Is age really just a number?

I know other people my age get Cushing's and younger. Even so, I've only come across these people on the internet. When I was in the hospital, I was the youngest there. I had two roommates. One lady had multiple heart surgeries under her belt. The other woman was 42, although she looked beautiful for her age! She was there for a hysterectomy. She never had children, but said she'd had a full life without. I couldn't begin to imagine where she was coming from. She was more like a mother figure or older sister than a roommate. One of the nurses wondered why I seemed so shy. Why? Because I was alone in a strange place, a place I would never of dreamed of being in so early in life. I wonder if half of those nurses knew why I had surgery. It's lonely enough to have a rare disease, but to feel like nobody really understands even when you're among the sick and those trained to help the sick is strange. My surgeon said he does maybe 2 adrenalectomies a year. I feel the same when I go to the Endocrinologist. I've never seen a young girl like me there either. I don't really think there is a good place for Cushing's patients. We don't belong in a psych ward, but where do we belong? One pituitary patient wrote that she got thrown on the brain cancer ward. It made me realize how isolated I often feel considering my age and what I have. Some friends get confused when I turn down invitations now. Like when I got asked to go to the grocery store but I was just too tired to think about dealing with a long excursion at the time. She thought it was weird because she knew I needed them. People my age go to the emergency room because they've drank too much, not because they have chronic nausea. They go to the doctor if they have the flu, not from some small infection their body should be able to get over. I guess I'm always going to be tired (not to be confused with an ability to sleep) until my body picks up the pace. I take set amounts of Cortisol. It's not the same as a natural clock being able to switch doses throughout a day. Have I mentioned how I wish I could check my cortisol like glucose? Although, I'm starting to realize hormone replacement is a loose term. It's more like a hormone bumper. If I give myself too much then the other gland will never wake up. I sure miss enjoying food. When I woke up from surgery, I had an appetite. No liquid diet for me. I was naive to think medicine could keep me feeling so well. People keep telling me at least I'm young, my body will recover better. In some respects, yes? In others, I think I have a lot of nausea because my young body is shocked and confused. I needed super strong pain pills, as well. "Legalized heroine", as my dad put it. Everything is new to me. I don't usually feel like I know what I'm doing. I've been told I have a good attitude and have tenacity to talk about it. Being sick in comparison to my peers is still lonely, however. Photo is Vanessa, age 8; ready to conquer the world. Starting with the living room!