sally4sara Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I'm starting to get a bit freaked out. Last check up, doc said my blood calcium level was high. Its suppose to not be higher than 9.0, but mine is 11.0 I know it doesn't sound like much but she said it was something that should be further looked into. She thinks I have growths on my parathyroid glands. Now I'm about 5'3" and 37 years old with one child. I've been as heavy as 130lbs, but mostly I stay right around 115 - 120. I usually have a winter weight gain that I shed during spring. I went into the doc's office expecting to be told I was about 125 lb from doing stationary work through most of the winter. I was 117. Its been 2 weeks since the visit. We bought a new scale this last weekend. The boy, my husband, even the dog all get accurate readings. I stepped on today and it says I'm under 100 lbs. My clothes are getting loose but my energy levels are up and I'm hungry all the friggin time! I should feel weak, but yesterday I unloaded about a hundred patio sized magnolia and hibiscus trees in 20 gallon buckets of dirt out of the trailer of a semi with no ramp, one in each hand, jumping out the back. This is the oddest medical situation I've ever experienced. Has anyone else dealt with this? Did you get the surgery to remove the growths? What was the result? I'm worried I'm going to go the other way and end up one of those huge people on a scooter hollering about it being a glandular issue and being fat isn't my fault. Link to post Share on other sites
Dust Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Get a second opinion if you are worried. Some times doing nothing is what’s best. You’re not in pain, and you said you feel great so honestly maybe you shouldn’t do anything. Don’t be scared. Link to post Share on other sites
Chocolat Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Serum calcium typically ranges from 8.7-10.2. Have you had your parathyroid and calcitriol levels checked? This can help ascertain if you have hyperparathyroidism (not related to thyroid!). There are other causes for elevated serum and your doctor should be ordering a work up, especially in light of your weight loss. Also, can you check your weight on another scale? If you truly lost 17 pounds in 2 weeks, this is something your doctor needs to be told asap. Link to post Share on other sites
Author sally4sara Posted April 30, 2011 Author Share Posted April 30, 2011 I do have a referral from my doctor for further testing. We are moving this weekend and I work 6 days next week. After that I intend to go to the hospital (closest place for the testing she wants me to have). Scale says 97lbs this morning so I'm still dropping. I haven't weighed this little since 8th grade..... Link to post Share on other sites
whichwayisup Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Let us know when you get the results. Don't over do it..Your health is important so if you need to call in sick, do so! Good luck with the move! Hope that goes well. Link to post Share on other sites
threebyfate Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 s4s, hope you've called the doctor since and scheduled another appointment since your last post. That's a frightening amount of weight to lose in such a short period of time. No messing around. Call! Link to post Share on other sites
Author sally4sara Posted May 5, 2011 Author Share Posted May 5, 2011 (edited) We moved last weekend and I get tomorrow off so I'm going to call today on my next break and try to schedule an appointment for tomorrow. This blood test is a weird one and requires a better lab so I have to get it done at the hospital. If I can't get in tomorrow, I'll have to schedule it for next Thursday. The weight has gone back to 102 and has held for 3 days now. Probably because I'm eating so much and the activity of the last week was the muscle building kind. My bionic woman escapades have been freaking out my coworkers. I think its why my boss told me to take the day off tomorrow. I had a funny moment last Saturday evening. I threw on a jersey knit dress to walk up to the market with a friend that was helping with the move. As we were walking I felt my undies start sliding off me and had to start taking really big, wide steps to keep them up! We ducked behind a row of garages so I could put them in my purse. She snickered at me and the expression I had on my face when it happened all evening. The symptoms Doc told me go with this, most I have been experiencing for a few years except for: frontal hair loss and kidney stones. My hair texture did noticeably change about 6 years ago but not any noticeable shedding of hair. The newest symptoms are the extreme hunger and weight drop. I also recently had a dental appointment for a cleaning late March. They found a cavity. First one in 13 years. I had to go back a about 3 weeks later to have it filled and the dentist started chewing me out about the amount of tartar that had calcified between my teeth. She said there is no way I'm flossing let alone brushing regularly if I built up that much in the 3 weeks since my cleaning. But I brush my teeth a minimum of once a day, use mouthwash and I'm a floss freak! I didn't know that plaque calcifies into tartar or that there was even a difference between plaque and tartar. I've been getting told my blood calcium levels were elevated for about 10 years now, but all my previous doctors had told me it was not a big deal or that it wasn't high enough to worry about. 