The most important thing that calcium does in the human body is provide the means for electrical impulses to travel along nerves. Calcium is what the nervous system of our body uses to conduct electricity. This is why the most common symptoms of parathyroid disease and high calcium levels are related to the nervous system (depression, weakness, tiredness, etc.) Just like the nerves in our bodies, our muscles use changes in calcium levels inside the cells to provide the energy to contract. When the calcium levels are not correct, people can feel weak and have muscle cramps. Most people know that calcium is used to make our bones strong, but this is only a part of what Calcium is responsible for. Our bones serve as a storage system we use to ensure that we will always have a surplus of calcium. Just like a bank where we constantly make deposits and withdrawals, we are regularly putting calcium into our bones, and taking calcium out of our bones in minute amounts with the sole purpose of keeping our calcium levels in the blood in an optimal range. So truly, the most important role of calcium is to provide for the proper functioning of our nervous system, not to provide strength to our bones as many of us were raised to believe.
My nephrologist recently gave me an ultimatum, get my parathyroid glands removed or she would essentially fire me from her practice and inform Tampa General of my non-compliance which would result in me being removed from the kidney wait list. As much as I dreaded undergoing yet another invasive surgery the threat of being taken off the transplant list was the kick in the ass I needed to go ahead and have them removed. I underwent the procedure on September 6th and had to stay in the hospital overnight to receive several infusions of intravenous calcium since as soon as the glands are removed blood calcium levels crash. Once my calcium rebounded to a level they were satisfied with I was discharged from the hospital and instructed to chew 3-4 Tums every 4-6 hours to maintain a healthy calcium level going forward. Tasty, right?
All 4 of my glands were removed from my neck and 1 was placed in my left posterior forearm to allow for the secretion of some of the parathyroid hormone and ease of access in case more should need to be removed in the future. Both incisions are still relatively painful, my arm more than my neck now. I didn't realize how much we activate our neck muscles in just everyday movements and I have inadvertently caused some bleeding from the incision without even doing anything strenuous. As of right now I cannot completely straighten my arm due to the swelling and pain from the placement of the gland in its new location. Also it is still somewhat difficult to swallow and I have not been able to eat solid foods just yet because it seems to aggravate my incision. My throat was and still is incredibly dry and sore which makes having a fluid restriction even more difficult because all I want to do is drink something cold to provide myself a little relief. One thing I highly recommend for anyone who may undergo this procedure is to take some throat lozenges with you to the hospital for use after surgery. I was not offered these until just before being discharged and it would have given me some relief had it been given to me immediately after waking up. I mean, they shove a tube down your throat for intubation which already causes discomfort and then combine that with the fact they are operating on your throat/neck area so it should be common sense to offer this to a patient as soon as they are woke up and taken to recovery but unfortunately not all doctors and hospitals are so forward thinking. Had I known I would have brought my own and saved myself a lot of pain that could have been prevented with a simple lozenge! Check out these gnarly pictures of my post-op wounds!
Parathyroidectomy
Reimplantation of 1 parathyroid gland into left forearm
Now I am off to buy stock in Tums and soothe my aching throat with a popsicle. Take care of yourselves and each other!
xo xo
Mel
