Parathyroid surgery

[cjacks]

Hi

I just got a call from the Norman Parathyroid Clinic, they are scheduling me for surgery.  YES...  This should solve some ( a lot ) of my problems.  Fatigue , insomnia and grumpiness..( me grumpy ?)..   I thought I was going to have to beg , but didn't . They agreed with my wonderful pcp, the bulldog, who is  on every ones as* to help me .  God, I don't know what I would do without him. Thank you , Thank you !!

Now I'm getting nervous :)  :)  :)    Surgery is scary .  But this is a new procedure 20 min., in and out  .They take the bad parathyroid ( we have four )  through a one inch incision .  And I can go home the same day .

They say people feel remarkably better in days ..  I'm crossing my fingers.

Thanks for listing         Jo

[cjacks]

All

A good sight is   parathyroid.com   its the Norman Clinic's web page.  Everything you ever wanted to know , plus they have a vidio of the surgery.

The docs thought at first it was thyroid , but soon saw that my calcium levels were consistently just borderline high . Had my PTH level tested , it was high 178., but D was also low , which can cause the PTH to rise. Took D for awhile and was retested and the PTH did come down . But I still have mild parathyroiditis . They say doing the surgery will help me to feel better and that will help in sorting out my other dx.

Thanks     Jo

[CtResident]

Here's a brief sharing of a good-came-out-of-bad situation.

My father was out on a walk,  fell and really wrecked his hand. Happened to see some ladies sitting on a porch nearby, lo and behold he knew one of them, a nurse! from ages ago, could she drive him home? (He was bleeding profusely.)

He had to have his wedding band cut off his finger, surgery done. Bones didn't heal right. Surgery done. Bones didn't heal right. His hand is mildly misshapen now. He can't handle the steering wheel correctly, and along with his benign brain tumor near the optic nerve (that will not be operated on due to it's placement), Dad doesn't drive anymore. THAT was a major blow to him. :-(

Long story short, his parathyroid was not functioning properly, was leeching calcium from his bones, thereby negating proper healing. He had to undergo some sort of quarantine where we couldn't visit him, had to wear gloves for all bathroom functions due to the treatment (can't recall, was it radiation of some sort?)

I do believe the parathyroid was cancerous. He is now fine but on meds for the rest of his life.

What was the good-out-of-bad? Thank goodness he saw those ladies. He normally walks a totally different route; that ONE day only, he went THAT way! I don't know that he ever would have been flagged as having a calcium deficiency if he hadn't stepped off that curb the wrong way? God is Mysterious, that is for sure. :-)

Suzanne
  

[Super_sally888]

HI Almosa,

i'll jump in here - cause I was being monitored for parathyroid for a bit (still am being)...

Parathyroid is not measured in thryoid test.  Aside from proximity, it is completely separate and separate function from the thryoid.  "Para" means next to.

Parathryoid is tested by testing "intact Parathyroid hormone - iPTH", ionized calcium, and Phosphorus.

You can see symptoms of parathyroid if you google hypercalcaemia, and hypocalcaemia. Didn't understand what you meant about calcium and metabolism.

Sally

[Super_sally888]

Ooops sorry Quix.  

I forgot to press return.  You actually answered all before me.

S

[Waterboy44]

Thanks Quick. Do you know what or how much it has to do with the metabolism minus the calcium thing? I seem to have a lot of the sx that Jo has, but I guess my thyroid numbers came back "OK" so is the parathyroid functoin measured in the typical thyroid test?

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

they are talking parathryoid, not thyroid.  

There are four of them.  Sometimes one of them can become overgrown and put out too much parathryoid hormones.  

Parathyroid a very important for controlling calcium balance in the body.  Calcium is one of the most important electrolytes in the body so this being out is a very bad thing, as well as creating possible bone problems.

Removal of the one parathyroid that is causing the problem should be pretty straight forward and recovery should be very quick.  Great that you are going to a centre that specialises in this.

When will you have the surgery?

Yes, surgery is scary, but this is pretty minor and you should be feeling much better very soon.  Keep us up to date.  We'll be praying for you.

Sally

[Quixotic1]

Hi, the Parathyroid Glands are four small, endocrine glands embedded in the thyroid gland.  They are predominantly responsible for regulating the level of clacium in the blood for proper functioning of heart and muscle and many other cellular functions.  If the blood level falls  too much the parathyroid glands go get some released from the bones, so one of the problems with a functioning parathyroid adenoma (too much parathormone)  can be severe osteoporosis, and or bone pain.  

It's much more complex than that, but that's the gist.

Quix

[Waterboy44]

Please tell me more about your thyroid. Why are they removing it? Where you hyper or hypo thyroid? Was it clear from the start for the doctors that you had a thyroid porblem? This is the first time I have heard 'parathyroid what exactly does that mean?

Thanks

[Quixotic1]

My dad had a parathyroid adenoma removed in the '70's.  Helped a lot with his moods.

Good luck, we'll be praying!

Quix

[monotreme]

I know someone who had parathyroid surgery and did feel much better afterwards.  Please let us all know the date so we can pray for you.  

Best wishes.  I am happy that you have a caring PCP who is helping you get help.
Elaine