Myth: UFC’s are the Gold Standard for Cushing’s testing
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.
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…..
Because it’s a Sunday again, and Easter, this is a fairly religious post…
After I was finished with the Cushing’s long diagnostic process, surgery and several post-op visits to NIH, I was asked to give the scripture reading at my church. The man who preached the sermon that week was the survivor of a horrific accident where he and his family were hit by a van while waiting at an airport.
I thought I had written down the scripture reading carefully. I practiced and practiced. I don’t like speaking in front of a crowd but I said I would. When I got to church, the reading was different from what I had practiced. Maybe I wrote it down wrong, maybe someone changed it. Whatever.
The real scripture turned out to be Psalm 116. I got very emotional while reading this and started crying when I got to verse 8:
“For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death“.
Others in the congregation who knew part of my story were very moved, too.
Psalm 116 (New International Version)
1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came upon me;
I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, save me!”
5 The LORD is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
6 The LORD protects the simplehearted;
when I was in great need, he saved me.
7 Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you.
8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
9 that I may walk before the LORD
in the land of the living.
10 I believed; therefore I said,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
11 And in my dismay I said,
“All men are liars.”
12 How can I repay the LORD
for all his goodness to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his saints.
16 O LORD, truly I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant;
you have freed me from my chains.
17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD—
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD.
This Psalm has come to have so much meaning in my life.
When I saw a book called A Musician’s Book of Psalms each day had a different psalm. “My” psalm was listed as the reading for my birthday, so I had to buy this book! For a while, it was the license plate on my car.
I used to carry a print out of this everywhere I go because I find it very soothing. “when I was in great need, he saved me.” This print out is in a plastic page saver but now I have this info on my phone and iPad.
On the other side there is an article I found after my kidney cancer. You can read that article in yesterday’s post.
