I have some disappointing, but not disheartening news. I saw my doctor earlier this week and learned that the calcium level in my blood is elevated. He's redoing the test to confirm the results, but I don't know what those results are, yet. But tonight, I finally looked it up online and learned that it is almost 100% certain that I have tumors on my parathyroid glands. These tumors are virtually always benign, but they put out hormones that are very bad for you, so you have to have them removed. I watched a video of surgeons removing two tumors from a man, and it only took 13 minutes. Because it's so fast, you don't have to have to be deeply anesthetized, and they use something like what you are given for a colonoscopy.
Here are the issues:
1) I'm allergic to anesthesia, but I have had a colonoscopy with no problem
2) I'm allergic to suture threads and, the last time I had surgery, every single stitch abcessed, inside and outside and my incisions tore open in several places
3) I already have one scar on the back of my neck, about to inches long from removing a tumor. This will give me about the same length of a scar on the front of my neck!
The good news, though, is that people apparently start feeling so much better once the tumors are removed. And that I could go for!
These are the symptoms of parathyroid tumors that I found at www.parathyroid.com
 | Loss of energy. Don't feel like doing much. Tired all the time. Chronic fatigue. |
| Just don't feel well; don't quite feel normal. Hard to explain but just feel kind of bad. |
| Feel old. Don't have the interest in things that you used to. |
| Can't concentrate, or can't keep your concentration like in the past. |
| Depression. |
| Osteoporosis and Osteopenia. |
| Bones hurt; typically it's bones in the legs and arms but can be most bones. |
| Don't sleep like you used to. Wake up in middle of night. Trouble getting to sleep. |
| Tired during the day and frequently feel like you want a nap (but naps don't help). |
| Spouse claims you are more irritable and harder to get along with (cranky, bitchy). (blog) |
| Forget simple things that you used to remember very easily (worsening memory). |
| Gastric acid reflux; heartburn; GERD. |
| Decrease in sex drive. (blog) |
| Thinning hair (predominately in middle aged females on the front part of the scalp). |
| Kidney Stones (and eventually kidney failure). (blog) |
| High Blood Pressure (sometimes mild, sometimes quite severe; up and down a lot). |
| Recurrent Headaches (usually patients under the age of 40). |
| Heart Palpitations (arrhythmias). Typically atrial arrhythmias. (blog) |
| Atrial Fibrillation (rapid heart rate, often requiring blood thinners and pacemakers). (blog) |
| High liver function tests (liver blood tests). |
| Development of MGUS and abnormal blood protein levels. |
That fits me to a "T"! I have the thinning hair, exactly as described. I don't have kidney stones or recurrent headaches, palpitations or fibrillations. I'll have to check to see if I have the other two things, but I don't think so.
So, wouldn't that be simply AMAZING if this is what a lot of my health problems are? And wouldn't it be wonderful if these things were resolved before we moved?! What's a little two-inch scar if it can help this much? Apparently, if you don't remove the tumors, they eventually kill you by causing a heart attack or stroke. I presume I'll get the test results next week.
Today was a pretty good day. I did NOT get to bed by 12:00 because I dawdled. Turned my lights out at 1:00. Then today I was so mad at myself for having been irresponsible again, and I was tired today, even more than usual.
I did make a really healthy dinner, a big salad with red peppers, romaine lettuce, green onions, black beans, corn, cilantro, and taco chips. I added a chipotle pepper to French dressing and it was great! One of our favorite meals.
I did a good set of exercises and added in some exercises I found online that you do on the floor. I can do a reverse crunch now, which I couldn't do when I started. Now, I can only do THREE at a time, but that's still improvement!
I woke up mor easily today, but still had an awful time getting out of bed. I didn't really eat properly during the early part of the day. I had one of those Luna bars, because they're not too bad to eat in the morning. And one of those 50 calorie mushed up fruit treats. Then later, I was feeling a little low and ate some potato chips! Not the best choice.
I didn't have a lot of time to work with my housekeeper, but I did spend sometime talking with her about looking professional, and dressing for the job she wants, not the job she has. I talked to her some about her hair yesterday, and she came to work with her hair in a bun, but a very messy one that you would wear to the gym or doing housework, at your own house. I gave her a makeup lesson. I showed her how to do a 2-minute makeup job, and a 5-minute makeup job. Showed her how to keep things very light and natural. She has almost no experience with makeup. Pushed has brown skin, dark brown hair, and hazel eyes. She just puts on a dark eye shadow on the lids when she wears anything, which isn't at all flattering. She really liked the polished, natural look I showed her. Then I showed her how to put her hair up in a neat bun that looks more professional, and how to secure it so it won't come down while she works. In truth, though, I don't know what job possibilities are for a deaf woman who is 42, does not have a high school degree, and has no skills. I'm helping her to get her GED, but she still has no skills. Hmmmmm... I'm going to have to spend some time thinking more about this.
I think I have almost finished doing the inventory of my Christmas decorations. I spent a lot of time down in the basement ... and did not enjoy it AT ALL! I have three boxes that need to be labeled, at least one box in the basement that needs to be labeled, and maybe two more totes to pack with new things. Slowly and surely is what matters. Except that I also have a time deadline ahead of me!
That is my analysis of how this day went. I would say that it was forward motion. I hope your day went well, also. I am very awareness that I am having to reboot thought patterns as much as behavioral patterns. Ugh. Not easy or fun!
Have a great day tomorrow. I'm turning the lights off at 12:04!
Cheers!
Lisa
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