The Cortisol Pump, Five Years Later
February 1st, 2014
I hooked up to my first cortisol pump from Medtronics on February 1st, 2014.
Although no treatment for any disease is perfect, I can confidently state that this treatment is far superior to what I was doing before. I’ll take the bruises, I’ll take the pokes, I’ll take fights with insurance, I’ll take the having to maneuver the tubing and an external programmable adrenal gland to eliminate the constant nausea, the swallowing pills 5+ times a day, the chest pains that mimicked heart attacks, the blacking out to where I was afraid to stand up.
What a Journey
From supplies being gifted to me, to finding the back door loophole by living in Asia (Medtronics Asia doesn’t face nearly the same amount of harmful government interference as Medtronics USA), to fighting American insurance for coverage (and often failing), to being thrown out of a few doctors’ office because I said “Excuse me, but I deserve a higher quality of life.”
These past five years on my cortisol pump have been quite a journey. Over the years, multiple people have asked for specifics on how I started on the cortisol pump. Y’all could not duplicate my path even if you tried!
To Those Who Want a Cortisol Pump
You must discover your own path, fight your own battles, force your own way. Gaining access to the cortisol pump is merely the first step.
If you feel defeated by that first step, you are not ready to handle this new method of treatment for our disease. I state that not to discourage, but rather to be completely realistic and transparent.
Although I view this method of treatment as superior, it is much more labor intensive than merely swallowing pills.
Cortisol Pump Resources
I have a few blog posts and YouTube videos dealing with my journey on the cortisol pump. They are linked below.
- The Cortisol Pump
- My Journey on the Cortisol Pump
- Beauty in the Desert
- Amber Nicole: A Story About Cortisol (YouTube Video)
- The Cortisol Pump with Amber Nicole (YouTube Video)
Additionally, my friend Michelle runs a blog called Cortisol Musings. Below are some of her resources.
- Cortisol Pumping with the OmniPod (YouTube Video)
- Pump Chronicles
- Cortisol Pump FAQ
- Pump Resources, Tips, and Products
Finally, Charlie over in Australia has a wonder post de-bunking some of the Common Cortisol Pump Myths.
Here’s to many more years on the Cortisol Pump and to many more years living Clearly Alive!
May we all remain Clearly Alive.