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Topics: Health, Mental Health, Women's Health, Life, Real Life
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Madison Burgess
Topics: Health, Mental Health, Women's Health, Life, Real Life
A woman who thought her weight gain was simply down to too many foodie date nights with her boyfriend was given a devastating diagnosis.
Healthcare assistant Hannah Richards, 28, from Norfolk, noticed she 'started gaining quite a lot' of weight at the beginning of 2023 - soon feeling 'horrendous' and getting 'teary' after piling on three stone.
However, she quickly dismissed it when friends suggested it was just 'comfort weight gain' as she was 'happy and content' in a relationship with new boyfriend Nathan Baker, 33.
She shrugged off the weight gain as ordering too many takeaways and going out for food too often on date nights with Nathan.
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But, despite going to the gym and trying to eat healthier, the weight gain continued, particularly in her face and back, and she started getting breathless.
The healthcare worker said: "It got to the point where I'd look back at old photos and I looked completely different. If I put that online on a dating app people would probably think I'm like a catfish.
"I looked in the mirror and I'd get really teary, depressed and upset thinking it's just not who I am anymore."
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However, her work colleague pointing out her 'puffy face' was what eventually 'gave her the push' she needed to get checked out.
After her GP referred her to an endocrinologist, Hannah was diagnosed with Cushing's disease in March this year - a rare condition caused by having too much cortisol hormone in your body, which can lead to increased body fat and mood changes.
As per the NHS, if left untreated, it can cause serious health problems, including a heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, an increased risk of blood clots, weakened bones (osteoporosis) and kidney stones.
The main symptom of Cushing's disease is having more body fat on your neck, upper back, chest and tummy, while your arms and legs may look thin compared to the rest of your body.
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Other signs include:
Doctors suspect Hannah's case was caused by a benign tumour in her pituitary gland but she is waiting for an MRI scan to confirm this and determine if she needs brain surgery to remove it.
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She says she wants to spread awareness about the rare condition to encourage others to 'get checked out' if they notice similar changes.
Hannah said: "When they diagnosed me, I cried. I didn't feel upset or shocked, I just felt really relieved. It's been going on for so long and I was like 'I finally have answers and I know what's happening to my body now'. I wasn't just going crazy."
Going into detail about her symptoms, Hannah revealed it wasn't just her looks that changed but also her personality.
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"Your cortisol levels are really high and it affects all your hormones. It's like you're going through an early menopause. Everything changed, my body, my mental health and my personality. It's really tough," she admitted.
The healthcare worker added: "You gain weight in your face and they describe it as a 'moon face'. You also gain weight in your upper back; they call it the buffalo bump.
"I started to get quite a lot of breathlessness and heart palpitations. It turns out you can gain weight in the front of your chest as well. You gain weight in your belly as well.
"The only place you don't really gain weight is from your waist at the back and in your legs and your arms because they get smaller in muscle.
"You feel like your legs and arms are tiny but then you're bigger at the front."
She also cited stretch marks in between her thighs, hair growth on her arms and side burns, dark and swollen knuckles, and dark circles under her armpits and around the back of my neck as other warning signs.