Let's help Bari recover from Cushing's!

Over the past 18 months our once vibrant, vital, spicy friend, Bari, has been devastated by Cushing’s Disease. Cushing’s is a rare metabolic disorder caused by excess cortisol production which wreaks havoc on the muscular, skeletal, and central nervous systems. There are numerous possible causes for this, but in her case, this was caused by a tumour on her pituitary gland. The routine dismissal by medical professionals of her symptoms, the misdiagnoses, and the chaos and inefficiency in our healthcare system has allowed this disease to progress to the point where she has been rendered unable to walk without aids, is debilitatingly exhausted, and is in constant pain.

The good news is that she had transphenoidal surgery on Oct. 30, where they were able to successfully remove the adenoma. Unfortunately, this is not the end of the story. Recovery from Cushing’s is a notoriously long, slow and difficult process. At this point she continues to have most of the symptoms she’s been struggling with these past months, along with the new ones brought on by the post-surgical crash in cortisol. It will be months, or even years, before she is back to anything resembling her previous, normal health. She will need months of physical therapy, rehabilitation, weekly trips to Nelson for doctor’s appointments and blood tests, and numerous trips to Kelowna for follow up care.

Needless to say, this ordeal is causing a great deal of financial strain for her. Helping her out in this way would be a tangible way for us to show her our love and support for her during this incredibly difficult time. I know it’s hard times for everyone, but whatever you can give will be greatly appreciated. And if you are not in a position to donate at this time, any words of love and encouragement would go a long way to lifting her spirits and letting her know she’s not alone in this journey.