Getting the Word Out about Parathyroid Disease - A Curable, Silently-disabling Epidemic

Astoria, Oregon ~ December 17, 2012

The photo is simply a scene near my home, since I am not getting out much yet. I posted the text and link below on Facebook last night after several of the discussions in my FB parathyroid groups centered on how poorly-recognized this devastating condition is and how many are not getting diagnosed, and are not even getting treated when their calcium labs come back high. Primary hyperparathyroidism is common, can easily be found and treated if the doctors want to. This disease is a silent epidemic, especially among women, and is actually masked by its many general symptoms. The article and my post are below. 

Link to an article in the Telegraph:

Is this why you're tired all the time?

My Facebook status from last night:

I am finally BEGINNING to recover. Friends . . . women in particular. Women need to get blood calcium levels checked, especially if you feel tired, depressed, anxious, have fibromyalgia, osteopoenia, osteoporosis, aching muscles, cancer, or a host of other conditions. Fatigue (highlighted in the attached article) is only one of the symptoms. This condition is treatable IF you or your doctor can read a number on a test. Mine had no clue 8 years ago, and I was only diagnosed in 2012, after long years of wondering what was wrong and years of being sick and disabled, especially the last 2 1/2 years. It's worth a blood test. This article gives a brief description. Maybe 1 in 250 women have this disease by the age of 50, and 90% may go undiagnosed. For me, diagnosis took 10 years. This condition is NOT as rare as your doctor may tell you. And don't be surprised if you have a high calcium and they don't take you seriously. There is no such thing as calcium being "a little bit high." The list of symptoms is HUGE, and you don't have to have them all. See also parathyroid.com. Men can get the disease as well, but women get it much more often. A simple number on a standard blood test can put you on the road to recovery before you lose years of your life to this debilitating and expensive disease. If your calcium is over 10.1 and your doc doesn't take this seriously, have him or her google hyperparathyroidism or get another opinion. I'm sorry if this sounds like an ad. It's not. I'm trying to come back out of my seclusion, and this is what it's been about. Reply or message me if you have questions.

I wish everyone a happy and HEALTHY 2013.

~ Sheryl

My Web Page: Tapirback.com.