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.

Before my hypoparathyroidism diagnosis, I felt it in my bones

My name is Heather Novak, and I’ve been a surgical hypoparathyroidism (hypopara for short) warrior since 2003 as well as an award-winning LGBTQ+ romance writer. The tale of my journey starts with a skeleton — my actual skeleton, not the fake ones in my living room, pictured below and…