Journey with Me-Hello everyone, would you like to take a journey with me? My name is Sharon Peacock and I am a 57 year old married woman, mother (Jeffrey - 35 years old) and grandmother of 3, Jordyn 7, Kacie 5, and Joshua 2. I have been happily married to John (retired army) for 27 years now. I am 5'2" and weigh 183 lbs now and climbing. Most of my life I weighed between 110-120lbs and was in good health until around 2003 - 2004. I really don't know when all of this madness began. I was diagnosed with Cushing's May 11th, 2007. Let's begin…

I have always been a fairly healthy, happy go lucky lady. Never had health problems and hardly went to the doctors. In the year 1999, I had to have a hysterectomy, and the gyno was surprised to find a 12" tumor in my uterus. In fact, he took a ruler, laid it beside it and took a picture of it. I was 49 years old at the time. In 2003 I developed shingles and that was not fun, well my doctor died after that and I had to get a new doctor. When I went to the new doctor he of course wanted to run some tests on me. Because of my age, I am now over 50 and never have had a colonoscopy he set one up for me. They found three (3) polyps and removed them, they too were benign. Well, I just was not feeling myself anymore, gaining weight, thin skin, easy bruising, light headed, stomach always hurting, you know the feeling, something is not right. So, I went back to the doctor's.

In 2004 they ran a MRI and found a small tumor on my right adrenal gland. The doctor said not to worry about it, it is so small and we will monitor it to see if it grows. You know, the doctor knows best so I didn't worry about it. The funny thing about it was, gee, I still don't feel good, I am still gaining weight even though I am not eating anymore then usual. Well, let's chalk it up to old age. So I join Weight Watchers. In fact, Weight Watchers came to my work. We had about 12 associates join. Everyone was loosing weight but me. Oh, I would loose a pound here and there, but everyone else was loosing weight in their body and face, they looked good, me, on the other hand, well, I was gaining! So, here I go to the store and get the South Beach Diet, you know, those itty bitty little microwave meals. I even joined the gym during all of this and walked 3 miles a day 3 to 4 days a week. Still the weight stayed with me. I chalked it up to old age. My husband once asked me, "Sharon, are you eating a lot of food at work?" My sister, Judy, was concerned about my weight. I said "No, I am not eating anymore than usual". I noticed that when I would go to the doctor's now, my blood pressure was starting to rise. In my younger days my blood pressure was 114/77, they would often say to me, I can tell you are athletic by your blood pressure. My cholesterol now is rising, so the doctor puts me on Lipitor to control it. In 2006, while having some work done on my teeth the dentist noticed a white spot in the pallet of my mouth. I went to the doctor, who got me an appointment with an eye, ear and nose specialist. They operated on it and it also was benign.

Then later in the year I started to have severe pains in the belly, another MRI done. They found that I had a kidney stone and I was sent to see a urologist Dr. Young. I believe that he and my sister may have saved my life. While looking at the MRI he noticed the tumor. He asked me if my doctor had spoken to me about it. I said yes, I had had that tumor since 2004, mind you it is now November 2006, and he said not to worry about it. He then asked me about my weight and was I having a hard time loosing weight, he asked about my blood pressure and cholesterol. Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather!!!! I told him about Weight Watchers, the itty bitty South Beach Diet, Slim Fast and nothing was working. I told him about my legs, ankles and top of feet swelling up like balloons and I was on a water pill! I also developed a Hiatal Hernia and had acid reflux, on pills now for that as well. It seemed as though I was falling apart in my old age. Now, he never mentioned Cushing's to me, however, he said that he was going to call my doctor and recommend that I see an endocrinologist. Ok, this has got to be good. Maybe someone can tell me what is going on with my body. I was beginning to think I was becoming a hypochondriac. I believe my husband was thinking the same thing too.

I finally got an appointment with the endo in late April of 2007. It took so long because we have a HMO insurance and before you can see a doctor you must go through you primary doctor who then requests an authorization to see a doctor. During the period between November 2006 and late April 2007, my lower back and legs began to hurt. They hurt really bad when I would walk any distance. So, back to the doctor's I go. I got an appointment around the same time as the endo. The cardiovascular doctor ran a MRA on the lower part of the body. My endo ran 2 24 hr Urine tests, 9 blood tests and said come back in three weeks. I go back and my cortisol number was 140, high, so he runs another test. I was given a pill to take that night (dexamethasone) and blood work the next morning.

Let me back up a little, during the wait for an appointment my sister, Judy, read in the paper (where someone writes in to the doctor and asks questions) about Cushing's. She read it and sent it to me. She called me and said that she had sent it to me and for me to read it. Well, when I read it I couldn't believe it…It was me; every symptom they talked about described me, from the weight gain, to the buffalo hump, round face, thick neck, thin skin, bruising, memory loss, and kidney stone. I had a name. Boy, I wasn't going crazy after all! Maybe, just maybe all of this wasn't because of old age. Maybe, I wasn't just a fat lazy slob, maybe I wasn't becoming a hypochondriac, and maybe I wasn't getting Alzheimer's. Just maybe!! What a thrill.

