Tapering Steroids = SLOWLY...My Dog Has Diabetes

Hi guys Van here, I wanted to just give a little update on my status. So Weaning off the steroids is a pretty challenging job. Post surgery I was on 30mg and at first I was scared to take the hydrocortisone because after being inflicted with Cushing's, who would ever want to take more steroids? Curious to see if I really needed the steroids, I decided to jump from 30mg to 10mg and in two days I thought I was dying. Well, I learned the hard way like most cushies who are impatient and stubborn that without taking the correct dosage, you will feel like shit. So I would talk to other cushies and see that slow is the way to go when it comes to weaning. I decided every month to go down 2mg and it was working fine until I reached 15mg. I have been on 15mg for about 5 months and it was so hard for me to wean any lower. I would get nauseous, faint, and blue in the face. I felt like crying every minute of my day. My stomache turns inside out and my body starts to tremble and shudder like it's involuntarily crying.

 I get mad sometimes that it's been a year and my remaining adrenal gland has not started waking up yet. I notice that it seems to take longer for the younger cushies to wean and recover, that is strange since we are younger and we seem to bounce back faster. But from experience, most of the patients I talk to, I notice that the younger ones always take over a year to fully recover. So I must take that into consideration and not blame myself for my slow weaning. I also read in most blogs and patient stories that they try to do very small increments and taper slowly since it feels better.  I still don't know how some women can wean off after just 6 months or so but more power to ya! Ever since the trip to New Jersey I decided to taper a bit more. So I tried 12mg every other day and 15 mg ever other day. So far it was okay. I would say I have mild nausea and sometimes feel sick to my stomach but I have not have any trembling and fainting. After two weeks I decided to try 12mg everyday and now my nausea has increased and my head feels heavy. I do notice I am sleeping for longer periods of time but my sleep cycle is still messed up. Oh yeah I finally got a period!! After 3 months of my period disappearing again, that makes me so happy! A good plus is that I notice my chin is looking more defined the more I wean and I see my face looking more lifted. My mom told me the other day that I look younger like I was back in highschool YAY! I still don't feel young inside but it's good to hear from someone who knows how I use to look like to compliment me.

My period app taken a few weeks ago :)

 The other day I forgot my pills at home when I went out so I found some rogue pills in my bag that added up to 10mg. I took it anyway but like clock work the next two days, I felt so crappy. So, I think I will stay on 12mg for another few weeks then I will try the 12/10mg alternation. Slow is the way to go guys! Everybody is different, and eventually you will wean off fully. But do what makes you feel like you can to function daily so you can atleast enjoy your recovery and not be miserable during your adrenal insufficiency period.

So Rae told me she has diabetes insipidus, which is a condition which causes excessive thirst and urination due to hormone and kidney production problems. I immediately recognize this condition because sadly, my dog named Vankey a little corgi-jack has the same problem. He was diagnosed 5 years ago and at first we noticed all he did was drink his little doggie water bowl until it was gone then he would pee all over the carpet even though he was potty trained, he just couldn't hold it in. Once he peed everything out, he would start drinking more water until he was bloated like a balloon and urinate again. It was so sad because when I withheld water from him, he would whimper and shake and when I gave him water, he looked like he was about to burst. At first we didn't know what to do with him and thought he was just thirsty but we took him to the vet and the vet could not figure out what was wrong with him. After a few weeks we took him to another vet and described his symptoms and the vet immediately diagnosed him with DI. He then gave us some eyedrops to give to Vankey every day for the rest of his life. It's kind of crazy to think that my puppy and I got sick around the same time. And the amazing thing is that he was extra supportive and loving when I was sick. He usually has no energy and keeps to himself but whenever I felt sick, he would always be at my side. How strange that Cushing's is common in dogs and so is diabetes insipidus but we cushies may have to deal with the two. I know another cushie friend of mine who was diagnosed with DI a few months ago too. But to think that animals suffer as much as we do when they get sick, yet are so strong makes me feel inspired of their strength and capacity to love.

Anytime you need a friend Rae, Vankey is here >.^

Early Cushings and DI

We get eachother <3