Columns

My brain feels like static as I try to sort through words and pull out the ones to help explain how I’ve been feeling over the last two months. It’s like I’ve been underwater, breaking through the surface for a day or two, then returning below. The most frustrating part…

“When you get into a tight place, and everything goes against you … never give up then, for that’s just the place and time that the tide’ll turn.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe It’s been 10 years since everything in my life changed. Many people with hypoparathyroidism say their…

“Slow down, you crazy child/ And take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while/ It’s all right, you can afford to lose a day or two/ When will you realize Vienna waits for you?” — Billy Joel, “Vienna” Living with hypoparathyroidism is unpredictable, like being on…

Having hypoparathyroidism means dealing with more than just low parathyroid hormone and calcium levels. Many patients have muscle cramps, tingling in their extremities, fatigue, muscle weakness, anxiety, and depression. These extra challenges make life difficult. After nearly 30 years of living with hypoparathyroidism, I developed stage 3 chronic…

Yesterday marked the 23rd anniversary of my hypoparathyroidism diagnosis, and the first time I’ve finally accepted that my condition is not my fault. Logically, 41-year-old Heather knows that 18-year-old Heather isn’t responsible for this disease. It was a combination of tumors on my parathyroid glands, a birth defect that…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with Natpara (recombinant parathyroid hormone) and Yorvipath (palopegteriparatide). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. “Red and white, blue suede shoes/ I’m Uncle Sam, how do you do?/ Give me five,…

 “What you have caught on film is captured forever. … It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” — Aaron Siskind While standing outdoors surrounded by nature, I watched the leaves move in the breeze and felt drawn to photograph golden petals in the sunlight. In that moment,…

“It’s like déjà vu all over again.” — Yogi Berra Getting on a plane recently brought back a rush of familiar feelings. I remembered 2019, when I took this same flight from Florida to New York City for my first clinical trial appointment. I felt like I was reliving the…

June is one of my favorite parts of the year. In addition to it being Pride Month, June started with World Hypoparathyroidism Awareness Day on the first. This month, two of the communities I advocate for come together. My life goal is to live authentically out loud, as…

One of the hardest parts about having occipital neuralgia and myofascial pain syndrome alongside hypoparathyroidism is trying to balance the symptoms. For instance, if my calcium level dips too low, it can cause my muscles to tighten and spasm, which in turn causes more pressure on my already injured…