Cushing’s Awareness

🦓 Day 30: Cushing’s Awareness Challenge 2018

MaryO Cushing's Awareness Challenge , , , , ,

Today is the final day of the 2018 Cushing’s Awareness Challenge and I wanted to leave you with this word of advice…

To that end, I’m saving some of what I know for future blog posts, maybe even another Cushing’s Awareness Challenge next year.  Possibly this will continue to be a tradition. Or not.  Interest seems to be dwindling down a lot 🙁

I am amazed at how well this Challenge went this year, giving that we’re all Cushies who are dealing with so much.   I hope that some folks outside the Cushing’s community read these posts and learned a little more about us and what we go through.

So, tomorrow, I’ll go back to posting the regular Cushing’s stuff on this blog – after all, it does have Cushing’s in its name!

I am trying to get away from always reading, writing, breathing Cushing’s and trying to celebrate the good things in my life, not just the testing, the surgery, the endless doctors.

If you’re interested, I have other blogs about traveling, friends, fun stuff and trying to live a good life, finally.  Those are listed in the right sidebar of this blog, past the Categories and before the Tags.

Meanwhile…

Time-for-me

Choose wisely…

 

🦓 Cushing’s Awareness Ribbon Stickers are Here

MaryO Cushing's Awareness Challenge , , , , ,

A long-time member of the Cushing’s Help message boards, AutumnOMA , gave me permission to share info about these wonderful Cushing’s Awareness Stickers she has made:

CUSHING’S AWARENESS RIBBON STICKERS ARE HERE and you can get your own!!!

April is CUSHING’S Awareness Month. In honor of raising awareness, I decided to use my original Cushing’s Awareness Ribbon art to create a sticker.

In 2005, just after my pituitary surgery, while I was at home recovering and suffering thru the weening process, I decided to create an artful awareness ribbon that spoke to the beauty within each Cushie Warrior. This is why…

Cushings’s changes us. Emotionally, spiritually and physically. It takes a toll. I felt wounded beyond my medical issues. I no longer recognized my own face staring back at me from the mirror. My body took on a form of its own that was unrecognizable to me. My heart and soul ached for what I had lost because of this disease. I felt judged on appearance alone. I forgot who I was. I forgot how to see past the physical things that I couldn’t control and the daily pain. I forgot the carefree beauty of simply being alive.

I had struggled for years for a diagnosis and almost lost myself, my mind and everything I held dear. But I had made it through to the other side. Diagnosis and surgery – finally! But it was still difficult. I needed to know that I could find my inner strength to keep at it. I had to trust in my own strength and resilience to adjust to changes and find joy in the life I had. I had to believe that I had not endured what I had for no reason.

The simple truth of the matter was that I wasn’t sure how to do any of that. It felt too big; too hard. The only thing I knew with certainty was that if I could be brave enough to share my story and help raise awareness for the rare disease I was living with, maybe I could help one person…and helping one person – just one person- know they were not alone…well that was reason enough to try.

And so I set out to raise awareness and hopefully offer support to other by means of sharing my journey.

The first thing I decided was that I wanted an awareness ribbon to wear. I wanted to proudly display (like all those pretty little pink ribbons that are everywhere) that I too survived a life altering disease and I did it with little support.? There wasn’t a large Foundation like Komen, raiding money to find a cure for me. Heck, Doctors didn’t even know what Cushing’s was, let alone the vast majority of the public in general. But I wanted to pin something pretty on my shirt. I wanted an awareness ribbon that embodied hope and beauty. I wanted to wear a ribbon that would inspire people to ask me what it stood for. And so…I made my own.

As an artist, I like to create things that make me feel something. I like to create from a place of inspiration that feels good and comfortable to my soul.

I used to think that flowers, cut, in a garden or otherwise were a waste of time, effort and money because the bloom and die so quickly. But what I came to realize was that was what in fact made them so special. No matter how short the length of time they were around was, they still grew and bloomed into a spectacular show (even if for just a short while) and brought smiles and beauty to the world. What a wonderful gift to be grateful for.

For me, flowers never fail to make me smile. They are fragile, but but resilient. They are colorful and happy. They freely give their beauty for all to enjoy…they were perfect in my mind for an awareness ribbon. And from that thought came the piece of art that is the Cushing’s Awareness Ribbon or blue and yellow flowers.

I am very proud of it. And I am proud to offer these stickers with my art ribbon to help raise awareness.

These stickers are 2.5”x2.5” full color vinyl circles (approximately the size of your palm.).

