I was speaking with a friend yesterday about trying to balance maintaining a Cushing’s patient’s hope for the future, while at the same time giving them realistic expectations. Diagnosis is often such a long road that we hold on to treatment as our source of hope to get us through all of the losses, judgment, struggle and waiting it takes to get there. We naturally start to view surgery as the end, because it has been our goal for so long. We can imagine we will quickly go back to normal, lose the weight, gain energy, regain strength, feel well, return to our pre-Cushing’s emotional and mental states, be able to keep up with our age-peers, etc.
While that isn't a realistic expectation, none of us want to take away the hope that is keeping someone afloat. If you have Cushing’s, you need treatment. No ifs, ands, or buts. The longer you wait, the more permanent the damage becomes. But even for those who do get the most positive outcomes, they often have to go through months (or a year or four) of pain and recovery post-op to get there. It isn’t easy. You may not feel like you are improving. You’ll wonder if life will ever get better...But it does.Often it is so gradual that you only see it in hindsight, but still it does. You may not get 100% back to where you were, but you’re able to work, cook and clean, exercise, and enjoy recreational activities again.
That’s the best case scenario and many of us honestly don’t get that. Many require more surgery. Many are left with permanent damage from the Cushing’s, it’s treatment, or both. We have to come to terms with our new “normal”, which can be quite hard (still working on that). But even being on that short end of the recovery stick ourselves, we believe it was worth it. We will help fight for your future. Cushing’s will take and take until there is nothing left. If stopping it in its tracks is THE BEST we can hope for, it’s a hope worth fighting for. The harsh reality is that we’re all gonna die in the end either way, so you might as well try to get a better life in the meantime. We know the costs because we’ve paid them, and we’re telling you, as hard as it is right now, as hard as it may get, your future is worth it. You are worth it. We are worth it.
While that isn't a realistic expectation, none of us want to take away the hope that is keeping someone afloat. If you have Cushing’s, you need treatment. No ifs, ands, or buts. The longer you wait, the more permanent the damage becomes. But even for those who do get the most positive outcomes, they often have to go through months (or a year or four) of pain and recovery post-op to get there. It isn’t easy. You may not feel like you are improving. You’ll wonder if life will ever get better...But it does.Often it is so gradual that you only see it in hindsight, but still it does. You may not get 100% back to where you were, but you’re able to work, cook and clean, exercise, and enjoy recreational activities again.
That’s the best case scenario and many of us honestly don’t get that. Many require more surgery. Many are left with permanent damage from the Cushing’s, it’s treatment, or both. We have to come to terms with our new “normal”, which can be quite hard (still working on that). But even being on that short end of the recovery stick ourselves, we believe it was worth it. We will help fight for your future. Cushing’s will take and take until there is nothing left. If stopping it in its tracks is THE BEST we can hope for, it’s a hope worth fighting for. The harsh reality is that we’re all gonna die in the end either way, so you might as well try to get a better life in the meantime. We know the costs because we’ve paid them, and we’re telling you, as hard as it is right now, as hard as it may get, your future is worth it. You are worth it. We are worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment