Journey to Cure Melanie
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For quite some time, feeling truly well has eluded my wife and best friend, Melanie. Finally, after a scary hypertensive crisis, a diagnosis has been found! On March 28, 2016 she was told that she has a parathyroid tumor. With this news comes relief that we have an answer and a sense of urgency as the symptoms are getting worse almost on a daily basis.
The only cure for a parathyroid tumor is surgery to remove it. Until then, Melanie lives with the awful pain of bone loss, abdominal pain and nausea due to the effects on her liver and kidneys, random asleep and awake apneas, episodes of choking and difficulty swallowing, widespread paresthesia, muscle weakness including some atrophy, relentless fatigue, blood pressure that won’t regulate, heart arrhythmias and palpitations, dizziness, headaches and memory loss. Knowing that a surgery will make all of this stop and allow healing to begin, makes the sense of urgency to have the surgery that much more important. The sooner the better! Without this surgery, well, we aren’t going there…
We are all aware of the disconnect within our health system regarding wait times. As things stand with my wife, we are waiting to see an internist who will then likely want to run more tests or scans and then need to refer out to a surgeon who will determine a surgery date. With all that, we are looking at approximately 46 weeks!! Almost another year of prolonged suffering with all the dangerous symptoms that an elevated PTH and blood calcium level brings to a body. She has been told in the meantime, to always be near an emergency room.
In doing our own research, we have found a parathyroid specialized team of surgeons in the Tampa, Florida General Hospital. After calling them (and they actually answer the phone) we learned that once they receive Melanie’s medical chart, a surgery happens within 4-6 weeks time. Which is sooner than her next scheduled specialist appointment here! Numerous calls to the head and neck clinic in our area only brought us to a recorded message and no return call.
My goal is to see her better sooner than what our health care system can provide and see her truly live out her life and follow her dreams in a state of renewed health!
Thank you!
Andrew
The only cure for a parathyroid tumor is surgery to remove it. Until then, Melanie lives with the awful pain of bone loss, abdominal pain and nausea due to the effects on her liver and kidneys, random asleep and awake apneas, episodes of choking and difficulty swallowing, widespread paresthesia, muscle weakness including some atrophy, relentless fatigue, blood pressure that won’t regulate, heart arrhythmias and palpitations, dizziness, headaches and memory loss. Knowing that a surgery will make all of this stop and allow healing to begin, makes the sense of urgency to have the surgery that much more important. The sooner the better! Without this surgery, well, we aren’t going there…
We are all aware of the disconnect within our health system regarding wait times. As things stand with my wife, we are waiting to see an internist who will then likely want to run more tests or scans and then need to refer out to a surgeon who will determine a surgery date. With all that, we are looking at approximately 46 weeks!! Almost another year of prolonged suffering with all the dangerous symptoms that an elevated PTH and blood calcium level brings to a body. She has been told in the meantime, to always be near an emergency room.
In doing our own research, we have found a parathyroid specialized team of surgeons in the Tampa, Florida General Hospital. After calling them (and they actually answer the phone) we learned that once they receive Melanie’s medical chart, a surgery happens within 4-6 weeks time. Which is sooner than her next scheduled specialist appointment here! Numerous calls to the head and neck clinic in our area only brought us to a recorded message and no return call.
My goal is to see her better sooner than what our health care system can provide and see her truly live out her life and follow her dreams in a state of renewed health!
Thank you!
Andrew
Organizer
Andrew Melanie Wagner
Organizer
Wetaskiwin, AB
