Today I saw my Endocrinologist, Dr. Susan Atamian. I first saw her three years ago after my M.D. found I have high levels of calcium in my blood during a routine blood work-up. This is called "hypercalcemia" and is attributed to a condition called hyperparathyroid. It's not good, eventually it could be dangerous.
Basically, hyperparathyroid is a condition in which the parathyroid glands (there are four of them and they sit on your thyroid and regulate your calcium levels) are excreting too much calcium into your blood and urine. They're "hyper-excreting", I think you could say. But for some reason, then all that calcium in your blood and urine is not getting into your bones like it should.
So far, even three years after diagnosis, I have no symptoms. Kidney stones are one possible problem--haven't had those. Muscle cramping is another possibility and while I have experienced some strange cramping in my legs in the past, this is no longer the case. Another problem is bone pain, and I've had some of this in my face and arms, but not anymore. (Later I'll tell you why I think that is...) And of course the worst possibility is that my bones will turn to mush and I'll also have no muscle tone. Obviously, this hasn't happened. My bone scan last year turned up perfectly fine and good.
So now, what to do? Today's appointment is being followed by more testing. I already had my blood drawn today to check for calcium and Vit. D levels. Tomorrow I will have a bone scan of my hip and forearm. I am in a wait-and-see frame of mind now, as the results of the tests will be interesting and will determine my next step. I hope everything is back to normal, of course!
Because...the only medical option to cure this condition is surgery. On my parathyroid glands, right on the tips of my thyroid which sits there in my neck right near my voice box. Ooh, scary! The reason hyperparathyroid happens is because of growths on the parathyroid, sometimes called tumors but 99.9% of the time benign. These growths, whether on one, two, three or four of the glands, will be removed surgically if and when I decide it's time to do this.
Dr. Atamian has been a great doctor, very reasonable. She answers my questions. And best of all, she has given me a window of time to try other things before having the surgery. Of course, my health is always up to me, but I feel happy she has been willing to give me time and hasn't disowned me as a patient for being crazy or anything. Not to say she doesn't think I'm a little crazy. I get the impression I'm her only patient who has ever not just done the surgery right after she said to. Of course, that may just be the impression she's giving me by not giving me any examples otherwise. Who knows?
To tell you the truth, I'm grateful for this diagnosis. In the past three years, since I found out about this, I have changed so much of my life. Besides having the courage to ask for time to try alternatives, which was a big step for me, I also began to take much better care of myself and have sought out some really great alternative care.
Right away, I made an appointment with the herbalist I had met and taken a weekend class from five years earlier. I'd been wanting to see her and take more classes for that entire five years. A diagnosis of a health problem finally got me to do so, and not only did I become Lise Wolff's client, but George and I came up with the 1000 bucks that spring and I became a student as well. I studied herbs intensively with Lise in a class for one year and enjoyed it so much! The herbs and flower essences Lise prescribed for me were the first remedies to have a profound, positive effect on my physical and mental health. And now I'm an herbalist and have a job using my skills and knowledge in that regard.
The second alternative health care mode I took up was chiropractic visits. My care under Dr. Mike Svennson has also been profound. In fact, I first took the kids to see him for their scoliosis and the effect on them (particularly Eli) was so amazing I soon decided I had to see him. Dr. Mike has loosened all of us up, easing our minds and bodies and opening us up to a level of health we didn't think possible. Good thing, as we've needed his care not just for chronic stuff but for acute conditions as well like George's broken shoulder last March. And now all my friends go see Dr. Mike too. And their families. And their friends. We're so glad we "found" him!
And then this past spring, I decided seeing a nutritionist was in order. To help Rose with her excessive sweet tooth. To help Eli with his digestive issues. And, amazingly, though I wasn't the reason to go there, I got a lot of help from Jennette too. Even though I couldn't see it, she knew right away I had some issues that could be helped by better eating (giving up gluten for a while, eating more fermented foods like sauerkraut, making and eating lots of high-gelatin bone broths, soaking my oats and rice and other grains before eating them, etc.). Lo and behold, that made me feel even better!
The latest thing I've done for my health is to see a personal trainer and start exercising regularly. That, too, can only help and has given me more energy.
Through all this, I've paid attention to my relationships and to my spirituality as well as to my physical health. And I've learned so much!
Will any of this help bring my calcium levels back into balance? I have no idea. That's why I'm so interested in the results of today and tomorrow's tests. It hadn't helped by last November, of 2006, when I saw the Endocrinologist. But maybe one more year has done the trick...
Maybe not. I've decided I'm okay with whatever the results are. I've done my best. I've grown so much spiritually, physically and mentally that whatever happens, it's okay. All the things I've done were the best for me, and I feel they have been "meant to be", part of my path in life. That said, I think I'll be ready to say "yes" to the surgery this year if things still haven't changed at all. It is a 99.9% cure.
Wish me luck. Say a prayer. Let's all "positive think" those calcium and bone density levels to be normal! Don't let negative thinking get in your way when I ask you to do this for me, please. One spiritual lesson I've learned this year is that our minds, our thoughts, create our reality. Not the other way around! I've learned this through my spiritual explorations, and our Unity Church, but even science has been finding this to be true. Anyone see the 20/20 episode on happiness last week? They said at least 50% of happiness is in our minds, the way we think about our lives.