Profits made from the sale of these stickers will be donated to help fund organizations that work hard to offer continued support and help for those struggling with Cushing’s – whether that be getting a diagnosis, making it through recovery or learning to live with the changes the disease brings about in our lives.

If you would like to purchase stickers please see the attached picture that include all the details about pricing and payment.

Here’s to us all remembering our inner beauty and finding a way to let it shine despite this disease…or maybe because we have this disease and realize how amazing we are as survivors!

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✏️ Time to Sign Up for the Cushing’s Awareness Challenge 2018

MaryO Cushing's Awareness Challenge , , , , ,

I plan to do the Cushing’s Awareness Challenge again. Last year’s info is here:  https://cushieblogger.com/2017/03/08/time-to-sign-up-for-the-cushings-awareness-challenge-2017/

The original page is getting very slow loading, so I’ve moved my own posts to this newer blog.

As always, anyone who wants to join me can share their blog URL with me and I’ll add it to the links on the right side, so whenever a new post comes up, it will show up automatically.

If the blogs are on WordPress, I try to reblog them all to get even more exposure on the blog, on Twitter and on Facebook at Cushings Help Organization, Inc.  If you have photos, and you give me permission, I’ll add them to the Pinterest page for Cushing’s Help.

The Cushing’s Awareness Challenge is almost upon us again!
Do you blog? Want to get started?
Since April 8 is Cushing’s Awareness Day, several people got their heads together to create the Eighth Annual Cushing’s Awareness Blogging Challenge.
All you have to do is blog about something Cushing’s related for the 30 days of April.
There will also be a logo for your blog to show you’ve participated.
Please let me know the URL to your blog in the comments area of this post, on the Facebook page, in one of the Cushing’s Help Facebook Groups, on the message boards or an email  and I will list it on CushieBloggers (  http://cushie-blogger.blogspot.com/ )
The more people who participate, the more the word will get out about Cushing’s.
Suggested topics – or add your own!
  • In what ways have Cushing’s made you a better person?
  • What have you learned about the medical community since you have become sick?
  • If you had one chance to speak to an endocrinologist association meeting, what would you tell them about Cushing’s patients?
  • What would you tell the friends and family of another Cushing’s patient in order to garner more emotional support for your friend? challenge with Cushing’s? How have you overcome challenges? Stuff like that.
  • I have Cushing’s Disease….(personal synopsis)
  • How I found out I have Cushing’s
  • What is Cushing’s Disease/Syndrome? (Personal variation, i.e. adrenal or pituitary or ectopic, etc.)
  • My challenges with Cushing’s
  • Overcoming challenges with Cushing’s (could include any challenges)
  • If I could speak to an endocrinologist organization, I would tell them….
  • What would I tell others trying to be diagnosed?
  • What would I tell families of those who are sick with Cushing’s?
  • Treatments I’ve gone through to try to be cured/treatments I may have to go through to be cured.
  • What will happen if I’m not cured?
  • I write about my health because…
  • 10 Things I Couldn’t Live Without.
  • My Dream Day.
  • What I learned the hard way
  • Miracle Cure. (Write a news-style article on a miracle cure. What’s the cure? How do you get the cure? Be sure to include a disclaimer)
  • Give yourself, your condition, or your health focus a mascot. Is it a real person? Fictional? Mythical being? Describe them. Bonus points if you provide a visual!
  • 5 Challenges & 5 Small Victories.
  • The First Time I…
  • Make a word cloud or tree with a list of words that come to mind when you think about your blog, health, or interests. Use a thesaurus to make it branch more.
  • How much money have you spent on Cushing’s, or, How did Cushing’s impact your life financially?
  • Why do you think Cushing’s may not be as rare as doctors believe?
  • What is your theory about what causes Cushing’s?
  • How has Cushing’s altered the trajectory of your life? What would you have done? Who would you have been
  • What three things has Cushing’s stolen from you? What do you miss the most? What can you do in your Cushing’s life to still achieve any of those goals?
  • What new goals did Cushing’s bring to you?
  • How do you cope?
  • What do you do to improve your quality of life as you fight Cushing’s?
  • How Cushing’s affects children and their families
  • Your thoughts…?
maryo colorful zebra

🖥 Cushing’s Slideshow

MaryO Cushing's Awareness Challenge , , , , , ,

Cushing’s Help message board member sherryc presented this PowerPoint at pioneer Pacific College. It took a lot of work with her failing memory but she did It! She wanted to get the word out about Cushing’s and her journey with this awful disease.

She says that it took a lot of work with her failing memory but she did It! She wanted to get the word out about Cushing’s and her journey with this awful disease.

