Young mum's terrifying disease hidden by pregnancy weight gain
When Danielle Gselnann started rapidly gaining weight and struggling to sleep, she was told by doctors it was a normal part of being pregnant.
But after giving birth to Elijah in 2014, the Gold Coast mother found her symptoms didn’t vanish and even started experiencing hair loss, acne, further weight gain, multiple fractures and depression.
Ms Gselnann lived with the debilitating symptoms for five years before she was finally diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease.
Cushing’s Disease is a condition where the pituitary gland releases too much of the cortisol hormone and is often caused by a tumour. Ms Gselnann’s tumour is on her pituitary gland in her brain.
“It affected everything, I couldn’t have conversations with people without reminding myself of body cues, like smiling and laughing,” she told the Sunshine Coast Daily.
“I had to concentrate really hard all the time…people would tell me it was baby brain but I knew it was something more.”
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In a YouTube video about Ms Gselnann’s condition, her husband Dean said he was concerned after she couldn’t “bounce back” following the birth.
As a personal trainer he tried to help her lose weight, but it was unsuccessful.
Last week, the young mother had surgery to remove the tumour, but she could continue to suffer the extreme symptoms for up to 12 months.
The couple are hoping to now raise awareness and bring attention to the rare disease.
A friend of the family has started a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Ms Gselnann’s medical bills.
