Latest news with #CushingsDisease
Entrepreneur
22-07-2025
- Health
- Entrepreneur
From Misdiagnosis to Mission: How One Man's Ordeal Became a Blueprint for Perseverance
What followed was not just a lapse in judgment; it was a decades-long system failure. Dean became the unseen patient. The ignored anomaly. No one had time to read the story. But like any great founder building something against the odds, he—and his tenacious family—refused to give up. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. When Dean Gregorie first developed a small hump below his neck at age sixteen, few paid it any mind. His mother, though, saw more. Weight gain. The round face. The bone-deep fatigue. To her, it spelled something far more complex: Cushing's disease. But when she voiced her concerns, doctors smiled politely and waved them off. "Teenagers gain weight," they said. What followed was not just a lapse in judgment; it was a decades-long system failure. Dean became the unseen patient. The ignored anomaly. No one had time to read the story. But like any great founder building something against the odds, he—and his tenacious family—refused to give up. Seeing What Others Miss The early symptoms were dismissed with lazy diagnoses: poor diet, lack of exercise, and normal adolescence. But Helen Gregorie was relentless. She scoured medical journals. Dug through case studies. Her instincts shouted, "Cushing's." But doctors, operating within conventional playbooks, refused to explore a rare diagnosis. In startup parlance, they ignored the outlier data, clinging to averages instead of curiosity. Dean was a patient who was overlooked not because of ambiguity, but because of predictability. If he had been a product, he would've been shut down in beta without anyone reading the specs. The Burn Cost of Delay Over the next two decades, Dean cycled through over fifty medical professionals. His symptoms worsened: purple striations, skyrocketing blood pressure, relentless fatigue. And yet the narrative never changed. "Lifestyle," they told him. Imagine pitching the same idea to dozens of venture capitalists, each one dismissing it for a reason you know isn't true. Dean wasn't lazy or noncompliant. He was fighting a disease no one bothered to look for. Still, he climbed the corporate ladder in the automotive coatings industry. He earned promotions. He delivered results. But his body was breaking. And behind every workday win, there was a night spent battling exhaustion, shame, and the creeping belief that maybe it really was his fault. A Systemic Breakdown By 2013, his body sent a blunt memo: collapse. Dean landed in the ICU with diabetic ketoacidosis. An endocrinologist was consulted, but not to solve the underlying mystery—just the emergency. Despite glaring signs—signs his family had documented in detail—no one ordered a test for Cushing's. Even after introducing a second endocrinologist, even after infections ravaged his system, even as his skin tore in a workplace fall, nothing changed. It wasn't until 2019 that a single primary care physician broke the inertia. He reviewed his whole history, acknowledged the pattern, and ordered the cortisol tests that would finally unveil the truth: Cushing's disease. Twenty-three years after it all began. Recovery Is Not Linear The tumor was removed in 2020. But there was no triumphant return, no swift rebound. Recovery was glacial. Dean's body, once flooded with cortisol, was suddenly starved of it. Cortisol had to be administered by medication. Energy flatlined. Nights stretched long and restless. Then came the back pain, unrelenting and tied to years of untreated structural damage. "There wasn't a morning I woke up feeling better," Dean says. "There were just mornings I woke up and decided to try again." Sound familiar? Founders know this rhythm. Recovery isn't always exponential growth; it's the grind. The grit. The decision to show up despite the metrics still being red. Turning Pain into Platform This book, Surviving Cushing's Disease: A Young Man's Journey, is Dean's first act of advocacy. Not a TED Talk. Not a foundation. Just this: a deeply personal, unapologetic account of what it means to be invisible in a system designed to treat averages, not anomalies. In its pages, the symptoms of Cushing's—unexplained weight gain, thinning skin, recurrent infections—are given shape and language. Not to diagnose, but to awaken awareness. Dean's story is not a callout. It's a call forward. Startups, Survivors, and Second Opinions Entrepreneurs can draw from Dean's journey as much as patients can: Follow the fringe data : When something feels off—even if others don't see it—pursue it. : When something feels off—even if others don't see it—pursue it. Pressure test the system : Experts are invaluable. But they are not infallible. : Experts are invaluable. But they are not infallible. Leverage the pain: Your hardest chapters may become your most powerful pages. Because sometimes, the most resilient visionaries don't wear lanyards or give keynotes. They survive in silence for years. Then one day, they write. And someone else learns how to speak up. Click here for Amazon Website:
