Day: April 16, 2018

⁉️ Myths and Facts about Cushing’s: UFC’s are the Gold Standard for Cushing’s testing

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Myth: UFC’s are the Gold Standard for Cushing’s testing

myth-busted

Fact: UFC stands for Urinary Free Cortisol. In layman’s terms this test assesses cortisol by collecting urine for 24 hours. It was once thought that this was the gold standard and the end all and be all in terms of assessing Cushing’s in a patient. What we now know is that this is not necessarily true. Though this test is helpful in assessing for Cushing’s in some patients, not all patients have positive labs with this test, even if they DO, in fact, have Cushing’s.

There are various theories as to why. Cyclical Cushing’s patients also tend to report having a lower prevalence of positive UFCs in their test batteries.

Cushing’s experts understand that the most effective way to test for Cushing’s, especially in cases where it is suspected that the patient is cycling, is to administer multiple test measures across an extended period of time.

The following links may be helpful:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2978784/

Click to access LimitationsSC_UFC_dex_mildCS.pdf

http://survivethejourney.blogspot.com/2008/08/when-gold-standard-becomes-tarnished.html

 

Dr. Karen Thames has been sharing these on her Facebook Page, Empowering People with Invisible Chronic Illness – The EPIC Foundation

She has graciously given me permission to share them here and in the CushieWiki and on the Cushing’s Help message boards.

🎤 Archived Interview with Terry G, pituitary patient

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Terry (Terry) is a long time pituitary Cushing’s survivor. Terry had a pituitary surgery (in LA) in October of 2003 which did not cure her Cushing’s Disease. Then, Dec 13th, 2003 she had her BLA in a Wisconsin hospital. She also had an infection in her sphenoid sinus. It originated at the site of her pituitary surgery from October 2003. She had to be on a lot of antibiotics and narcotic pain relievers. In Sept 2005 the surgeon remove the infection from one area, making another area clear…..

Listen at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cushingshelp/2008/04/17/interview-with-terry-g-pituitary-patient

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🦓 Day 16: Cushing’s Awareness Challenge 2018

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I used to carry a print out of this everywhere I go because I find it very soothing.  This print out was in a plastic page saver. On the other side there is a Psalm 116, part of the post from Day Fifteen of the 2018 Cushing’s Challenge.

These days, both these readings are available on my phone and iPad.

I first read this in Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul and is posted several places online.

The Best Day Of My Life
by Gregory M Lousignont

Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever! There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I’m going to celebrate!

Today, I’m going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger.

I will go through this day with my head held high, and a happy heart. I will marvel at God’s seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds. Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice.

Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I’ll make someone smile. I’ll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don’t even know.

Today, I’ll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down. I’ll tell a child how special he is, and I’ll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for her and how much she means to me.

Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don’t have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me.

I’ll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine.

And tonight, before I go to bed, I’ll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens. I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures.

As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life. And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because know tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life, ever!

When I’m feeling down, depressed or low, reading my 2 special pages can help me more than anything else.