The scare of my most recent hypopara hospitalization

“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” — Forrest (Tom Hanks), from the 1994 movie “Forrest Gump”

When I wrote most of this column on Sunday, I’d been confined to my hospital bed at Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Florida for six days, and I didn’t know what I was gonna get next. Thankfully, I’ve since been released. But it had been a tumultuous time since I’d recklessly driven myself to the emergency room, my calcium levels plummeting to a perilous 6 mg/dL. This figure, well below the normal range of 8.6-10.3, further nosedived to 5.6 upon my arrival, necessitating immediate hospitalization.

I started out feeling dizzy and lightheaded, with horrible brain fog — so bad I forgot what year it was! That’s a common symptom of hypoparathyroidism, along with numbness, tingling, muscle cramps, and seizures. I’m fortunate to have a local endocrinologist who allows me to come to her office for immediate lab tests every day if I feel the need. In fact, I brought my symptoms to her the day of my admission, and my daughter, thankfully, persuaded me to listen to my body and the endocrinologist and continue to the hospital.

By the time I arrived there, I felt as if I were dying; my blood pressure was extremely low, yet my heart was beating extremely fast. If I’d waited another day, the admitting doctor said, I would never have made it. That’s scary. I don’t want hypoparathyroidism to be the cause of my death.

Recommended Reading

July 10, 2025 News by Andrea Lobo

Parathyroid gland transplant foils permanent hypoparathyroidism

While hospitalized, my mind was shrouded in a dense fog, hindering my ability to craft a coherent narrative for this column. My extremities, too, weren’t spared; their numbness impeded my typing​​ and walking. As I struggled to form words with my unresponsive fingers, I couldn’t help but ponder how Hypoparathyroidism News columnist (and fiction writer) Heather Novak coped with a similar predicament, as she eloquently expressed in a recent column.

I had a calcium drip from the time I was admitted, Tuesday, till late Saturday night. When my calcium level jumped to 9, we discontinued the IV. Once we stopped the drip, however, my condition declined, as my calcium had dropped to 8.3.

In the meantime, I was taking 0.5 mcg calcitriol (often known by its brand name, Rocaltrol) twice a day and 500 mg of calcium three times a day. Plus I was taking my Yorvipath (palopegteriparatide) injection. I also had labs every four hours, and my arms were beat up from the repeated needles.

Too many hospitalizations

As for my Yorvipath, I’m taking a 30 mg dose these days. I long for the time when I was on the 60 mg dose, during my participation in the TransCon parathyroid hormone Phase 2 clinical trial; I seemed to need that higher dose. (TransCon was the name for Yorvipath before its 2024 approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.) Since that part of the study ended in February, I’ve been back on the 30 mg dose — and in that time I’ve had four hospitalizations, including this one.

This hospitalization was my most extended stay this year. I dislike the place because it evokes anxiety and horrible memories. Sometimes those in charge of my care aren’t what I consider well informed about hypoparathyroidism. In a few instances, I had to speak up and say no, that’s not correct, and I’m pleased that my great nurses advocated for me at such moments. This experience reinforced the importance of speaking up in healthcare, and I urge all of you to do the same. Your voice matters, and it can make a difference in how you’re treated.

Life with hypopara brings so many challenges; I never know if my days will be good or bad. I had a tough week, but I was doing OK when I’d visited my son about a week before things plunged and this hospital stay began. Now I have eight days to get healthy before a planned visit to celebrate my daughter’s birthday.

Living with hypoparathyroidism is a constant battle, and the understanding and empathy from my readers here have meant a lot to me as I’ve dealt with not just physical struggles, but emotional ones, too. Your support is a beacon of light in these dark times.

Another scary part of this experience is that I was admitted to the hospital exactly nine years after my life-altering calcium crash. Back in the pre-Yorvipath days of 2016, when I had tell-tale signs of a calcium crisis, numbness was the first symptom to appear. But I didn’t experience numbness and tingling this time until my calcium levels dropped below 6. Back in 2016, my calcium levels had dropped below 4. I’m glad this hospitalization was only a one-week stay, and not the three weeks I went through in 2016.

This brave butterfly, a symbol of resilience and transformation, will continue to fight the unexpected battles that arrive because of my hypoparathyroidism. I have so much to live for, and I hope I can help others struggling with hypopara and their Yorvipath dose while continuing to make lasting memories with my children.

Note: Hypoparathyroidism News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Hypoparathyroidism News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to hypoparathyroidism.