9 years ago I found a lump in my breast that had to be removed surgically. It turned out to be a kidney bean sized calcium deposit. I was so relieved it wasn't cancer I didn't put much worry to the calcium levels. I've also been experiencing heart palpitations for as many years and this is also a standard symptom. I'm so pissed at my previous doctors for telling me it was no big deal. Edited May 5, 2011 by sally4sara Link to post Share on other sites
Stung Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 S4S, I just saw this. I don't have any advice as this is a condition I'm wholly unfamiliar with, but I'm glad you're following up with your doctors tomorrow and getting some more tests run. I hope you will update, and I'm thinking good thoughts for you. Completely understand your being freaked, I would be too, but try not to dwell on it until you have more answers. In the meantime, at least you feel good and you can eat whatever you want. Link to post Share on other sites
TheLoneSock Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 (edited) Weight fluctuation is normal with thyroid issues. If your calcium levels are reaching a point where they are effecting vital organ function in your heart then you have a problem, but if not I would not obsess over it so much. Have you been prescribed thyroid medication yet? What did your doctor say about the calcium level specifically, and whether or not it warrants actual effort to bring it down (dietary alteration, medications)? Being of a small frame, 115 - 120 is a healthy weight for you, you aren't fat. Even if you approach 130 you will still look average. I think your concerns about your health may be a bit misplaced, because an electrolyte imbalance is far more serious than a little weight gain. Focus on the blood work and ask your doctor if you should be concerned about the results. Make weight management a secondary priority. That's my .02 cents. Edit: If your calcium levels have been elevated for the past decade and your doctors have not been concerned about them during that time, then neither should you. Just keep it monitored, because the older you become the easier it will be for complications to come about. Edited May 6, 2011 by TheLoneSock Link to post Share on other sites
Stung Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Weight fluctuation is normal with thyroid issues. If your calcium levels are reaching a point where they are effecting vital organ function in your heart then you have a problem, but if not I would not obsess over it so much. Have you been prescribed thyroid medication yet? What did your doctor say about the calcium level specifically, and whether or not it warrants actual effort to bring it down (dietary alteration, medications)? Being of a small frame, 115 - 120 is a healthy weight for you, you aren't fat. Even if you approach 130 you will still look average. I think your concerns about your health may be a bit misplaced, because an electrolyte imbalance is far more serious than a little weight gain. Focus on the blood work and ask your doctor if you should be concerned about the results. Make weight management a secondary priority. That's my .02 cents. Edit: If your calcium levels have been elevated for the past decade and your doctors have not been concerned about them during that time, then neither should you. Just keep it monitored, because the older you become the easier it will be for complications to come about. I think you misread a little bit. S4S isn't complaining about gaining a little weight, she's dropped almost 20 pounds in a very short period of time and is concerned about her health. S4S, do you have any updates? I haven't seen you around lately. Link to post Share on other sites
Author sally4sara Posted May 26, 2011 Author Share Posted May 26, 2011 I got the results back for the second blood test. It indicates my doctor's suspicions; I have benign growth(s) on my parathyroid glands. She has faxed over the referral for an MRI and I've left two messages with the imaging dept to schedule it. If I don't get a call back today, I'll just drive over there and get in someone's face till I have it scheduled time for the test. I was kinda irritated because after more than a week of waiting for results, I called (had to leave a message) asking how long it usually takes for results to come back from their lab. They called me two days later saying the results had been in for 4 days. I asked what they were and they wouldn't tell me unless I came in person. I had to work for the