Cushing's Info

Health History/Information/Conditions

45 Year Old Female, 5’8” 200lbs

2 kids:  Daughter 21 and Son 11 normal deliveries

1983 Started smoking at age 19

1983 (19yrs) Diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism.  I have taken synthetic T4 ever since.

1984 Laparoscopy to evaluate the reason for heavy periods.  Was told I needed a hysterectomy because my uterus looked red and pissed off.  I declined until after kids

1986 Had first child

1991 Right lung collapsed 3 times.  Had a chest tube the 2nd time and had a pleurodesis surgery the third time.  Several staples were left in my lung also.

1991 Diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse and panic attacks

1991 Quit Smoking

1992 Started smoking

1995 Had silicone shell saline filled breast implants put in

1995 One of the breast implants ruptured and I had it replaced

1997 Had second child


2004 Nervous breakdown that lasted approximately 3 weeks.  Lost 23 pounds in 3 weeks, insomnia, gagging, swallowing problems, nausea, shaking, trembling, headache, crying, heart racing and pounding, weakness in my whole body.  Was finally diagnosed as hypothyroidism due to needing an increase in my T4 dosage and I was also treated with several different combinations of anti-anxiety and anti-depression drugs.  Finally someone prescribed a combination of Klonopin and Remeron which worked quite well but only for about 4 months.

2005 Had all kinds of heart tests.  Was told there was mild regurgitation in two of my valves. The mitral valve and tricuspid valve.  Treated with Toprol.  Didn’t take it very long as it didn‘t help.

2007 Quit smoking

2008 Another nervous breakdown identical to the one in 2004 except I gained 40 pounds this time rather than losing.

2008 Had breast implants removed

2009 MRI confirmed a 3-4mm Pituitary Micro-adenoma

Other things:  Colon polyps, diverticulitis, thyroid ultrasound, gallbladder ultrasound came back ok, endometriosis, fibroid tumors, Nodule in one of my thyroid lobes, internal and external hemorrhoids, vitiligo


Symptom List (no certain order)

Awaken to heart racing every night around 4:00am-5:00am.  Very broken sleep.  Horrible insomnia.  Sleep deprivation

Bone pain especially my heels, hands, and arms.  Bone pain after the slightest bump.  Feel bruised in many spots and my muscles feel weak sometimes

Body hair changes:  Hair loss and hair texture changing with loss of pubic hair and the hair on my legs is not growing back very good.  Black whiskers on my toes and a lot of white facial hair

Seeing floating spots and blurry or hazy vision

Skin thin and grayish blue.  Scars not healing right.  Hyper pigmentation of my skin along with skin on my hands turning yellowish orange and gray in some spots

Lipoma’s which itch sometimes

Heart pounding and banging and lightheaded and dizziness a lot of the time

Swallowing problems-can’t swallow

Frequent episodes of shaking, heart racing, sweating, from the slightest stimulation along with unbearable anxiety much of the time

Frequent bloating, heartburn, indigestion, upper stomach burning and discomfort, gassy, crampy, discomfort from front to back, right shoulder pain

Facial numbness including nose and top teeth.  Hands and arms tingling quite a lot

Sub-clavical fat pads/puffiness with my neck starting to bullfrog under my chin.  Also a hump on my back at the base of my neck

Thick rapid upper stomach weight gain just under my breasts and on my back.  My body weight is becoming central and my weight is pulling to the center of my body

High blood pressure quite often

Eyes puffy and discolored

Lungs feel burnt sometimes and I have coughing episodes especially during the night

Sharp deep needle skin pains in my legs

Hives, itching, burning skin on my face sometimes

TSH Levels unstable for last few years


Sensations where I feel like my brain is tightening up-a tightening sensation in my head with heart pounding, deep skin pains in my legs, abdominal cramping, back pain, sensation like I need to have a bowel movement all at the same time.  These episodes last 30 seconds to a minute where it feels like some of my organs and/or glands are seizing up

Tinnitus, Bleeding from rectum sometimes, gums bleed easily

Photo's at:  http://www.dawnmariewarfleturner.com/GalleryFilmstrip.aspx?gallery=223718

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