 

Day 30: Cushing’s Awareness Challenge 2017

MaryO Uncategorized , , , , ,

Today is the final day of the 2017 Cushing’s Awareness Challenge and I wanted to leave you with this word of advice…

To that end, I’m saving some of what I know for future blog posts, maybe even another Cushing’s Awareness Challenge next year.  Possibly this will continue to be a tradition. Or not.  Interest seems to be dwindling down a bit 🙁

I am amazed at how well this Challenge went this year, giving that we’re all Cushies who are dealing with so much.   I hope that some folks outside the Cushing’s community read these posts and learned a little more about us and what we go through.

So, tomorrow, I’ll  go back to posting the regular Cushing’s stuff on this blog – after all, it does have Cushing’s in its name!

I am trying to get away from always reading, writing, breathing Cushing’s and trying to celebrate the good things in my life, not just the testing, the surgery, the endless doctors.

If you’re interested, I have other blogs about traveling, friends, fun stuff and trying to live a good life, finally.  Those are listed in the right sidebar of this blog, past the Categories and before the Tags.

Meanwhile…

Time-for-me

Choose wisely…

 

Time to Sign Up for the Cushing’s Awareness Challenge 2017

MaryO Cushing's Awareness Challenge ,

I plan to do the Cushing’s Awareness Challenge again. Last year’s info is here: http://cushie-blogger.blogspot.com/2016/03/fifth-annual-cushings-awareness.html

That page is getting very slow loading, so I’ve moved my own posts to this newer blog.

As always, anyone who wants to join me can share their blog URL with me and I’ll add it to the links on the right side, so whenever a new post comes up, it will show up automatically.

If the blogs are on WordPress, I try to reblog them all to get even more exposure on the blog, on Twitter and on Facebook at Cushings Help Organization, Inc

The Cushing’s Awareness Challenge is almost upon us again!
Do you blog? Want to get started?
Since April 8 is Cushing’s Awareness Day, several people got their heads together to create the Sixth Annual Cushing’s Awareness Blogging Challenge.
All you have to do is blog about something Cushing’s related for the 30 days of April.
There will also be a logo for your blog to show you’ve participated.
Please let me know the URL to your blog in the comments area of this post, on the Facebook page, in one of the Facebook Groups, on the message boards or an email  and I will list it on CushieBloggers ( http://cushie-blogger.blogspot.com/)
The more people who participate, the more the word will get out about Cushing’s.
Suggested topics – or add your own!
  • In what ways have Cushing’s made you a better person?
  • What have you learned about the medical community since you have become sick?
  • If you had one chance to speak to an endocrinologist association meeting, what would you tell them about Cushing’s patients?
  • What would you tell the friends and family of another Cushing’s patient in order to garner more emotional support for your friend? challenge with Cushing’s? How have you overcome challenges? Stuff like that.
  • I have Cushing’s Disease….(personal synopsis)
  • How I found out I have Cushing’s
  • What is Cushing’s Disease/Syndrome? (Personal variation, i.e. adrenal or pituitary or ectopic, etc.)
  • My challenges with Cushing’s
  • Overcoming challenges with Cushing’s (could include any challenges)
  • If I could speak to an endocrinologist organization, I would tell them….
  • What would I tell others trying to be diagnosed?
  • What would I tell families of those who are sick with Cushing’s?
  • Treatments I’ve gone through to try to be cured/treatments I may have to go through to be cured.
  • What will happen if I’m not cured?
  • I write about my health because…
  • 10 Things I Couldn’t Live Without.
  • My Dream Day.
  • What I learned the hard way
  • Miracle Cure. (Write a news-style article on a miracle cure. What’s the cure? How do you get the cure? Be sure to include a disclaimer)
  • Give yourself, your condition, or your health focus a mascot. Is it a real person? Fictional? Mythical being? Describe them. Bonus points if you provide a visual!
  • 5 Challenges & 5 Small Victories.
  • The First Time I…
  • Make a word cloud or tree with a list of words that come to mind when you think about your blog, health, or interests. Use a thesaurus to make it branch more.
  • How much money have you spent on Cushing’s, or, How did Cushing’s impact your life financially?
  • Why do you think Cushing’s may not be as rare as doctors believe?
  • What is your theory about what causes Cushing’s?
  • How has Cushing’s altered the trajectory of your life? What would you have done? Who would you have been
  • What three things has Cushing’s stolen from you? What do you miss the most? What can you do in your Cushing’s life to still achieve any of those goals?
  • What new goals did Cushing’s bring to you?
  • How do you cope?
  • What do you do to improve your quality of life as you fight Cushing’s?
  • How Cushing’s affects children and their families
  • Your thoughts…?
maryo colorful zebra