Mary O'Connor, Cushings-Help.com founder interview with Robin Smith (staticnrg).

Mary O'Connor, Cushings-Help.com founder interview with Robin Smith (staticnrg).

Robin Smith (staticnrg) Listen as Mary O'Connor (MaryO) hosted part two the interview with Robin Smith (staticnrg).

Robin had Cushing's for over 20 years, at least. Of course, no one figured it out or even put two and two together until her new PCP whom she found in 2004 said "endocrine". She didn't figure it out, either, but at least Robin had a piece of the puzzle and she found cushings-help.com.

Robin immediately went into denial and left for several months until she got so sick she knew she had to have help. She had originally sought this PCP because she had been going to all sorts of doctors for all sorts of things trying to get help. She kept getting sicker and sicker, and it got harder and harder to do anything.

Eventually, after having a bad experience with UVA, she went to see Dr. F. We went through some rounds of testing, had our ups and downs, but he stuck with me, and she got some sky high test results. Robin had to learn when to test because she was cyclical. Oddly enough, Dr. Jho, when she had surgery, insisted she was "classical" Cushing's. Robin didn't care what you call it, she just wanted to get well.

Topics discussed in the Archived Interview:

Q: How are you feeling tonight? I know you just had a GH test. Do you have the results of that yet?

Q: I know last time you told us about a bad experience with that bariatric surgeon. How were you treated by other doctors?

Q: What can you tell us about the early testing where no one put two and two together?

Q: How did you contact surgeons and what led you to pick one?

Q: Many people are oddly excited and happy when they find out that they have Cushing's because it means that there may be an end to their suffering finally. For you, instead of being happy about finally having validation, a diagnosis, and treatment (surgery) you weren't happy. Can you tell us a little about that? How did you work through that - or have you yet?

Q: How Robin shares her journey so others who are walking where she walked will recognize Cushing's and find help.

Keywords: 24-hour ufc, adenoma, adrenal crisis, bariatric surgeon, calcium, collapsing veins, cortisol, CPAP, cushing's, cyclical, diagnosis, IPSS, Dr. Laws, Dr McCutcheon, Dr. Hae-Dong Jho, Dr. Ted Friedman, ENT, fat pads, gastroenterologist, hump, insulin resistence, MD Anderson, medications, message boards, MRI, PCP, pituitary, potassium, salivary, serum cortisol, sleep apnea, stress fractures, surgery, symptoms, testing, tired, treatment, weight