A BRAVE single mum from Studley whose rare condition caused her to gain ten stone is speaking out about the disease which struck her down.
Mum-of-one Natalie Stokes put on the weight in just two years, transforming her from an active 20-something with a passion for horses and the great outdoors to a 26-stone woman who struggled to get out of bed.
Although Natalie made multiple visits to her GP, the rarity of the condition – Cushing’s Disease – meant she struggled to receive an accurate diagnosis.
After eight years the cause was finally pinpointed and she is now desperately raising awareness about the debilitating condition.
Natalie, now 33, said: “For the first time I felt listened to. I felt relieved to be ill. But I also felt a heaviness inside.
“I became severely anxious and would often have panic attacks. I became paranoid that people were judging me because of my size and the way I looked.”
The disease is caused by a small benign tumour on the pituitary gland in the brain, which controls the amount and types of hormones released into the body.
Last year, Natalie began treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, with surgery to reduce the size of the tumour.
Since then she has lost nine stone, transforming her quality of life.
Natalie is backing the QE’s charity’s plea to support research into pituitary illness.
Natalie, who has a five year-old son, added: “I’m not out of the woods yet and still suffer the effects of this disease on a daily basis but I hope, with the support from specialists at the QE, the future will look more positive.
“I would ask anyone who has ever experienced difficulty in reaching a diagnosis to consider donating to QEHB charity, to support research into this lesser-known but debilitating illness.”
Visit www.qehb.org or call 0121 371 4852 for more information.
