Miss Diagnosis: The Community

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Community

I am thankful to have been accepted into the "Cushie Community". As a mom of a child with Cushing's I don't quite fit in. I don't know what it feels like to live in a body with Cushing's. I know it's not the same, to be on the outside looking in. I hope my empathy is felt. I hope my knowledge is helpful. I worry that I will be misunderstood or dismissed as someone who truly doesn't know what it's like to suffer this terrible disease.

1 comment:

AmberApril 10, 2012 at 4:52 PM
You are always so helpful with your posts... I don't post much, but I read alot and learn alot from so many people. Keep doing what you are doing Rene.. I think it probably helps to keep you sane.
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Transphenoidal Pituitary Surgery- From the UCSF web site

What happens during surgery?
The surgical removal of the pituitary adenoma is performed by a technique called a transsphenoidal operation. The word 'transsphenoidal' describes the path the surgeon follows to reach the pituitary gland. The word comes from 'trans', meaning 'to cross or pass through', and 'sphenoid', the name of the cavity (the sphenoid sinus) that is passed through to reach the pituitary gland. Newer techniques and improvements in technology now allow removal of these tumors without the need for an incision under the lip or within the nostril. The surgeon begins the approach by entering through the nostril on one side. The surgeon uses a brilliant fiber optic light to illuminate the internal anatomy, a microscope to magnify the area of surgery to 12 times the actual size, and very tiny microsurgical instruments especially designed for this particular operation. The surgeon guides the surgical instrument into the nasal cavity and an opening is made in the sphenoid bone. The sphenoid sinus is entered, and then an opening is made in the wall of the sella turcica to expose the pituitary gland. The adenoma can be readily distinguished from the normal pituitary gland tissue and is removed without removing the normal gland. After the surgeon removes all the tumor tissue, the small cavity that is left is treated with alcohol to destroy any tumor cells that may remain. This cavity is then sealed, sometimes with a piece of fat that the surgeon removes from the patient's abdomen. The surgeon then applies a biological 'glue' that helps seal the pituitary area from the nose and promotes natural healing. No nasal packs are used with this approach.