The Nightmare Before the Diagnoses of Cushing's Syndrome - True Story Part II

The hell that my cousin Carolyn (a.k.a. as Cherokeemom) went through from being hit by a car to the torture, before walking out of the first hospital with a broken arm that had not been set or attended to because she would not try to squeeze into an MRI machine that would have been tight for twelve year old.

Layna after coming to the assistance of her mother in-law who was waiting at the Virginia Beach hospital, assisted her mother in-law into the front passenger’s seat of her car she asked, “Where to mom?”

And to the dismay of the staff of the Virginia Beach Hospital the car pulled away with Cherokeemom inside.

As the car came to a stop in front of the emergency room, a number of doctors and other staff members rushed out and assisted Cherokeemom in getting on the gurney and they wheeled her away to admittance, this was on September 7^th at shortly after 9:00am, the accident had occurred on the 6^th.

Cherokeemom, was sure the Virginia Beach Hospital had reported her as a run-away from their hospital, because there were so many doctors and other staff members waiting when she and Layna arrived at Norfolk General.

Later she found out that it was Layna who cared enough to alert the hospital that she would be bringing Cherokeemom to Norfolk General and that she had an injury that had not been attended to.

Among the doctors was her personal family physician. He said Ms. Hagood! “What are you doing here?” She explained that the other hospital would not set her broken arm because she could not fit in their MRI machine. She told him that they had her records, accessible to any of the hospital's networks.

Her doctor told her he would look at her records and then did just that. Her doctor turned to her and said, Ms. Hagood! “Did you know when you left the other hospital that you have a broken leg?”

NO! No one told me. She replied.

The doctor went on, “Do you know how many ribs you have?"

Nine, she answered. Did you know that eight of them are broken?

NO! No one told me that either.

And here she had gotten out of bed and left the other hospital that had demanded she get into an MRI machine that she would not fit in, and where they had not told her that she had other broken bones besides her arm.

At the Norfolk hospital they made Cherokeemom comfortable placing her broken leg on pillows and the doctor told her that they don’t tape the ribs anymore because it would make it too difficult to breath and she could get pneumonia.

She had arrived on the 7th and did the admittance questioning and she was asigned to a room.

On the 8th they did a CAT scan on her arm and additional ex-ray and blood tests, and regulated her blood sugar, in preparation for the surgery.

Pryor to surgery she had told the staff that she is sensitive to metal(s) and concerned about them using metals in her arm. And they knew they could not use iodine for scrubbing and cleaning because, she is extremely allergic to iodine.

The orthopedic surgeon told Cherokeemom that he would have to put a titanium plate to hold the bone together until it mended, and it would be removed when her bone had started to knit back together.

She reminded him that she has sensitivity to metal.

"WELL WE'VE GO TO DO SOMETHING!"

Cherokeemom, nods her head as her mind wanders back to the 1990s.

Cherokeemom could not wear jewelry because she would get a bad rash. And the doctors did not believe her when she told them that they could not use staples after a surgery. Fortunately She has the surgery done with a local anesthetic and after ignoring her request that they not use staples, began to staple the wound.

The allergic reaction was immediate, and she told them: "I knew that you would not believe that I am allergic to metal that is why I ask for a local anesthetic. The staples were removed and replaced with stitches.

She had arrived on the 7th and did the admittance questioning and she was admitted to a room.

The 8th They did a CAT scan on her arm and additional ex-ray and blood tests, and regulated her blood sugar, in preparation for the surgery.

The 9th and the day of surgery on her broken arm.

Titanium metal was used to hold the broken bone together until it began to knit together.

Even before leaving the hospital the boiling and bubbling of infection started. And then Cherokeemom was told that she will need to take antibiotic until the bone starts to knit and become strong enough to remove the metal.

Cushing syndrome is a disorder that occurs when your body is exposed to high levels of the hormone cortisol. It may also occur if you take too much cortisol in medications, or your body could simply produce more cortisol than the body needs. ____ The Mayo Clinic Staff.

• Diabetes √
• Depression ?
• Dysfunctional Memory and attention ? (her memory is better than mine.)
• Hypercholesterolemia √
• Hypertension √
• Irritability √
• Immune suppression √
• Moodiness ? (I don't remember Cherokeemon being moody.)
• Muscle weakness √
• Osteoporosis (Bone density test is scheduled)
• Rapid weight gain √
• Sleep disturbances √
• Menstrual disorders in women
• Numerous other maladies

Yes, Ms. Hagood you have the rare disease Cushings Syndrome

To treat Cushing Syndrome, the tumor need to be found and removed.

September 16^th without her Primary Care Physician's knowledge or permission, Cherokeemom was released from Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and was told that she would be going to a rehab center for a couple of weeks.

Out the window of the transport ambulance Cherokeemom saw the sign 'NURSING HOME.' that is where they send people who are waiting to die.

[The details of this nightmare could possible culminate in another chapter of what one Strong, Brave woman had to go through to find out she has Cushing's Syndrome]

Cherokeemom returns to the

Cherokeemom returned to the assisted living house where she had been staying for some time before she was hit by a car.

I was so happy that she was better and she is back at home and she knows what is wrong with her, what had been going on for such a long time, and now she could get control of the problems she has faced for such a long time.

When I talked to her after her release from the hospital, she was so excited that her blood sugar was down almost to 100 points and she would be working to get her diabetes completely under control, and maybe a few other maladies as well.