Thursday, October 24, 2013

The Hormone Storms of Cushing's

You wouldn't expect someone who just drank alcohol to not react to it, would you?  No, that'd be silly.  It is a chemical in their body, and once there, they have no control over what it does to them.  Someone used to the effects of alcohol over time would acclimatize to it to a certain degree, but they cannot fully stop it's affects on their body or their actions.  Now imagine not having control over when the alcohol is introduced into your system, or how much is introduced, or how often.  Imagine not knowing it was coming until you were already tipsy or drunk.  Imagine not knowing how long you would stay drunk and not knowing when to expect the crash and hangover that would inevitably come.  Imagine getting to the point where physically you are always in one state or the other --drunk or hung over.  Now, tell THAT person they can choose not to be affected by the chemicals raging through their system.  Imagine how that person, force fed alcohol, would feel to be told it was a simple choice they could make to not allow themselves to be drunk or hung over? 

I was told a few days ago that the emotional upsets I feel due to the hormone cycles caused by Cushing's was something I could control.  "It is just like PMS, so you can recognize it and just not give in," is what I was told.  At the time all I could really say to this person is that it is like 100 times that of PMS.  They obviously still have not learned about my illness and don't seem interested in doing so, which hurts.  But the reality is, PMS isn't a very good comparison.  While both may be hormonal, that really is where the likeness stops.  It isn't natural, it isn't predictable, it isn't controllable, it is an instantaneous storm that sneaks up on you and flies away just as quickly, but when it is gone there is still no "relief," just a different set of symptoms and emotions.  There is no "calm" in this storm, you are either at one extreme or the other.

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