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,…
Columns
“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…
“Don’t let your circumstances define your future.” — Popular saying If I had one wish, it would be a world without hypoparathyroidism. Realistically, that is as unlikely as winning the lottery, but as the Grateful Dead said, “Without love in the dream, it will never come true.” On June…
My physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor (PMR) explained to me that when one thing is off in the body, especially with an endocrine disease like hypoparathyroidism, it can cause a ripple effect. While my hypopara isn’t the direct cause of my myofascial pain syndrome, it is a contributing…
Chronic illness doesn’t come with a pause button or a manual. Having hypoparathyroidism and several comorbidities means my best-laid plans too often get turned on their head. After five weeks of stable occipital neuralgia symptoms, I was counting down the days to see one of my favorite…
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” — Popular proverb often attributed to Aristotle Because of hypoparathyroidism, my body struggles to keep my calcium levels stable, which can lead to a lot of anxiety. Waiting for test results fills me with dread. It’s like standing near…
After three more diagnoses and five weeks of recovery, I’m thrilled to be back writing columns. Over the past year, I’ve documented my journey to finding solutions to my increasing pain levels. At first, my medical team agreed that a large part of my pain stemmed from hypoparathyroidism…
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