Cushing's Free!

I went to my endocrinologist this morning and he was very happy. He said I had made his Christmas holiday. My cortisol level is 1.3 on dexamethasone (steroid), which means that my cortisol level is totally normal!

We are going to start tapering the dexamethasone from 2 mg per day to 1.5 mg per day. My doctor told me this is when I will start seeing the changes occur. He also said this is when I will start feel crappy. How? Well, apparently I'll feel about 30 years older with aches and creaks in all of my joints and be really tired toward the evening, needing to go to bed earlier than normal. Of course, this won't last forever, so it will be worth it!

I asked about the radiation therapy. My doctor said the oncologist and the radiology oncologists are still debating on whether or not I need the combined radiation/chemo therapies or just radiation therapy. Either way, they don't want to do anything until I'm six weeks post surgery. That means I'm looking at no earlier than the end of January for therapy to start. Radiation therapy will wear me out and make me look sunburned - so that will mean I am apt to be even more tired between the combination of radiation AND tapering off the steroids.

I am nervous about all of this but I know it will be for the best and everything will turn out alright in the end. Right now I am Cushing's free (naturally ocurring, anyway - the steroids induce Cushing's symptoms). I am thrilled. Now I just need to get rid of the cancer and I'll be all set!