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    #1

    Parathyroid Adenoma - Anyone else been treated for this?

    Hi all. I turned up in January with high blood calcium. The blood test was repeated in February just to make sure it wasn't a lab error or something, and it was indeed confirmed high. Since then, I had a parathyroid (NOT THYROID) hormone blood test and sure enough that was high too. I first learned about the possible diagnosis through ...what else...GOOGLE! This web site has a lot of good information that was subsequently confirmed by my doctor. Parathyroid.com Discusses Parathyroid Disease and Parathyroid Treatment. Parathyroid Surgery, Parathyroid Operations and Parathyroid Tumors.

    After the PHT was high, the doc ordered an ultrasound to check for tumors. I had that done today at University of Chicago and sure enough, I do have a tumor. They are almost always benign (so nobody worry!!). But they cause other problems - leaching calcium from the bones due to the excess production of the PT hormone, etc.

    I'm just wondering if by some off chance anyone here has been treated for this condition. If so, I would love to hear about your experience and any cautions or advice you might have.

    Many thanks!

    DG (grateful to be sober and facing this head on rather than sticking my head in the bottle!!!)
    Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
    Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07

    One day at a time.
    Tags: None
    #2
    Parathyroid Adenoma - Anyone else been treated for this?

    i'm glad you are sober as well...i haven't had to deal with this, but wanted to wish you well doggy!

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      #3
      Parathyroid Adenoma - Anyone else been treated for this?

      Thank you peacenik!
      Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
      Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07

      One day at a time.

      Comment

        #4
        Parathyroid Adenoma - Anyone else been treated for this?

        Hi doggygirl,

        Yes I have just been diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism. I too have 3 nodules inmy neck (had ultrasound last week). I am going to a endocrinologist next Tuesday. My PTH levels were high also, but the only thing that confused them was that my calcium is low.

        What are you doing about your problem now?

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          #5
          Parathyroid Adenoma - Anyone else been treated for this?

          Hi again Millie. I saw your thread before I saw your post here and left you a long post. I saw a grid somewhere along the way that gave possible diagnosis info for all the combinations of high or low PTH and high or low calcium. Let me see if I can find that.

          ETA: Check out this link. PTH: The Test The point raised is that when blood calcium is low, the PROPER response of the parathyroid gland is to produce more PTH. But if that dynamic is not right, then I think what this site is suggesting is that more searching (testing?) needs to happen to determine why the blood calcium is so low in the first place? Since that's not the same as what I have (for me, both are too high) I haven't done further research. I hope this helps get you started though.

          DG
          Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
          Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07

          One day at a time.

          Comment

            #6
            Parathyroid Adenoma - Anyone else been treated for this?

            If you don't feel your doctor is good enough at this complicated disorder (which GPs certainly aren't -- not their fault, of course), then I suggest you look into getting specialist help. There is a doctor called Doctor Lowe in Colorado (Boulder?) who has a very serious and extensive website about thyroid related problems. drlowe.com---fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone resistance. He will also work with you long distance both through the internet and by phone. I have only heard great things about him. He has devoted his life to solving thyroid-related problems. He also comes from an open-minded and naturalist approach. I hope this helps.
            Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life... And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

            Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Adress, 2005

            Comment

              #7
              Parathyroid Adenoma - Anyone else been treated for this?

              Hi beatle how are you doing? Sorry I didn't notice your post here until today!

              Thank you for providing the link you did as I also have thyroid problems (hypo). The tumor though is the parathyroids - completely different glands. All part of the broader endocrine system, and also located in the neck, but produce a completely different hormone for a different function. And there are four of them, thank goodness, because I will be losing one.

              I had my consult with the surgeon yesterday at University of Chicago hospital. So far, everything is consistent with the information I initially gathered at Parathyroid.com Discusses Parathyroid Disease and Parathyroid Treatment. Parathyroid Surgery, Parathyroid Operations and Parathyroid Tumors.. I will be getting one more test between now and the surgery...a nuclear something or other that does involve radiation which I'm not thrilled about. But it helps the surgeon with more detailed information which contributes to better surgical odds, so I'd be an idiot to not have it done. Barring anything unexpected, he will be able to use a minimally invasive procedure and the healing / scarring process won't be too bad.

              At the very bottom of this page, Parathyroid Surgery and Parathyroid Treatment. 'Big' Parathyroid Surgery is OUT, Mini-Surgery is IN. there is a picture of a surgery gone bad, and also another one that is the size of incision I hope to end up with (small one!). Nuff said about that.

              Between the surgeon who will be operating on me and another surgeon at U of C, they do about 5 - 6 of these per week so I'm pretty comfortable with the experience level. It's also good that they can test the PTH levels DURING surgery before they close you up, after they remove the one parathyroide gland / tumor. PTH levels should return to normal immediately if there is no other problem with any of the 3 remaining glands. If there IS another problem, they can try to find it / do whatever is appropriate while they still have you open. I suppose that is good. This is also why he puts the incision in the center, even though for me the tumor is on the left side. He can get to the left or right side with that center incision so doesn't have to make a second one or bigger one if an additional problem is found on the other side.

              Well, it feels good to sort of get some of this "out" if you know what I mean. I am VERY grateful that if I have to have a tumor, it's this kind rather than so many other worse kinds. It's still sort of scary and I wish I understood why my body is making abnormal cells. And I course the odds are in my favor that this is not cancer, but I've never done very well at "gambling" so odds don't mean much to me.

              I will be very relieved when this is over. Thank you all for the support you have given me here so far. I wish it was sooner but surgery is scheduled for July 9.

              DG
              Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
              Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07

              One day at a time.

              Comment

                #8
                Parathyroid Adenoma - Anyone else been treated for this?

                DG, Just reading this thread now and very sorry to hear you are having to deal with a health issue. Waiting til July will be a challenge, but good that they do not feel it 'more urgent'. And actually July is just around the corner. it sounds like you are on top of the information - always good, but not always done - and you will get very good care at UofChicago. if you are a reserach person, you might also look through the journals through pubmed.com. best of luck and keep us posted.

                Comment

                  #9
                  Parathyroid Adenoma - Anyone else been treated for this?

                  HG, thank you for the web link. Wow - now I will need a dictionary to read the research there! It's all good though! Thank you for your words of support - they mean a lot to me. I am trying to keep perspective - there are way worse problems in the world than this one!

                  DG
                  Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
                  Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07

                  One day at a time.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Parathyroid Adenoma - Anyone else been treated for this?

                    Wow - DG hope all is well. I find it very interesting that the endocrine system is the topic. I have been hypothyroid now for 12 years -- I feel that there is a correlation with anxiety and the adrenals -- just my thoughts though.

                    Beatle thanks for the link -- I will follow-up also.

                    Tiny
                    Tiny

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                      #11
                      Parathyroid Adenoma - Anyone else been treated for this?

                      Thank you SO MUCH for posting this information, I am going to make an appointment to get my husband's calcium levels checked, I don't think they have ever been checked. We have been baffled as to what is causing his symptoms, the doctor just says, "lose weight, exercise." It has been very frustrating.

                      I wish you all the best, with the way this year is flying by July 9 should be here in no time. I will keep you in my thoughts until then. xo Beth
                      vegan zombies want your grains

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