next three days. They told me they could just fax the results to my doctor.........why they can fax that info to her but the patient can only get it if they show in person is beyond me. I told them to fax it and my doctor called me at work a couple hours later. My weight has stabilized in the last week at 105lbs. I'm sure the cupcakes my friend brought me from Crunk Cakes helped . She got me the ones called "The Dude" that are White Russian flavored because they are soaked in that kind of alcohol - soooo yummy! I'm still feeling strong most of the time but I have noticed if I do as Doc has advised and not take in any calcium, my joints ache badly by about 3pm and it becomes excruciating to drive home in rush hour traffic with my little stick shift jeep. Bethesda traffic is awful! I hate driving automatic and I hate driving a big SUV but till this all gets sorted out, I think I'm going to switch cars with my husband. The MRI is to determine which gland(s) are affected so they know where to make the incision. I think I know. I've noticed in the last week or so that when I swallow food and beverage, one side of my throat feels a bit "bigger" but I don't have a cold or sore throat. Link to post Share on other sites
tman666 Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 At 105 lbs, I think you could probably stand to eat a few more dozen "The Dude"s. (Please tell me you know what movie that is referencing ). Best of luck with your health! Link to post Share on other sites
Author sally4sara Posted May 26, 2011 Author Share Posted May 26, 2011 At 105 lbs, I think you could probably stand to eat a few more dozen "The Dude"s. (Please tell me you know what movie that is referencing ). Best of luck with your health! Of course I know what movie! The Big Lebowski is practically a classic now! Thanks for the well wishes. Link to post Share on other sites
Author sally4sara Posted May 26, 2011 Author Share Posted May 26, 2011 Well I just got off the phone with a technician in the imaging dept and my scan is scheduled for June 10th. That is the good part. The bad part is the greenhouse fans were apparently too loud for me to hear my doctor very well. Its a test called a SesteMIBI scan. "The parathyroid scan uses sestamibi (or MIBI for short), which is a very safe liquid radioactive compound that is injected into the body and absorbed by the overactive parathyroid but not by the healthy ones. A hyperactive gland is picked up by the scan on the images taken by a gamma camera (a type of machine or scanner used in nuclear medicine). A gamma camera is used to detect the radioactive sestamibi compound your parathyroids will have absorbed. It will move around your head. It will come quite close to your head but will not touch it. You will need to lie very still for a period of time underneath the gamma camera, as it takes the images or pictures of your neck and chest. These pictures can take up to 40 minutes. Once the pictures are completed you will be asked to return in 2-3 hours for further pictures of your neck and chest. No further injections are given for the second session. A series of images which include SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) 3 dimensional images will be taken. This session will take about 30 minutes." So not completely terrifying in description but I'm not thrilled about having radioactive dye pumped into me through a needle either. Link to post Share on other sites
mitchell Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I'm an ENT doctor. It sounds like you may have a parathyroid adenoma. They are doing the sestamibi scan to see if they can localize the adenoma to one of the 4 parathyroid glands in your neck. This will help the surgeon to remove the offending gland and return your serum calcium level back to normal. I do this surgery often. Make sure you go to someone who is experienced in parathyroid surgery. What is your serum PTH level? Link to post Share on other sites
Chocolat Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Hi s4s, I was tested for PTH issues last year. Turned out not to be a problem for me, but I stumbled on this site, which found very informative: http://parathyroid.com/ If you have not already seen it, you may want to take a look. Link to post Share on other sites
Author sally4sara Posted May 26, 2011 Author Share Posted May 26, 2011 I'm an ENT doctor. It sounds like you may have a parathyroid adenoma. They are doing the sestamibi scan to see if they can localize the adenoma to one of the 4 parathyroid glands in your neck. This will help the surgeon to remove the offending gland and return your serum calcium level back to normal. I do this surgery often. Make sure you go to someone who is experienced in parathyroid surgery. What is your serum PTH level? I don't have that info yet. I'm suppose to pop into my doctor's office tomorrow to get the numbers. It seems to be a taboo thing to tell patients very much info over the phone these days (but you can still pick up prescriptive drugs for someone else ). When I called her to let her know I had nailed down an appointment for the scan, she suggested I drop by in person so we could go over everything in detail. I'll have more to tell tomorrow after I speak with her. The hospital I will be going to for the rest of this is a John Hopkins hospital in NW D.C. and is highly respected. Hey Chocolat, thanks for the link! Link to post Share on other sites
