Dang Parathyroid!

Well, so about a month ago we had a routine blood draw for Greg's health insurance through the county. When I got my results back, my calcium serum level was high, and after discussing the results with my doctor, he advised me to come back in a month and have it rechecked.

So I went back, and the next results were even higher going from 11.8 to 12.6, (10.6 is the high end of normal). So the day after the 2nd high result, they tested my parathyroid levels and they were "sky high" as well (254, high end of normal being 65). At that point I was referred to a ear, nose and throat specialist, whom I met today for the first time.

I found out that most likely there is an adenoma (tumor, most likely benign) on my parathyroid and that they will localize which one it is (you have four) and remove it in surgery. This is the best case scenario, meaning it shouldn't have a major effect on me afterwards and surgery shouldn't be too bad.

The other possibility is that all four of my parathyroids are enlarged (can't remember the medical term for this condition) and that they would have to remove more. The catch on this one is that they would leave a portion in that would continue to function hopefully normally. But they save the part that is removed and if your calcium levels drop too low, they can reinsert a portion into your arm to help out. Isn't the body just crazy? I asked him how you "save" it, maybe a doggie bag you receive after surgery? But they freeze it and hang onto it for some time limit that is unbeknownst to me.

He did mention that there would be an extremely remote possibility of the tumor being cancerous, but we both agreed not to think about that for now.

So, I am still on for surgery for Monday, and for added entertainment I get to have a neck MRI tomorrow and possibly some test on Friday where they shoot you up with radioactive dye to figure out which parathyroid gland is the dud. And Greg and I were planning on going to Utah Saturday to get away. Always busy!

I hope I have provided those of you with a limited or non-existant knowledge of the parathyroid with a better education about the whole process. It sure has enlightened me, I never even knew I had a dang parathyroid, much less that it could cause all of these issues!