I'm trying hard to stay positive. And whatever happens, it will be okay.
I'll keep you posted...Lisa
Basically, hyperparathyroid is a condition in which the parathyroid glands (there are four of them and they sit on your thyroid and regulate your calcium levels) are excreting too much calcium into your blood and urine. They're "hyper-excreting", I think you could say. But for some reason, then all that calcium in your blood and urine is not getting into your bones like it should.
So far, even three years after diagnosis, I have no symptoms. Kidney stones are one possible problem--haven't had those. Muscle cramping is another possibility and while I have experienced some strange cramping in my legs in the past, this is no longer the case. Another problem is bone pain, and I've had some of this in my face and arms, but not anymore. (Later I'll tell you why I think that is...) And of course the worst possibility is that my bones will turn to mush and I'll also have no muscle tone. Obviously, this hasn't happened. My bone scan last year turned up perfectly fine and good.
So now, what to do? Today's appointment is being followed by more testing. I already had my blood drawn today to check for calcium and Vit. D levels. Tomorrow I will have a bone scan of my hip and forearm. I am in a wait-and-see frame of mind now, as the results of the tests will be interesting and will determine my next step. I hope everything is back to normal, of course!
Because...the only medical option to cure this condition is surgery. On my parathyroid glands, right on the tips of my thyroid which sits there in my neck right near my voice box. Ooh, scary! The reason hyperparathyroid happens is because of growths on the parathyroid, sometimes called tumors but 99.9% of the time benign. These growths, whether on one, two, three or four of the glands, will be removed surgically if and when I decide it's time to do this.
Dr. Atamian has been a great doctor, very reasonable. She answers my questions. And best of all, she has given me a window of time to try other things before having the surgery. Of course, my health is always up to me, but I feel happy she has been willing to give me time and hasn't disowned me as a patient for being crazy or anything. Not to say she doesn't think I'm a little crazy. I get the impression I'm her only patient who has ever not just done the surgery right after she said to. Of course, that may just be the impression she's giving me by not giving me any examples otherwise. Who knows?
To tell you the truth, I'm grateful for this diagnosis. In the past three years, since I found out about this, I have changed so much of my life. Besides having the courage to ask for time to try alternatives, which was a big step for me, I also began to take much better care of myself and have sought out some really great alternative care.
Right away, I made an appointment with the herbalist I had met and taken a weekend class from five years earlier. I'd been wanting to see her and take more classes for that entire five years. A diagnosis of a health problem finally got me to do so, and not only did I become Lise Wolff's client, but George and I came up with the 1000 bucks that spring and I became a student as well. I studied herbs intensively with Lise in a class for one year and enjoyed it so much! The herbs and flower essences Lise prescribed for me were the first remedies to have a profound, positive effect on my physical and mental health. And now I'm an herbalist and have a job using my skills and knowledge in that regard.
The second alternative health care mode I took up was chiropractic visits. My care under Dr. Mike Svennson has also been profound. In fact, I first took the kids to see him for their scoliosis and the effect on them (particularly Eli) was so amazing I soon decided I had to see him. Dr. Mike has loosened all of us up, easing our minds and bodies and opening us up to a level of health we didn't think possible. Good thing, as we've needed his care not just for chronic stuff but for acute conditions as well like George's broken shoulder last March. And now all my friends go see Dr. Mike too. And their families. And their friends. We're so glad we "found" him!
And then this past spring, I decided seeing a nutritionist was in order. To help Rose with her excessive sweet tooth. To help Eli with his digestive issues. And, amazingly, though I wasn't the reason to go there, I got a lot of help from Jennette too. Even though I couldn't see it, she knew right away I had some issues that could be helped by better eating (giving up gluten for a while, eating more fermented foods like sauerkraut, making and eating lots of high-gelatin bone broths, soaking my oats and rice and other grains before eating them, etc.). Lo and behold, that made me feel even better!
The latest thing I've done for my health is to see a personal trainer and start exercising regularly. That, too, can only help and has given me more energy.
Through all this, I've paid attention to my relationships and to my spirituality as well as to my physical health. And I've learned so much!
Will any of this help bring my calcium levels back into balance? I have no idea. That's why I'm so interested in the results of today and tomorrow's tests. It hadn't helped by last November, of 2006, when I saw the Endocrinologist. But maybe one more year has done the trick...
Maybe not. I've decided I'm okay with whatever the results are. I've done my best. I've grown so much spiritually, physically and mentally that whatever happens, it's okay. All the things I've done were the best for me, and I feel they have been "meant to be", part of my path in life. That said, I think I'll be ready to say "yes" to the surgery this year if things still haven't changed at all. It is a 99.9% cure.
Wish me luck. Say a prayer. Let's all "positive think" those calcium and bone density levels to be normal! Don't let negative thinking get in your way when I ask you to do this for me, please. One spiritual lesson I've learned this year is that our minds, our thoughts, create our reality. Not the other way around! I've learned this through my spiritual explorations, and our Unity Church, but even science has been finding this to be true. Anyone see the 20/20 episode on happiness last week? They said at least 50% of happiness is in our minds, the way we think about our lives.
I'm trying hard to stay positive. And whatever happens, it will be okay.
I'll keep you posted...Lisa
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