• from http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2007/01/03/features/features002.txt

By COURTNEY KLEMM, Staff Writer
cklemm@herald-review.com

Day after day brings a new, seemingly endless list of responsibilities.

You have shopping to do, meals to prepare, homework to help with and bills to pay; then, there’s work and keeping your loved ones happy. There’s so much to do, and it seems there are just not enough hours in the day to get it done.

And, to top it off, you begin to feel sick and come down with a cold. A coincidence? Probably not.

Approximately 43 percent of adults suffer adverse health side effects due to stress, according to the National Stress Institute. Stress, and its side effects, may result in up to half of the 550 million missed days of work annually.

Stress is difficult to define because everyone reacts to stressful situations differently. What is stressful for one person may have little effect on another. But stress is more than simply a feeling, more than just tight muscles and feeling tense and worn out.

“Pretty much everyone, no matter how laid back, has some stress in their lives,” said Becky Wolter, exercise physiologist and manager of the Decatur Memorial Hospital Wellness Center. “Telltale signs that stress is starting to consume your life include gaining or losing excessive amount of weight, losing sleep and other signs of depression. Signs of depression often run parallel to overabundance of stress.”

When under extreme stress, our bodies release large amounts of cortisol, adrenaline, which can affect blood pressure, and other stress-related hormones, according to the American Institute of Stress.

Certain types of chronic stress are associated with immune system resistance to disorders ranging from the common cold to cancer.

Stress levels can affect nearly every area of the body, including metabolism, the cardiovascular system, the brain and even the health of your skin and hair, according to the institute.

“Stress is very devastating and can lead to all types of chronic diseases, especially long-term stress,” said Mike King, president of Mari-Mann Herb Co. Inc. “It can lead to headaches, depletion of minerals in the body, ulcers, stomach problems and mental and emotional dysfunction. I believe that high, intensive stress is toxic to the immune system. A little bit of stress is OK, but it’s how we respond to it that is the problem.”

While some stress is beneficial, such as pushing yourself when on deadline, many people don’t realize just how negatively stress can affect overall well being, said Susan Rasar, a registered nurse with the Wellness Center.

“Some people become so negative toward themselves when they are under stress,” she said, “it causes irritability, nervousness, apathy, low self-esteem and a rapid heartbeat, which can cause poor circulation. I’ve heard of nurses who take an aspirin at a certain stoplight every day because they know what’s coming.”

Surprisingly, our bodies are better adapted to acute stress, such as a car accident, than the day-to-day chronic stress that many endure continually. Many parents and individuals turn to exercise, friends and even meditation to combat or prevent stress.

“When you start worrying about the future, you get overwhelmed,” said Cat RunningElk, a national motivational speaker and certified Reiki Master. “Take a break from the treadmill and from your shopping list, and take a minute to appreciate everything around you.”

RunningElk said she recommends taking 15 minutes each day for “quiet time,” such as a walk in the park.

“Your breath is also really important,” she said. “Take a deep breath in, tense your body and release after 10 seconds. Instead of fighting the tension, bring it all in, and then blow it out and let it all go. It can really make a difference doing that for 60 seconds, especially if you are waiting in line or in traffic.”

Although stress usually comes from outside sources, your mental state is very important, King said.

“Your emotions are not attached to you; you can change the way you feel and address your environment differently,” he said. “If you can learn to cope with it to where it’s not damaging your body, there you go -- you can sit there and deal with it. But sometimes you may have to make lifestyle changes. The important thing is you’ve got to enjoy life.”

Contact Courtney Klemm at cklemm@herald-review.com or 421-6968.

• From http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/123006/hn1.htm?date=123006&story=hn1.htm 12/30/06

No Pain, No Gain Revisited

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 18 and into bodybuilding, which I've been doing for three years. I have achieved some success, but not the success I want and not the success I see others have gotten. I know many of them are on steroids.

I am considering trying them too. I don't think I will ever get the size I want without them. I would like the truth. Are they really dangerous? Do they really work? -- D.F.

ANSWER: The word ''steroid'' creates confusion. One class of steroids is the cortisone drug family. Prednisone is a much-used member of this family. These steroids have a place in medicine to fight inflammation.

The steroids you're talking about are muscle-building (anabolic) steroids, male hormones. They have a limited place in medicine but no place in athletics. They really do work. They produce rapid gains in muscle growth.

They are dangerous. They cause breast growth in men and breast shrinkage in women. They shrivel the testicles. They might enlarge the prostate gland. They cause acne and hair loss. They can weaken tendons. They're reputed to cause heartbeat abnormalities.

They lead to cardiovascular problems. Recently, it was shown that a group of muscle-building-steroid users, at young ages, had a buildup of calcium in their heart arteries. Calcium buildup in arteries is a signal that those arteries are likely to clog up and obstruct blood flow to heart muscle.

You don't want to use these steroids.

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New Feature! Add your Helpful Hints for Dealing with Cushing's to the website and the email Newsletters.

