Precious, Not Fragile - a Column by Heather Novak

Heather Novak is an award-winning author. She was diagnosed with surgical hypoparathyroidism in 2003, followed by a pile of comorbidities. She hopes her column will provide hope and a better understanding of living with chronic conditions. Heather writes LGBTQ+ romance with disability representation and earned a spot on BEQ Magazine's 40 LGBTQ+ Leaders Under 40 in 2021. She's full of bisexual glitter and is pretty sure her left arm is haunted. She lives in southeast Michigan with a collection of mobility aids. You can learn more at HeatherNovak.net.

This week, I’ll be reconnecting with my hypopara community

When I was diagnosed with hypoparathyroidism at age 18, knowing where to go to find information or how to connect with other patients was a big problem. My general practitioners often didn’t have the expertise in my disease or time to help, and usually explained my symptoms away as…

An appointment to clean my teeth leads to a chance to clear the air

It’s easy to forget that not every medical practitioner understands how hypoparathyroidism affects my life. My rare disease is just a footnote at my biannual or annual appointments; unless it’s actively causing a concerning symptom, I sometimes don’t even mention it. My eye doctor knows hypoparathyroidism, also known as…

Tips for managing burnout from so many doctor appointments

I often wonder how many hours a year I spend in waiting rooms. I’ve been avoiding doing the math, but part of me wants to know. Because of my hypoparathyroidism and multiple comorbidities, I go to two to five medical appointments a week. An average of 3.5 appointments a…

How to effectively communicate with healthcare providers

Whenever I get together with my chronic illness friends — especially fellow hypoparathyroidism warriors — we always end up sharing horror stories about the times we needed treatment and couldn’t get it. Some of my favorite advice about advocating for my health comes from the Hypoparathyroidism Association’s 2023…

Learning not to blame all my symptoms on hypoparathyroidism

Since my diagnosis with hypoparathyroidism, also known as hypopara, it’s been easy to blame a lot of things on my disease. That pain in my arm? Probably a muscle spasm. That headache? Might have something to do with my calcium level. Fatigue? Well, that’s just something I fight every…

Sometimes hypopara wins, and that’s OK

Recently, I was asked how I maintain a writing career with a chronic illness. My answer was that I ignore a lot of writing advice. Writing every day, maintaining a strict routine, and putting writing first are the most common tips thrown around. But for a chronically ill person, that…

The drug recall that rocked the hypoparathyroidism community

There’s a quote by Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich that was later popularized by one of my favorite film directors, Baz Luhrmann, and that repeats in my head during shocking moments: “The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried…

With hypoparathyroidism, it helps to find the right calcium supplement

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with calcium supplements as well as general supplement brands. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. When I was diagnosed with hypoparathyroidism and told to take calcium supplements, it was…