The story of Giada
I have always suffered from excruciating menstrual pain for which many times I had to go to the hospital for infusions.
My face was full of acne and as the years went by, it got worse and worse.
In 2017 I suffered from intense and acrid sweating produced even when I was not moving.
My hair was getting weaker until it lost whole strands. I kept giving myself no answers, trying to keep my life as normal as possible. Although there was nothing normal. I was able to hide the discomfort of sudden hot flashes, sweat and hair loss.
In 2018 I started gaining more and more weight.
I was increasing dramatically and everyone told me I was obese and needed to eat well and exercise regularly. I was already enrolled in the gym, but it was of no use.
I had been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome and prescribed pills to treat it.
Time passed and I got worse.
To the swelling were added the headache, the streaks everywhere, the hair loss increased dramatically and, the most terrible thing, was the beard.
I was no longer in control of myself.
The doctors took me for crazy and this caused severe depression inside me. Relationships started to get difficult. I didn’t want to talk about it, no one would understand.
In 2019 I was finally diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening disease called Cushing’s disease. I had a tumor in the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. As soon as I received the news it was like being overwhelmed by an uncontrolled feeling of happiness mixed with a
overwhelming sense of relief, not from having such a debilitating disease but to finally have an answer and a solution. The nightmare was about to end.
My first intervention was scheduled which, due to Covid, was postponed.
On April 23 they operated on me. I had to take cortone acetate for 8 months after the surgery. My body continued to hurt, head, fatigue but after a few months it was returning to normal. That normality that I had lost for years but in which I believed.
I am grateful for life, which must be appreciated and loved every day.
I am proud of myself; of my strength and my determination to never give up.
Thanks to the Endocrinology and Neurosurgery Department of the Borgo Trento Hospital in Verona who helped me to better understand and deal with my Cushing’s disease.
I strive to spread awareness of Cushing’s disease. Helping to mentor vulnerable children and adults who have experienced trauma or any form of mental illness. It is important to add value and positivity to someone else’s life.
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*Find others with Cushing’s on RareConnect, the online platform for people affected by rare diseases