flushing. Those rosy cheeks aren’t always a good sign, ladies and gents.

- Irregular hair growth in places such as arms, neck, stomach, etc.

-Hair thinning/loss on the head. I lost a majority of my own.

- Round face. Again, chubby cheeks are one thing. An excessive double chin is another.

- Stretch marks. Might I add, very painful stretch marks. Some get to a dark purple hue, and some even rip and bleed. I’ve had the misfortune of having both circumstances happen.

- “Buffalo humps”. A buffalo hump often happens around the back of the neck and upper back areas, as well as above the rear. This is a key sign of Cushings.

- Muscle weakness.

- Extreme fatigue. I’m not just talking about going for a run and feeling tired. I’m talking about not being able to walk around the grocery store without feeling faint. I’m talking about getting winded and exhausted after doing simple tasks, such as tying your shoes.

- Easy bruising, and slow recovery from bruises, cuts, scrapes, etc.

- Easily nauseas/constantly nauseated.

- Bone loss/fractures.

- Night sweats.

- Frequent hot and cold flashes.

- Severe depression and anxiety. This is a MAJOR sign. Sadly, this often goes misdiagnosed, when, a sad reality is that it’s a side effect.

- Diabetes. Again, this is often also sadly misdiagnosed. 20% of diabetics may be Cushing’s candidates without even knowing.

- Extremely high blood pressure.

- Kidney Stones.

- Severe headaches and migraines.

- And ladies, not only do we get all of this, but your menstrual cycles are off, and often, very painful.

No. It’s not cancer. But it sure as heck sucks regardless.

Many of these side effects often get misdiagnosed by doctors. If you suspect that you or someone you love is a Cushing’s candidate, find a endocrine specialist, and get examined for Cushing’s. The name of this disease is cute, yes. But know this:

I am cured.

I had my third pituitary surgery last June, a few days after graduation. And it changed my life forever.

I am slowly but surely gaining strength back. A few days ago, I went to a Panic! At The Disco concert, and walked a mile and a half to the center, and climbed up at least 40 flights of stairs up and down. I just got back from grocery shopping, and tomorrow, I go back to work at my job at Express. Plus, I lost over 95 lbs since then.

If you would have told me a year ago that I was going to have the strength to do all of these things, I would have thought you were lying.

I still have bad days. I still get depressed. That actually went up. But thanks to a great counselor, ongoing therapy, and antidepressants, I’m on the road to getting better.

I still get body aches. I still get dizzy. I still am pretty weak.

But I am improving.

デート２

Austin, Texas