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Woman who shed 140lb says Pilates beats Ozempic
A woman who gained 140lb because of a rare hormonal disorder credits the exercise Pilates for helping her lose the weight Hannah Mai, 37, was diagnosed with Cushing's disease in October 2020 after she put on 140lb in two and a half years. The condition is caused by prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol. Some of the most significant symptoms of the disease include weight gain around the middle of the body and around the upper back, as well as a rounded face. It is the same syndrome that comedian Amy Schumer discovered she had earlier this year, having been diagnosed after receiving comments about her 'moon face' appearance. Hannah, from Coventry, Warwickshire, in England underwent brain surgery in February 2021 to remove the pituitary tumor that causes the condition and was placed on steroid medication to control it. Then in 2023, she was taken off the steroid medication and became determined to lose the weight she had gained because of the disease. At the time she weighed 285lb. However, she says that doing Pilates everyday, in tandem with a high-protein diet, has helped her slim down to 144lb. Commenting on Ozempic, which is a diabetes medication but used off-label for weight loss, Hannah said: 'I think Ozempic is great for people who need it, and for medical reasons. 'It is really helping some people, but I feel if you give yourself a chance, you can really push yourself. 'Once I started losing the weight, I just kept going. 'It isn't easy, you really have to push yourself, and focus on who you want to be and think about who you want to be.' Hannah first noticed she started rapidly gaining weight when she turned 30, putting on 98lb. She visited the doctor multiple times out of concern, but kept being asked if she was pregnant or that the weight gain could be blamed on hormones. She said: 'I noticed how I started to gain a bit of weight. 'I knew there was something wrong with me, but people around me thought I had changed my diet and asked if I was eating more. The tumor causes the pituitary gland to produce too much of a hormone called adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), which then triggers the release of too much cortisol - leading to Cushing's. Removing the tumor usually solves the issue, as Hannah found, but she had to be on steroid medication to control the condition. She got better after two years on steroids and was taken off it. She said: 'It wasn't easy to lose weight whilst I was still on steroids, as soon as I came off them, I knew this was my body and I was a lot better. 'I really pushed myself, I worked super hard, cut out all sugar, cut out dairy, and gluten after I was diagnosed with celiac disease. 'I have a low-carb, high-protein diet with lots of vegetables, and I do Pilates every day.' Hannah, who is now raising money for The Pituitary Foundation, was able to shrink back to the dress size she wore before being diagnosed with the syndrome. She added: 'I am super proud of myself, I am always worried that the weight will come back. 'I feel so much happier. When I look back at myself, I just can't believe I was that size. 'When I look back at old photos, I feel very sad about what happened to me, but it makes me think that I need to be proud about how far I have come.' Amy Schumer was diagnosed with the same condition in February 2024, after fans pointed out how different she looked from normal in a televised interview. In an appearance on the Call Your Daddy podcast Amy said she initially ignored comments about her 'swollen' face as she put them down to trolling, but then physicians began expressing concern. She said: 'Doctors were chiming in in the comments and they were, like, 'No, no, something's really up. Your face looks so crazy.'' She noticed that people were speculating that she could have Cushing syndrome. 'At first, I was like, 'F*** off,',' she said, before recalling that she was 'getting steroid injections for my scars' from her breast reduction surgery and Caesarean section after she and her husband Chris Fischer welcomed their son Gene in 2019. 'So I was getting these steroid injections and so it gave me this thing called Cushing syndrome - which I wouldn't have known if the Internet hadn't come for me so hard,' Amy explained.