Now back to the endo, he called me the next night at home to tell me that I had Cushing's and that it was above his expertise and I needed to go to the next level. There are three clinics in Florida that he recommended, Shand's, Cleveland and the Mayo Clinic. On May 11th 2007 I get an appointment at the Mayo Clinic for June 27th, my primary doctor then sends in the request for an authorization to the Mayo Clinic. In the meantime I have an appointment with the cardiovascular doctor on the results of the MRA. I hear the doctor outside the door ordering another test on my aorta because something was not right. He comes in and says to me that my iliac artery, just below the bifurcation had a 60 to 70 % stenosous which was causing the pain in my back and legs. The good news is he thinks he can get it with balloons. I proceeded to tell him that three days ago I was diagnosed with Cushing's. Complete silence, then he said, "I see", silence, "I see well, we won't continue with anything until the Cushing's is resolved." That was that!

I then wanted to know more about Cushing's and went on the Web. I read everything I could on it. Kathy, manager of the Travel Department, came in one day and said that she had found a great site. Cushing's Support and Research Foundation and that I should check it out. I did. What a wonderful site. I read everything, the member letters are so informing, I have learned so much from this website. I decided to join. I heard back from Karen Campbell immediately. She sent me names of others that had Cushing's to contact. What a God send. I will be forever grateful. I e-mail Lee, Michele and Naomi, all wonderful ladies. All have been so kind and compassionate towards me. They will never know how much they have meant to me. They have kept my spirits up and all have shared their story with me. There are no words that I can find to describe how much they mean to me.

On May 23rd my insurance company denied the Mayo Clinic.

Right now I look in the mirror and I say "Hello, who are you? I don't recognize you, you with those slitty eyes, surrounded by those chubby little cheeks, oh, my, look no chin, it kinda blends in with that thick neck. So I look a little closer in the mirror, my my I say, look at that goatee growing and that peach fuzz on the side of the cheeks, that is interesting! Then I turn to the side, and goodness gracious, look at that lovely buffalo hump growing on the back of the neck. That is different. Then I look at the belly, could I be pregnant, I sure look like I am, got to be going on 10 months now, going to pop any day now…. I bet you can relate.

Today is June 30th, 2007 and my insurance company still has not approved any place for me to go for surgery. Out of frustration, my husband called Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital in Washington D.C. the other day and told them of our plight. They have accepted my case. They told John to send all of my medical records to them. They will review them and call him back with a date for us to come up. We are thrilled. I am writing this because I needed to share my story.

July started with a call from Dr. Rieniets, the endo at Walter Reed, to arrange for tests in Washington D.C. Tests and more tests - hate pain, hate needles, you would think that I would get used to the needles… Nope, nadda, not I. : I had to get a wheelchair at the airport as I can't walk maybe 5 minutes and then I must stop. I have 60-70% stenosous in my iliac artery, and let me tell you, my legs and back go into backflips… the pain is bad. I feel sometimes like a little old lady (can't wait for this to be over.)

But now for the good part! Walter Reed has such wonderful doctors! They saw me on their lunch break, they ran tests, the surgeon came out between surgeries to meet me and speak to me, it was unbelievable. Dr. Rieniets was wonderful, I am her first Cushing's but she has done her homework and you can tell she cares. In fact, I am Walter Reed's first Cushing's this year. Now Dr. Wakefield, the surgeon, has done surgery on Cushing's patients before and is very knowledgeable. Oh, they also are going to stint my iliac artery. Can you believe that! Now remember I did not have an appointment to see Dr. Wakefield, but he took the time to come out between his surgeries to meet me.

Dr. Gambino, the MD internal medicine, did my pre op. Again I did not have an appointment and she did this on her lunch hour. Everyone, from the internal medicine, endo, surgeon and receptionists could not have been nicer. Tests were run in the morning and by that afternoon or the next morning they had the results. Now I don't have a date yet for the surgery but will have it soon.

I want you to know that I have been surrounded by loving family and friends. I have met some incredible people on this journey of mine. Scared and Frightened? You bet! Am I a strong person, you bet! Do you remember the song Que Sera, Sera, whatever will be, will be, our future is not ours to see, Que Sera, Sera, whatever will be will be. Just today while sitting out by the pool that song popped into my mind. (I find that interesting also.)

You know, I have always been a strong person in life, and I will survive this. This disease called Cushing's has met his match. I have had a wonderful life so far and have no plans on leaving here anytime soon. I will never give up.

Thank you for going on this journey with me.