Coping: I need to find joy and pleasure. There are many things I can still do that bring joy. You will need to decide what is right for you, but, here are a few ideas.

1. Get a manicure, pedicure, or a facial.
2. Start a home correspondence course. Pick a subject that interests you, maybe painting, drawing or writing.
3. Try to read the classics. If reading is a problem, look for large print editions or books on tape.
4. Focus on your spiritual growth. This could be reading numerous books on healing, joining a Bible study group, or doing meditation.
5. Experiment with different recipes; Italian, Chinese, French, low fat, etc.
6. Make a collage of old photos for family or friends or take a craft class.
7. Grow your own herbs.
8. Choose several stocks, and just follow the stock market.
9. Take vitamins and read about them.

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Coping: Find another member to write to or talk to. Everyone needs to talk to someone who has been there, or is in the same stage as you. Even having just one person to talk to makes a world of difference. Write or e-mail, or call each other. You can take turns calling every two weeks. If you limit your calls to about a half hour, it should cost you less than $5.00 a month.

Coping: If you are too tired to do anything, stop thinking about the whole thing that needs to be done. Break it down into pieces. Too tired to wash the dishes? Just wash the glasses. Then rest. You might do the silverware next. Rest again. There is no rule that all the dishes have to be done at the same time! If you used to dust the whole house, try dusting one room each day. If that's too much, dust everything on one side of the room.

Coping: If you don't have family who can help, be honest when friends ask if there is anything they can do. Tell them that you could really use a good house cleaning once a month, or someone to vacuum for you. Ask a friend to pick up some groceries for you, or take you to your doctor's appointments. Ask if they know of someone who can mow your lawn for a couple of dollars. They might volunteer to do it themselves. You'll be surprised at how much people really want to help. They just don't know what to do unless you tell them what you need.

Coping: I have wonderful support from my husband and 10-year old daughter. But I think I used to try to be super mom. Now I notice things that I used to do regularly that are not getting done, and guess what? Nobody cares! My husband hung a sign in the kitchen that says: My house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy. He doesn't spend all of his spare time cleaning. And the house looks fine! Friends come over to visit and ask, "How do you manage to keep your house so clean when you're so sick?" It gives me a great opportunity to praise my husband and daughter.

Coping: I used to worry that I wasn't giving my daughter enough attention. But sometimes, instead of lying on the sofa, I lie on my bed to rest and she joins me. She might tell me jokes, read a story, or just lie next to me and talk.

Coping: I had trouble cooking dinner. There are wonderful prepared frozen meals that will get you by on the worst days. Soup is simple to heat. My husband still does most of the cooking. But now I find things to cook that can be done a little at a time. Rest in between. Also, just because you always cut up vegetables standing at the kitchen sink doesn't mean you have to do that now. Try washing them at the sink, then cut them up sitting at the kitchen table. If you're too tired to finish, put them in a bowl of water and rest. Soups, stews, and pasta sauces are great for doing in shifts.

Coping: Can't curl your hair everyday? That's OK. But keep a hairbrush handy in case someone comes to the door. Then do something to help yourself feel pretty. Put on some perfume, or lipstick, or polish your nails. You're getting a new body. Give yourself some treats!

Coping: Is your memory failing you? Keep a steno tablet and pencil close by. Make notes for yourself, even if you think you'll remember. It helps to voice your plans. Say out loud "I'm cold. I'm going to the bedroom to get my sweater." That will help prevent the many times you spend standing in the room wondering why you're there!

Coping: I used to have trouble remembering what my husband said as he was going out the door. Usually it was something like, "I'm going to the drug store. I'll be back in 15 minutes." Someone would call and I would forget what he just told me! I learned to write it down as he left. He jokes that it took some time before I got used to that. I'd forget that I wrote it down!

Coping: I had so much trouble concentrating that I would get 2 or 3 pages into a book and have to go back and read it again. But I could handle magazines and The Reader's Digest because the articles were short and didn't require much memory from page to page. I couldn't even follow the plot of most TV shows. So I listened to the radio a lot. I joined a music club and ordered 12 new cassettes to enjoy.

Coping: Pray. Some people ignore or won't admit the wondrous feeling that comes from praying and trusting Someone more powerful than you. I find that praying in bed helps me fall asleep. I can "talk out" the troubles of the day and let God handle them.

Coping: Notice the small improvements. I wrote down a list of ailments before and after my surgery. Every few weeks, I update the lists, showing what had improved, what was worse, what was new. Now, even the new problems are getting better. I KNOW! I have a list that proves it! (I also take my list with me each time I go to the doctor. He tells me it helps him tremendously. I also keep lists of anything I want to ask him about at each visit.

Coping: Go easy on yourself. It's OK to rest a lot. It's OK to cry. It's OK to forget things. It's OK to grieve for the years you have lost due to Cushing's. But you must remember to look forward to the wonderful day when you can say, "I feel fine," and truly mean it.

Coping: My husband did something one day that really made a difference for all of us. Like many of us, I had trouble controlling my emotions. I would cry at the slightest provocation. One day, I started crying. My husband held me, while my daughter kept asking, "What's wrong? Why is Mommy crying?" He said, "It's OK. It's just part of Mommy's recovery process." He didn't say it was part of my "disease," as I had been doing. Now I, too, talk about my recovery from Cushing's. Attitude is very important! It takes a long time, but look at it as a time of RECOVERY, not disease.