Wendy, a bonafide hyperparathyroid patient, was seeing her bones deteriorate, and had to fight to find a doctor to believe she had a parathyroid issue — her labs weren’t convincing enough, and many doctors simply told her to pursue another diagnosis! She was losing bone density at an alarming rate, even on optimal natural desiccated thyroid. She finally found a surgeon who was wise enough to see what was going on, and performed a parathyroidectomy. Here are her comments:

I had two enlarged parathyroid glands removed. The third gland had poor blood flow, but was implanted into my neck muscle in the hope that it would establish a new blood supply and begin functioning to manage the calcium needs for my body. The fourth gland was not found. The doctor explained that 6% of patients don’t have a fourth gland. The other possibility is that during the embryonic stage of development, the glands incompletely descended or went too far.

The night after my surgery, I no longer had hip aches, or knee joint pain. Through the night, the burning/radiating pain I had in my spine was gone. By morning, there was a fog that lifted, as well.

With this surgery, my bones won’t deteriorate at the rate they were, and will begin to regain density and strength, once again. High blood sugar and blood pressure issues will be better regulated. My kidneys and cardiovascular system will properly function without the added calcium stress. My Vitamin D levels will climb again, and will allow my body to absorb calcium through dietary means.

Most of all, I’ll be better able to regulate my thyroid hormones, because I’ll know that my symptoms are thyroid related, rather than parathyroid.

Here are Wendy’s two removed parathyroid glands. Each should be no larger than a grain of rice.

Screen Shot 2013-11-23 at 3.36.27 PM

Wendy’s report one week after surgery: I feel great! My hips and knees no longer ache and my spine stopped burning. Mentally, I feel sharper. I’ve been improving daily. My surgical incision is healing, as well.

*************

To read more about parathyroid issues, go back to the parathyroid page.

Important notes: All the information on this website is copyrighted. STTM is an information-only site based on what many patients worldwide have reported in their treatment and wisdom over the years. This is not to be taken as personal medical advice, nor to replace a relationship with your doctor. By reading this information-only website, you take full responsibility for what you choose to do with this website's information or outcomes. See the Disclaimer and Terms of Use.