Surgery could cure rare Cushing's disease
Story by Jessica Lovell
9:15 p.m. Saturday, July 22, 2006
Cushing’s disease brought four women together for what they fondly refer to as their “Cushie Party.”
“I don’t know about you guys, but my family didn’t even believe me,” Jaimie Augustine, Cushing’s patient, said. “You don’t gain 70 pounds in 7 months and have something not be wrong.”
Cushing’s disease is caused by a rare tumor in the pituitary gland. The tumor itself is not the problem, but it causes the body to produce too much of the hormone cortisol. It’s the excess cortisol that wreaks havoc on the body.
“I started having hair growth on my chin, and on my arms,” Augustine said. “I got purple stretch marks on my stomach.”
It didn’t matter if Augustine ate as little as a thousand calories a day, she still gained 100 pounds.
More Information
Dr. Ludlam cautions that pituitary surgery works dramatically for some patients, but not for all. If you have Cushing’s, or think you have symptoms, you can find out more information on the disease, or find support near you.
It took five years before Jaimie’s doctors pieced together her symptoms and treated her for Cushing’s.
“Most centers that deal with this would accept that the first line of treatment is pituitary surgery, brain surgery,” Dr. William Ludlam, endocrinologist, said.
During surgery, doctors remove the tumor on the pituitary gland.
“It’s still actually a difficult surgery, because these tumors are typically very liquidy, soft tumors and can ooze and go places,” Dr. Ludlam said.
Augustine’s surgery was a success, and she began to lose weight after doctors removed the tumor. While Augustine said she can’t wait to have her body back, she admitted Cushing’s gave her a different perspective on life.
Keep an eye on Topeka's weather with the 49 ABC News Sky Cam.
On the air
See what's on KTKA 49 ABC on our online TV schedule here.
- 11 a.m. - "College Football: Texas at Oklahoma"
- 2 p.m. - "College Football: Arizona at USC"
- 6 p.m. - "NASCAR Countdown"
- 6:30 p.m. - "NASCAR Bank of America 500"
Coming up on 49 News this weekend --
- Saturday after the race, find out why some Kansans are installing their own alternative energy sources, in spite of the high set-up costs.
- The annual Parade of Homes goes on despite the rough economy. Sunday night, learn if organizers are having a tougher time putting on the show with the slumping housing market.
- Coming up on Monday's 49 News Good Morning Kansas --Does snoring zap brain power? Researchers have long looked at the link between snoring and intelligence, but now, there's new food for thought. Find out about the research that highlights the relationship between snoring and intelligence in kids.
- How is all the news about the shaky economy and the stock market crash affecting you? Let us know by weighing in on our Web poll.
- Go farther on less. Check out Kansasgasprices.com.
Voices
Latest blog entries
What's Going on in SA?
From Maikutlo Aka - My Views
If you've read the papers lately, you'll see that much is changing with South African politics; the president basically stepped down. You may remember me writing about Jacob Zuma before? For better or worse, and it makes me incredibly nervous, but change is on the horizon for politics in SA...
Interested in writing a blog? Send us a few sample entries! Let us know what you're interested in writing about, the experience you have with your topic, and anything else you think we'll find useful to know.
Latest blog comments:
Want to comment on the news?
Now you can - register for a free account and post comments to stories, blogs, podcasts and more, only on 49abcnews.com. Go »
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)