Amy Schumer talks about Cushing Syndrome diagnosis

Comedian, actress and director Amy Schumer, a graduate of South Side High School in Rockville Centre, recently revealed that she has been diagnosed with Cushing Syndrome.

Cushing Syndrome is a hormonal disorder caused when a person’s body has too much cortisol, a naturally occurring steroid, commonly triggered by stress, that is released by adrenal and endocrine glands, or provided externally through steroid injections.

In a one-on-one interview with former CNN chief White House correspondent Jessica Yellin, via her News Not Noise newsletter, the “Trainwreck” star shared that her symptoms were brought on by high doses of steroid injections.

“There are a few types of Cushing,” Schumer said. “Some that can be fatal, require brain surgery or removal of adrenal glands.”

The Mayo Clinic says that some of the main symptoms of Cushing Syndrome include a rounded face, a fatty hump between the shoulders and pink or purple stretch marks on the skin. It is a highly treatable, yet very serious condition that can in some cases cause high blood pressure, bone loss, and occasionally Type 2 diabetes.

“I was also in MRI machines four hours at a time, having my veins shut down from the amount of blood drawn and thinking I may not be around to see my son grow up,” Schumer described in her interview. “So finding out I have the kind of Cushing that will just work itself out and I’m healthy was the greatest news imaginable. It has been a crazy couple weeks for me and my family.”

News of her diagnosis comes less than a week after Schumer was criticized online for what she described as her “puffier than normal” appearance.

“There are some medical and hormonal things going on in my world right now, but l’m okay,” Schumer shared via Instagram. “I also believe a woman doesn’t need any excuse for her physical appearance and owes no explanation.”

In her interview, Schumer tells Yellin that she was forthcoming with her diagnosis because she wanted to advocate for women’s health.

“The shaming and criticism of our ever-changing bodies is something I have dealt with and witnessed for a long time,” Schumer said. “I want so much for women to love themselves and be relentless when fighting for their own health in a system that usually doesn’t believe them.”

Before her diagnosis, Schumer attributed her appearance to endometriosis, an autoimmune disease that she has suffered from for years.

According to the Mayo Clinic, endometriosis occurs when tissue, similar to the tissue that lines the uterus, develops outside the uterus in places where it doesn’t belong.

“I want women to know it’s abnormal to have extremely painful periods and to find someone with experience in diagnosing and operating for endometriosis,” Schumer told Yellin during their interview. “I want women vomiting horribly into their second and third trimester (to know they) may have hyperemesis gravidarum like I had. I want women to value feeling strong, healthy and comfortable in their own skin. I am extremely privileged to have the resources I have for my health and I know it’s not that way for most people. I am grateful and want to use my voice to continue to fight for women.”

Season 2 of Amy Schumer’s series, “Life and Beth,” is now streaming on Hulu.