HyperParathyroidism and What You Need to Know

For the next few weeks, I am going to take you on my journey through hypercalcemia and hyperparathyroidism. What are hypercalcemia and hyperparathyroidism? I’ll give you my cliff notes version, but if you would like the professional definition click on the links.

 

With calcium, as with nearly everything in our bodies, there is a healthy range that will supply what we need. Hypercalcemia is what happens when too much calcium is released into your bloodstream. Too much calcium can have a detrimental effect on all your organs. If your body is releasing too much calcium in your blood, it can deplete your bones of calcium and cause or contribute to osteoporosis. Now that I know, I like to think of it this way – that hypercalcemia was a symptom of my hyperparathyroidism.

Hyperparathyroidism is caused when one or more of your parathyroid glands is releasing too much parathyroid hormone (PTH). The parathyroid glands are four little glands that sit behind your thyroid and produce this hormone to keep your calcium level normal. However, if even one glad goes bad, or in my case develops a tumor, that is when things begin to fall apart.

We all go through things for a reason, and I believe someone reading this may develop or already be dealing with these symptoms. In any case, never ignore your body signs. Seriously, you know your body best and have a good instinct for when something isn’t quite right. Don’t allow your doctor to minimize your concerns, and if you don’t feel your doctor is taking you seriously then find one who will listen to you. Yes, it may be a pain to switch to a new doctor, but it could end up saving your life.

Over the past few years, whenever I had my blood drawn my test results would repeatedly show that my calcium was high and my Vitamin D was low. There were many reasons I heard as to why this was, such as I was dehydrated or because I am overweight my body can’t absorb Vitamin D. However, there were other symptoms I was dealing with that I didn’t realize were associated with my illness. These symptoms were:

Fatigue: I would wake up rearing to go for the day, and then a wave of fatigue would hit me from nowhere. I would have to take a nap to recoup enough energy to go on with my day.  Generally, I have a lot of energy to burn off, so this was not normal for me

Brain Fog: Wow! My mental capacity was scary for me as there were times I struggled to find words in a conversation. I would forget what I was doing and was completely unable to concentrate. I need to apologize right up front to all those who thought I seemed distant when they were trying to carry on a conversation with me. To be honest, this one bothered me the most. I was watching my momma struggle with memory issues, and I was very concerned there might be a possibility I was dealing with early onset dementia.

Excessive Urination and Thirst: This was another symptom which was disturbing because my momma was a diabetic and my brother is a diabetic. Although my sugar levels were elevated, they were at a pre-diabetic level. I was told to watch what I eat, and after following the doctor’s orders, I brought those numbers down even lower.

Aches and Pains: Don’t we all have aches and pains? I didn’t notice this one too much and the ones I had I attributed it to the fact that I was over fifty years old. Joint pain is common for everyone or at least I thought it was supposed to be that way. After all, the doctor tells us as we age we should expect to have aches and pains.

Irritability: I think I did pretty well in hiding this symptom from others, or at least I hope I did. But in all honesty, I was pretty grumpy with my husband. It is true we hurt the ones we love the most because we know they love us despite ourselves. Also, I had a lot going on in my life because my momma was diagnosed with terminal cancer and  I had a heart attack. I hated feeling irritable because that is not my mojo. I wish I could have blamed it on menopause, but I couldn’t because I had a hysterectomy in my 30’s.

Hair Loss: I told people for years my hair wouldn’t grow and it was falling out. My hair became very thin, and I was frantically looking for ways to cover up my high forehead and the bare spot top of my head. I was fortunate though because I have naturally curly hair and could make it work on most days. My thinning hair was the first thing my doctor noticed when we met in Tampa. More on this later!

After having my heart attack last December, it was my cardiologist, an incredible woman who knows her stuff, which made me pursue the reason why my calcium was high. High calcium in your bloodstream puts you at elevated risk for a heart attack. After learning this information, I was in hot pursuit to find out the reason, so I went back to my primary care doctor. She took more blood tests with the same result that my calcium was high and my vitamin D was low.  She officially diagnosed with hypercalcemia and hyperparathyroidism.

So now what? My primary doctor referred me to an endocrinologist and then came all my own research about this disease. I’m a firm believer the more you educate yourself going into a situation, the better equipped you are in asking questions and knowing who you will feel comfortable with and is best suited to take care of your need.

What I have learned through this process is you have to be your own advocate or have someone who will advocate for you. I was fortunate enough to be able to advocate for myself, but I know many who don’t have that luxury. Don't ever allow a medical professional to make you feel bad for asking questions pertinent to your health. If they make you feel like you are wasting their time it is time to find a new doctor. Share on XDon’t ever allow a medical professional ever to make you feel bad for asking questions pertinent to your health. If they make you feel like you are wasting their time it is time to find a new doctor.

Next week I will share with you my game-changing decision. I want to remind you; this was my personal experience. I’m not a doctor and can’t offer medical advice, but I can encourage you to never settle for medical care you aren’t comfortable with receiving.