Newest Bios:
To add or edit your bio, http://www.cushings-help.com/forms/bio.htm
Not Yet Diagnosed Patients
Carol (ZDreamer)	Carol is not yet diagnosed with Cushing's but has many symptoms. She as an adrenal adenoma.	Logan, Ohio
Michel-lee (Michel-lee)	Michel-lee not yet diagnosed with Cushing's and hasn't tested yet but she hopes to find some answers for her many symptoms soon.	Escondido, CA
Nicole (copacabana)	Nicole is not yet diagnosed with Cushing's but has a long history of many Cushing's symptoms. Nicole has been diagnosed so far with PCOS and Fibromyalgia. A dynamic MRI suggests a pituitary microadenoma but she is not diagnosed with pituitary disease or Cushing's yet. She suspects steroid-induced Cushing's due to meds she has taken throughout her short life. Nicole has two areas on MySpace: a bio at http://www.myspace.com/labellavitabrasil and an area for Cushies at http://groups.myspace.com/cushingssurvivors.	Minnesota
Stasia (tavernas)	Stasia is not yet diagnosed with Cushing's but has a PCOS diagnosis. Her urine and cortisol is elevated so she will see an endocrinologist in March 2007. A doctor mentioned ectopic Cushing's.	Portage, MI
Teraleann (Teraleann)	Teraleann was diagnosed with secondary adrenal insufficiency and hypothyroidism. She has also been diagnosed with a rare intracellular bacterial disease known as brucellosis or undulant fever and had mononuclosis at 3 months.	Missouri
Tracy	Tracy is not yet been diagnosed but she has been suffering with bizarre symptoms for 12 years. She took a lot of steroids before her hysterectomy due to endometriosis. She has also been told that she has interstial cysitis.	Wenatchee, WA
Pituitary Patients
Brook (on the boards sam is Brook's mom)	Brook's final diagnosis was confirmed at the NIH *National Institutes of Health) and Brook will have surgery on February 14th 2007 to remove the tumor on the right side of her pituitary. She has a page on myspace.	New Orleans, LA
Jean (jeand)	Jean had unsuccessful pituitary surgery May 14, 2003. Her second surgery will be with Dr. Kassam in Pittsburgh.	Erie, PA
JoAnn (on the boards mrsjones91730 is JoAnn's daughter)	Dr. Friedman diagnosed JoAnn and confirmed that her Cushing's was caused by a pituitary tumor. Her surgery was January 3rd, 2004. JoAnn also had adrenal surgery August of 2005 and Gamma Knife in April 06. She died of congestive heart failure September 2006.	Bakersfield, CA
Kathy  (lxkathybabezxl)	Kathy has low growth hormone due to a pituitary problem. She is having symptoms again and may need to go back on the hormone injections.	MA
Mary Jo (maryjo)	Mary Jo had a pituitary tumor removed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester in September of 1992. She is now Addisonian and will take prednisone for the rest of her life. She would like to hear from others who have had Cushings and may now be Addisonian.	Dent, Minnesota
Peggy (Peggy)	Peggy was first diagnosed with a (pituitary) prolactinoma, but now has some Cushing's symptoms. She has taken bromocriptine and cabergoline to help control the overproduction of prolactin.	Long Beach, CA
Steroid-Induced Patients
Denise's Father (Boopinit)	Denise is looking for information for her father. He was diagnosed with cushings disease about four months ago. The endo told him it was from the prolonged use of cortisone injections that his other Dr. was giving him every three weeks for the last thirteen months for a disease he has called Pyronies. Another doctor has put him back on low-dose steroids and he has many Cushing's symptoms.	Detroit, MI?
To add or edit your bio, http://www.cushings-help.com/forms/bio.htm
Newest Helpful Doctors:
Dr. Elaine Wong West Los Angeles, VA Facilities 11301 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90073 phone: 3102683754	Endocrinologist She's a resident doctor that's been treating me for the prolactinoma. I have been going to see her every three months for the last year and three months. She is probably good but I don't feel she has answered my questions. I would like to get a second opinio but for that I am probably going to have to go to a different hospital.	West Los Angeles, CA
Dr. Daniella Mittan 2120 Exchange Street Suite 200 Astoria, OR 97103 Phone: 5033255360 Fax: 5033259373	Pituitary, Adrenal, Cyclical, Steroid use, Addison's, Endocrinologist, Diabetes	Astoria, OR
Dr. Maria Fleseriu Oregon Health & Science University 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Rd, BTE472 Portland, OR 97239	Pituitary, Adrenal, Endocrinologist, Prolactinoma	Portland, OR
Dr. James Neifing The Portland (OR) Diabetic And Endocrinology Clinic which is very close to Good Samaritan Hospital phone: 503-274-4884	Dr. Neifing has taken care of e since my adrenalectomy in 2000. He is very thourough and listens to how I feel as well as being very thourough. I feel he is very accessible in person as well as by phone. That is important to me since I live 3.5 hours away from Portland. I though it would be helpful to have another endo who knows cushings since Dr. L is moving from Portlland. Lynn in Oregon	Portland, OR
Dr. Anne LaRochelle 333 State Street Erie, Pa 16507 phone: 8144548886 fax: 8144564609	Endocrinologist She is a very nice dr...never had any problems with her... seems to know alot about Cushing's... she has diagnosed about 15 cases of Cushing's that I know of since she's been in practice... worth seeing if you don't live too far from Erie...	Erie, PA
To add your helpful doctor, http://www.cushings-help.com/forms/doctor.htm

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• If you've been diagnosed with Cushing's, please participate in the Cushing's Register

The information you provide will be used to create a register and will be shared with the medical world. It would not be used for other purposes without your expressed permission. Note: This information will not be sold or shared with other companies.

Lynne Clemens, President of CUSH Org is be the person responsible for the creation of this register.