Daily Mail
22-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Woman says she lost 10st in two years - without Ozempic - by doing one daily exercise
A woman who gained 10st (6.3kg) because of a rare hormonal disorder credits one daily exercise for helping her lose the weight without the help of Ozempic in just two years. Hannah Mai, 37, was diagnosed with Cushing's disease in October 2020 after she put on 10st in two and a half years. The condition is caused by prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol. Some of the most significant symptoms of the disease include weight gain around the middle of the body and around the upper back, as well as a rounded face. It is the same syndrome that US comedian Amy Schumer discovered she had earlier this year, having been diagnosed after receiving comments about her 'moon face' appearance. Hannah, from Coventry, Warwickshire, underwent brain surgery in February 2021 to remove the pituitary tumour that causes the condition and was placed on steroid medication to control it. Then in 2023, she was taken off the steroid medication and became determined to lose the weight she had gained because of the disease. At the time, she weight 20st 5lbs (approximately 129kg) and was a dress size 26. However, she says that doing pilates everyday, in tandem with a high-protein diet, has helped her slim down to 10st 4lbs (approximately 65kg) - all without taking weight-loss jabs which are currently soaring in demand across the UK. Commenting on Ozempic, which is a diabetes medication but used off-label for weight loss, Hannah said: 'I think Ozempic is great for people who need it, and for medical reasons. 'It is really helping some people, but I feel if you give yourself a chance, you can really push yourself. 'Once I started losing the weight, I just kept going. 'It isn't easy, you really have to push yourself, and focus on who you want to be and think about who you want to be.' Hannah first noticed she started rapidly gaining weight when she turned 30, putting on seven stone in just a few months that took her from nine stone to 16st. She visited the doctor multiple times out of concern, but kept being asked if she was pregnant or that the weight gain could be blamed on hormones. She said: 'I was always around nine stone, but I noticed how I started to gain a bit of weight. 'I knew there was something wrong with me, but people around me thought I had changed my diet and asked if I was eating more. 'I was asked if I was pregnant six times, and told that my weight gain could be caused by hormones. 'I went up to 20 stone at my heaviest.' Then in October, more than two years after the sudden weight gain started, she said she woke up one morning with a hunched back. She turned to Google to research the symptoms, including the weight gain, and came across Cushing's disease, prompting her to go straight back to the doctor with a printout of the list of symptoms. Hannah was referred to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, where she underwent a blood test and MRI scan that confirmed the had the condition. 'I was relieved but scared when I got the diagnosis,' Hannah recalled. 'I had been saying for years that there was something wrong with me.' She underwent brain surgery in February 2021 to remove the pituitary tumour that causes the condition. A small, benign tumour of the pituitary gland is the most common cause of spontaneous Cushing's, which accounts for around 70% of cases, according to The Pituitary Foundation. The tumour causes the pituitary gland to produce too much of a hormone called adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), which then triggers the release of too much cortisol - leading to Cushing's. Removing the tumour usually solves the issue, as Hannah found, but she had to be on steroid medication to control the condition. She got better after two years on steroids and was taken off it. She said: 'It wasn't easy to lose weight whilst I was still on steroids, as soon as I came off them, I knew this was my body and I was a lot better. 'I really pushed myself, I worked super hard, cut out all sugar, cut out dairy, and gluten after I was diagnosed with celiac disease. 'I have a low-carb, high-protein diet with lots of vegetables, and I do pilates every day.' Hannah, who is now raising money for The Pituitary Foundation, was able to shrink from a size 26 to a size 10, which was the dress size she wore before being diagnosed with the syndrome. She added: 'I am super proud of myself, I am always worried that the weight will come back. 'I feel so much happier. When I look back at myself, I just can't believe I was that size. 'When I look back at old photos, I feel very sad about what happened to me, but it makes me think that I need to be proud about how far I have come.' Amy Schumer was diagnosed with the same condition in February 2024, after fans pointed out how different she looked from normal in a televised interview. In an appearance on the Call Your Daddy podcast earlier this year, the I Feel Pretty star said she initially ignored comments about her 'swollen' face as she put them down to trolling, but then physicians began expressing concern. She said: 'Doctors were chiming in in the comments and they were, like, 'No, no, something's really up. Your face looks so crazy.'' She noticed that people were speculating that she could have Cushing syndrome. 'At first, I was like, 'F*** off,',' she said, before recalling that she was 'getting steroid injections for my scars' from her breast reduction surgery and Caesarean section after she and her husband Chris Fischer welcomed their son Gene in 2019. 'So I was getting these steroid injections and so it gave me this thing called Cushing syndrome — which I wouldn't have known if the internet hadn't come for me so hard,' Amy explained.
