#hyperparathyroidism

[lady0mandy]

My pain was doing so well and now today I have the worst muscle spasms in my neck I've had to take so many pain killers but they don't want me to take muscle relaxers it hurts to eat and drink and my stomach is upset anyways and my parathyroids haven't caught up yet so I'm not doing so well now

[elfpuddle]

My parathyroidectomy, the surgery I’ve been waiting for for years, is today. Thank you in advance for your prayers.

St. Blaise, St. Servatius, and St. Roch, pray for us.

Our Lady, hold us close.

Holy Lord, have mercy upon us.

[quickwitter]

Post Op

So yesterday’s parathyroid surgery went well.

I feel good today except for a sore throat, and a whopping headache from the Anesthesia. I can talk without any pain, though I can’t raise my voice above normal.

I was covered from my chin to my collarbones with iodine/betadine so I’m stained orange, and will Iook like the president (ugh!) until it wears off. :)

The one rogue parathyroid gland was apparently the only gland that was problematic. Generally this is not a chronic problem. So hopefully this is a done deal for the rest of my life.

I don’t have a bandage or any stitches showing on my neck. Not in a lot of pain there inside or outside. Some gunk in my throat from the intubation tube and the anesthesia.

The other recent surgeries I’ve had have in all been in my midsection and came a long list of 6 week post surgery limitations, especially on lifting weight, or moving much, this is different. I can resume motion andreturn to my life in a week or so, as I feel capable.

They do a pre-surgery blood test for the parathyroid hormone in the blood. My level was 95 - which is abnormally high. They ran another blood test mid-surgery after they removed the rogue gland. The second blood test result was a normal level of 25 which indicates that the correct gland was removed, and the rest of the glands are behaving normally.

Oddly, I feel great today in odd ways - my mind seems clearer, I feel less depressed, more hopeful. And it’s a good day for that regardless. I also have less pain in my wrist, and am already less stiff when I stand up. Also less pan in my knees.

The Doctor said I would feel better, I had no idea it would happen so fast. Apparently the Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) manifests itself in:

Fragile bones that easily fracture (osteoporosis)

Kidney stones

Excessive urination

Abdominal pain

Tiring easily or weakness

Depression or forgetfulness

Bone and joint pain

Frequent complaints of illness with no apparent cause

Nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite

[imkeepingitprivatenow]

I'm trying these again today.

1 last time.

20mg Adderall

-

I took them @ about 2/230pm

It is now 745pm

-

Pretty sure I fucking hate them.

[ehlers-danloscircus]

That feeling when you know what's wrong with you and now you just have to somehow get your doctors to actually do something about it other than "wait and see."

[keto-go]

One month on Keto update!

Hey Keto Fam! As of yesterday I have been on keto for one month! I'm so happy with this way of eating, for the first time in my 33 years I feel like I have found something my body responds to that is not depressing to imagine doing for the rest of my life. Don't get me wrong, it started as a "I'll give this a week, then probably quit because it's going to suck" attitude, but by four days in I was blown away with how it made me feel (though I hadn't had any weight change at that point). One month in and here's why I'm sticking to it: •I feel more energetic and clear minded than I have in my adult life •weight loss of 11.9 lbs (221.7-209.8) •I can still enjoy so many delicious foods (the hardest number for me to hit is protein, I'm not very carnivorous) •I went from a 20 bridesmaid dress the last wedding I was in to just ordering a 14 (which I can fit into, but will look better come August) •I went from size 20 pants to 16 •It is pretty easy once you have the basics and I can tell what I'm doing wrong when I'm feeling off and quickly remedy it •mistakes only last about 24 hours before I'm back in ketosis, a week before my weight gets back on track •(miraculously) I don't miss bread and potatoes - and I was a big bread and potatoes person! Now opening a loaf for the kids or going past the enormous amounts of potatoes at Costco smells disgusting. What brought me to keto was my sister's 70lb weight loss over 5 months, going from sharing clothes with me to wearing sizes 6-8. I was a naysayer, not understanding how keto could be healthy or sustainable, but reading and my own experience has proven me wrong. I'm blessed that my two bff's are also starting keto. I use the Reddit keto as my primary guide, though I've done extensive reading everywhere, the IIFYM (if it fits your macros) and electrolyte information has suited my results well so far. This means I indulge in things like halo top or low carb tortillas for some of my meals, as long as it is within my macros for the day. After a week or so, my body naturally stopped wanting more than about 1300 calories so for now I'm eating in that range (I will most likely end up being at 1200 for maintenance once I find my goal weight, I am pretty short and that's a healthy range). I have primary hyperparathyroidism and secondary hypercalcemia, which has been affecting me for at least the last five years (probably much, much longer). This has caused awful symptoms including kidney stones, severe fatigue, aches and pains often mistaken by doctors for fibromyalgia, migraines, and brain fog that makes it difficult to think. Keto has given me mental clarity and energy that have made me more functional than I thought I could be. I will be having outpatient surgery to hopefully resolve the rest this year. I am excited to see what the next month brings, and where I land with my keto life. Keep calm and Keto on, friends!

[cumberbangers]

I suddenly realized today that thanks to my new job and my accompanying new insurance, I should be able to see the endocrinologist whose office is only about 5 minutes from where I live, instead of having to drive a half hour each way to follow up with the one I saw for the first time last month. If I had seen the one 30 minutes away multiple times, I would stick with him, but I’ve only seen him once and also didn’t have the warmest feeling with him. So once my new insurance has kicked in, I’m going to ask my urologist’s office to re-refer me to the local endocrinologist. I don’t care if I have to do labs over again, and I also don’t mind putting up with the symptoms of my hyperparathyroidism for a few weeks longer as long as it means getting in to see the endocrinologist who’s only 5 minutes away from me. So I look at it as another reason to be happy that I’ve landed a new job!

[elfpuddle]

Did Elfie Leave?

No, no, no, I didn't. Well, not really.

The week before Memorial Day, my parathyroid flared up again. With it came the instant pseudo-gout and swelling of everything. (TMI, but without my bidet, there was going to be no hope of hygiene, because my hips and thighs had swollen enough that tp wasn't going to get anywhere it needed to.) And, of course the pain. The level 10, I'm not human anymore pain. I spent my fiftieth birthday in a wheelchair wishing that I could just get a friend to get this stupid little gland out of my neck. It took more than a week to get a hold of my endocrinologist because his staff is the literal worst. I do have a new doctor, an otolaryngaologist who is both an endocrine and ent surgeon. He's a teacher, a director of an ent / endocrine center in nearby Atlanta, and just all-around welcome member to my medical team.

I see him tomorrow. Please pray for HubbyTMC & my travels there and back...it takes me a solid arduous hour of work just to get from this spare bedroom to the bathroom across the hall. Getting ready to go, into the car, and then driving to Atlanta in the heat wave we're having is going to tax me beyond all my limits. I'm hoping that the next step is surgery, and that it is soon, like "oh, I have an opening today" kind of soon. My body is exhausted, my pain meds aren't enough, and everything except for my right ear hurts, and that's where my tinnitus is coming from.

Yes, I'm offering it all up. It's a huge blessings to be able to unite my sufferings to those of our Savior, and know that it all is being used for someone's good. But just because I endure it for the sake of others' souls doesn't mean I enjoy it or want it to last any longer than it already has.

I'll be back when I can. In the meantime, enjoy the food queue that I've been saving up for probably years. Keep HubbyTMC and all those caring for me in your prayers, and help me endure this for the sake of the souls who need the redemption. Sts. Blase, Servatius, and Roch, pray for us. Our Lady of Sorrows, hold us close. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, stand with us and guide us.