Getting used to another quality of life

“So I was doing a bunch of research and that was when I realized that acromegaly is a chronic illness. I had to process the diagnosis in my own time before I could take in any information.”

Crys had been suffering with blurry vision and headaches for years without realizing the cause. At the age of 17, she started having severe migraines. Crys’ ophthalmologist found a swelling on her optic nerve, but it wasn’t until she was rushed to hospital after passing out in the shower that Crys was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor – and acromegaly.

“I was always big, but my dad is very tall, and his side of the family are all very large, so we thought that I just took after him. But once I was given that diagnosis the doctor asked me to show her pictures of myself from five years ago.

"...After looking at the pictures, I could see how acromegaly had affected me and it made a lot of sense. I definitely have the whole being large thing going on,” explains Crys.

Crys used to work within retail, working within shoe sales. But after the surgery she was no longer able to manage the fast-paced environment. Today she works night shifts at a hotel: “Working is very difficult. The jobs I had prior to the surgery were a lot more physically demanding. Now basically I have to do the laundry at night, and that is about it.”

“Some days are better than others, in how I view what the future looks like for me and my family. I have depression, because the quality of life that I was used to has been taken away and I have to think, ‘Am I going to be able to do this in ten years?’ It is hard for me to stand up for long periods; I do not have the endurance I had before. I need to modify what I do – I can’t clean my house in 20 minutes or cook an elaborate meal. I use mobility aids to help me get around,” Crys explains.