The Sun
22-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
I lost half my bodyweight but it had nothing to do with Ozempic – a simple daily exercise helped me shed the pounds
A WOMAN has revealed how she lost 10 stone in two years without Ozempic thanks to one simple daily exercise. Hannah Mai, 37, was diagnosed with Cushing's disease - a hormonal disorder caused by prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol - in October 2020, after gaining 10 stone in two and a half years. 8 8 8 Five months after her diagnosis, in February 2021, Hannah underwent brain surgery to remove the pituitary tumour that causes the condition, and was placed on steroids to control her condition. In April, 2023, Hannah was taken off her steroid medication and was determined to shed the 10 stone she gained due to the disease as she now weighed 20st 5lbs and was a size 26. In two years, Hannah slimmed down to 10 stone 4lbs and a size 10 by eating high-protein meals and doing pilates every day. Hannah, who is currently unemployed, from Coventry, Warwickshire, says: "I think Ozempic is great for people who need it, and for medical reasons. "It is really helping some people, but I feel if you give yourself a chance, you can really push yourself. "Once I started losing the weight, I just kept going. "It isn't easy, you really have to push yourself, and focus on who you want to be and think about who you want to be." When she turned 30, Hannah noticed she started gaining weight and went from nine stone to 16 stone in a few months. She said she kept going to the doctor, but would always be asked if she was pregnant, or the weight gain was blamed on hormones. Hannah says: "I was always around nine stone, but I noticed how I started to gain a bit of weight. "I knew there was something wrong with me, but people around me thought I had changed my diet and asked if I was eating more. "I was asked if I was pregnant six times, and told that my weight gain could be caused by hormones. "I went up to 20 stone at my heaviest." In October 2020, more than two years after she started gaining weight, Hannah woke up one morning with a hunched back. Hannah googled the cause, and it mentioned Cushing's disease, and after seeing the other symptoms - including weight gain - she went straight to the doctor. The doctor transferred her to University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire, where an MRI scan and blood test confirmed she had Cushing's disease. Hannah says: "I printed off the list of symptoms and took them to my doctor, who then referred me to the hospital. "There, I had an MRI scan and blood tests, which confirmed that I had Cushing's disease. 8 8 8 "I was relieved but scared when I got the diagnosis. I had been saying for years that there was something wrong with me." Five months after her diagnosis, in February 2021, Hannah underwent brain surgery to remove the pituitary tumour that causes the condition, and was placed on steroids to control her condition. Then, after two years on steroid medication -to control her condition - Hannah was taken off her meds because she started to get better. After she came off her medication, Hannah says she knew she was better and became determined to lose weight. The 5 best exercises to lose weight By Lucy Gornall, personal trainer and health journalist EXERCISE can be intimidating and hard to devote yourself to. So how do you find the right workout for you? As a PT and fitness journalist, I've tried everything. I've taken part in endless fitness competitions, marathons and I maintain a regime of runs, strength training and Pilates. Fitness is so entrenched in my life, I stick to it even at Christmas! The key is finding an activity you love that can become a habit. My top five forms of exercise, especially if you're trying to lose weight, are: Walking Running Pilates High-intensity interval training (HIIT) Strength training She adds: "It wasn't easy to lose weight whilst I was still on steroids, as soon as I came off them, I knew this was my body and I was a lot better. "I really pushed myself, I worked super hard, cut out all sugar, cut out dairy, and gluten after I was diagnosed with celiac disease "I have a low-carb, high-protein diet with lots of vegetables, and I do pilates every day." In two years, Hannah was able to shift the pounds going down to 10 stone from 20 stone. She went from wearing a size 26 clothes to wearing a size 10 - back to where she was before Cushing's disease. Hannah says: "I am super proud of myself, I am always worried that the weight will come back. "I feel so much happier. When I look back at myself, I just can't believe I was that size. "When I look back at old photos, I feel very sad about what happened to me, but it makes me think that I need to be proud about how far I have come." Hannah is currently raising money for The Pituitary Foundation, to donate click here 8 8
