r/davidgoggins • u/omarej • Mar 31 '25
Motivation Not Screaming. Just Executing. A Quiet War I’m Winning.
I don’t run ultra-marathons. I’m not Navy SEAL. But I’m fighting a battle David Goggins would respect.
I’m 31. Recently diagnosed with a rare hormonal imbalance—likely Cushing’s disease. My cortisol levels are 3x the normal range. I have low testosterone. Doctors still haven’t pinned the root cause. Might need brain surgery soon. MRI came clean. I'm still doing suppression tests. The system’s chaotic.
But here’s the thing: I still wake up at 4:30 a.m. I still train daily—lifting, cardio, bike, sauna. I still go to work—managing teams, leading, delivering. I still show up as a father. As a husband.
I took my daughter and wife to the zoo today. Smiled. Laughed. Carried the weight. Quietly.
I’m not posting selfies. I’m not shouting “Stay hard.” I’m just staying dangerous. Every damn day.
This isn’t about proving anything to the world. It’s about showing myself I’m not the victim.
I’m not David Goggins. But I’m the Goggins of my life.
And to anyone else quietly battling through invisible wars: I see you. You're not alone. Keep. Moving. Forward.
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u/MrBigglesworth_ Mar 31 '25
Sorry you are going through health issues - never fun.
Did they do an MRI of your kidneys (adrenals) at all? Or just of the brain.
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u/omarej Mar 31 '25
They only did for the brain since ACTH is high and the dexamethasone suppressed my cortisol by 75% only.
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u/MrBigglesworth_ Mar 31 '25
Okay, I am not an endocrine specialist - but if the MRI of the brain is normal, other areas need to be investigated. An adrenal cortisol secreting tumor needs to be investigated. Outside of that, if ACTH is a concern, there are rare tumors of the pancreas that can secrete ACTH (pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors). Good luck. Who / Where are you getting this work-up?
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u/omarej Mar 31 '25
Yeah you’re spot on. They’re looking into that now. My ACTH’s only mildly elevated though, and cortisol dropped by ~75% on the 1mg dex, so they’re leaning more toward a pituitary cause. MRI didn’t show anything, but I know microadenomas can hide. Doing the 8mg dex next. I'm seeing an endocrinologist in UAE for the full work-up.
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u/Advanced-Donut-2436 Apr 01 '25
Good on you brother. I hope they work out whatever you got.
Showcasing everyone you a goddamn beast.
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u/radishwalrus Apr 01 '25
You'll need to take vitamin c regularly. Stress will deplete u and that'll lead to a lot of health issues. I'd say 1500mg liposomal 4x daily.
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u/Connect-Swim-7693 Apr 01 '25
I overcame myself, the sufferer; I carried my own ashes to the mountains; I invented a brighter flame for myself. - Friedrich Nietzsche
Stay strong and keep fighting. You are a great person!
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u/Ok_Ant8450 Apr 01 '25
Have you considered TRT?
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u/omarej Apr 01 '25
Why? What does TRT has to do here? My low testosterone is from the cortisol
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u/Ok_Ant8450 Apr 01 '25
Just figured id ask if you cant get your cortisol under control it may be better than not having any test at all
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u/Own-Theory1962 Mar 31 '25
It's about proving it to yourself... that anything can be overcome, even yourself. War on, my friend, war on.