Dust Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I don't have that info yet. I'm suppose to pop into my doctor's office tomorrow to get the numbers. It seems to be a taboo thing to tell patients very much info over the phone these days (but you can still pick up prescriptive drugs for someone else ). When I called her to let her know I had nailed down an appointment for the scan, she suggested I drop by in person so we could go over everything in detail. I'll have more to tell tomorrow after I speak with her. The hospital I will be going to for the rest of this is a John Hopkins hospital in NW D.C. and is highly respected. Hey Chocolat, thanks for the link! It’s a scheme so they can charge you more. Seriously my doctor would make my physical 2 appointments if I agreed to that sht just to talk about routine blood work. Link to post Share on other sites
mitchell Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 The hospital I will be going to for the rest of this is a John Hopkins hospital in NW D.C. and is highly respected. I've heard of that place. Best of luck. Let me know if you have any questions. This needs to be taken care of or you risk kidney stones, osteoporosis, etc... Link to post Share on other sites
Author sally4sara Posted May 26, 2011 Author Share Posted May 26, 2011 I've heard of that place. Best of luck. Let me know if you have any questions. This needs to be taken care of or you risk kidney stones, osteoporosis, etc... Whats with the eye rolls? Its the best one in my area so I don't get what the sarcasm is about. The last time I went into her office to just talk about stuff I didn't get charged. I hope she doesn't start that crap. Link to post Share on other sites
pureinheart Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Hey S4S, I am so sorry you have to deal with thyroid stuff...as it can be a royal pain in the butt. Sorry guys for saying this again, although in the event that S4S hasn't seen it I'll repeat it ...I was diagnosed with Graves Disease (hyperthyroid w/potential goiter) early in 2007 and I was 47 at that time. I was starving all of the time and so much so actually gained weight being hyperthyroid, which is rare, although it does happen. Doctors are great, although it is equally important for us to be extremely proactive in our healing also. I did every bit of research I could, an exhaustive study. The most popular treatment for my issues was taking the radiation pill that destroys the thyroid and throws the patient into "hypothyroidism". I refused that form of treatment and took my chances with the meds (I took Tapazole). Anyway, my point is to be informed the best you are able because thyroid issues can really mess your life up. Good luck Sally, and please let us all know how your doing (((((hugs)))) Link to post Share on other sites
pureinheart Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I've heard of that place. Best of luck. Let me know if you have any questions. This needs to be taken care of or you risk kidney stones, osteoporosis, etc... Hey Mitchell, When living in S4S's area, I found all of the medical facilities to be very comprehensive and thorough. I was involved with many different "insurance providers" which had me going all over the place. I found that no matter what hospital or medical facility, they all seemed to be unusually thorough and consistant. In bold- I totally agree, it is nothing to take lightly. Link to post Share on other sites
mitchell Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Once again, sarcasm does not play well over the internet. I just found it funny that someone would mention Johns Hopkins (one of the top hospitals in the world) to a physician and wonder if they had heard of it. Link to post Share on other sites
Author sally4sara Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Once again, sarcasm does not play well over the internet. I just found it funny that someone would mention Johns Hopkins (one of the top hospitals in the world) to a physician and wonder if they had heard of it. The are two other John Hopkins hospitals near me but the one in D.C. is the closest. I doubt many would recognize the one I'm going to by its name, but most people have heard of John Hopkins. My serum PTH level is in the 80s like and not in the same way as Duran Duran . Doc said normal range is 10 to 50. Jeeez Pureinheart! Sorry to hear about your Grave's Disease. I hope you're doing better now. I don't think I'd opt for killing off a thyroid either; you only got one of those. Link to post Share on other sites
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