I went to the Dr yesterday to have my lab work reviewed. I went in thinking two things. Either everything is okay and I’m just having issues losing weight, or that something is wrong and we can fix it.

The results went something like this:

Blood sugar levels: normal, yay I’m not pre-diabetic!

Cholesterol: great! I was very happy to see this

Testosterone: high but within range

Thyroid: riding the fence at low, will test again next month

Metabolism: normal

All other markers: normal

Blood pressure: moderately high

Cortisol: Very high, I have another blood test scheduled for Saturday morning after an overnight steroid to suppress cortisol. If it comes back with cortisol still present then we have to follow that route as an issue.

Key words used during the analysis were PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and Cushings Disease. I had to do some reading about what each of these were so that I could understand why he was going along these routes.

Crossed out — don’t have this symptom

Italizised — don’t think or don’t know I have this symptom

Bold — symptom is present and/or Dr diganosed

PCOS could be likely because I have a few of the markers, but 2 of the main markers I do not have.

I have normal periods and I’ve not had acne or oily skin troubles since puberty. The Dr did make note that I started my period when I was 17, which is later than normal but since I’ve had normal periods PCOS would require more testing if the Cortisol test comes out fine. (Which is a vaginal ultrasound, ick) The treatment for this is kinda iffy for me since they say that in most cases, women with PCOS are infertile and that the treatment is to put them on meds to make them fertile. I never want children so I wouldn’t want a treatment to make it more likely for accidental pregnancy. Heck that’s why I use the IUD; it has a high risk of infertility with extended use. Other than that, the symptoms can be treated with careful diet and weight loss as well as progesterone.

Cushings Disease could be likely because I hit practically all of the markers for it and if the cortisol test comes back high after this weekend then he’s going that route and I have to see an endocrinologist.

  • Rapid weight gain, particularly of the trunk and face with sparing of the limbs (central obesity)
  • a round face often referred to as a “moon face”
  • excess sweating, telangiectasia (dilation of capillaries)
  • thinning of the skin (which causes easy bruising) and other mucous membranes –maybe?
  • purple or red striae (the weight gain in Cushing’s stretches the skin, which is thin and weakened, causing it to hemorrhage) on the trunk, buttocks, arms, legs or breasts–I had red and purple stretch marks in my early 20’s when I put on the most weight
  • proximal muscle weakness (hips, shoulders) –my upper body has always been weak and I’ve had constant hip/lower back pain issues
  • hirsutism (facial male-pattern hair growth)
  • A common sign is the growth of fat pads along the collar bone and on the back of the neck(buffalo hump) (known as a lipodystrophy).
  • persistent hypertension (due to cortisol’s enhancement of epinephrine’s vasoconstrictive effect)
  • The excess cortisol may also affect other endocrine systems and cause, for example, insomnia, reduced libido, impotence, amenorrhoea and infertility. Depression and anxiety are also common.

This diagnosis would scare me quite a bit because the treatment is radiation and/or surgery to the pituitary or adrenal glands and then hormone replacement therapy for the rest of my life.

I was quite affected by the possible diagnoses that I went into blah state and went to bed early. I know I worried Master as he came to comfort me for awhile as I lay there.

I go back to the Dr in 3 weeks. Hopefully we can pinpoint what’s going on, if anything.

–luna