Precious, Not Fragile
— Heather Novak

There are many different sayings about war that boil down to the colloquial phrase “The known enemy is always better.” I often hear it bandied about the chronic illness community, and it’s fitting because I feel like I’ve been at war with my body this year. Thankfully, I may have…

It’s easy to get lost in the fun of summer, especially when on vacation. This was extra true for me when it came time for my annual trip with my lifelong best friends. Having missed last year due to my grandma’s memorial, I’d been counting the days to when we…

Before my flare-up in June, I was invited to join my favorite local bookstore, Sidetrack Bookshop, to do an author event for the city’s Pride weekend. The store is in Royal Oak, Michigan, which celebrates Pride at the end of July, dovetailing with Disability Pride Month. I…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

I’m often asked by fellow hypoparathyroidism patients how they can get an at-home calcium tester, and I’ve always had to explain that there wasn’t an option — until now. Finally, one is in development! Saturday is Rare Disease Day, and I wrote last year’s Rare Disease Day column…