Im new to the list - questions about anxiety and terrible malaise

Hi Newbie. Not sure if I should call you Pat or patcsw, but welcome! Glad you joined us. I'm sure everyone on here will be more than happy to try to answer your questions.

Glad to hear you have a diagnosis. That has been a very rough stretch of road for many of us on our HPT journeys. It took me 3 years to get my diagnosis. Three very long, painful, frustrating, miserable, depressing years.

I had my surgery in Tampa at Dr. Norman's center. I am not sure what you mean about having surgery in Florida and not staying with one of the parathyroid centers.

I am very unsure why your doctor prescribed calcium supplements for you, when your calcium is already too high? That does not make any sense at all to me! If your calcium is too high already, you should probably not be taking any calcium or vitamin D supplements. Did you question your doctor about this? I would love to know his/her reasoning.

Not sure what you should be eating or not eating other than avoiding foods high in calcium. Different people react differently to certain foods. Someone suggested on the old forum that when he ate peanuts he felt much worse. I myself didn't notice any big difference in regards to what I ate. I just hurt and felt awful no matter what. Maybe someone else will hop on here and help you out with this.

Again, welcome!!

Audrey

Hello patcsw
Welcome to the forum I'm sorry you are feeling so awful.
I too would avoid taking calcium supplements as your body cant deal with it! Perhaps the doctor is trying to protect your bones from osteoporosis but taking calcium at the moment is not a good idea. 
I think that adopting a healthy diet is very important. When your body is ill, it is stressed and normal function of everything is likely to be impaired. 
So eat a balanced diet but cut out sugar and cut out or cut down on wheat. Wheat because its a common intolerance. You may find that your malaise is due to your ill body struggling with everything including food breakdown. 
Drink lots of water to keep flushing out your system and avoid fizzy drinks and concentrated fruit juice as both contain a high level of fructose.
Anxiety is a terrible thing but I think the best way to cope with this is to pace yourself, don't take on too much in one day. Try and have positive thoughts, if you start getting negative thoughts, just don't go there, distract yourself and do something else.
Hope you feel better soon
Maggie2

Hello Patcsw and welcome,
I too know only full well how awful having anxiety attacks are and how they can elevate physical symptoms and make them worse.  I go through episodes of it and agree with all that Maggie2 has said.  I would just add that when I feel really awful, it often helps me to go for a brisk walk, yes I know it is hard but it takes my mind off the impending doom feelings and I think it releases endorphins in the brain which help me feel better.  I am waiting to see an endo next week and so far I have been having a moderate amount of calcium in my diet but am not supplementing.
Good luck with the surgeon next week and hope you do not have to wait too long before you are fixed.
Sue

thanks for your support!  Pat is fine....
I will cut out eating peanuts (peanut butter is a fave) otherwise I eat pretty healthy - mostly organic, no sugar, or anything white...but maybe too much gluten any way....
Im also not sure why this endocrinologist recommended the calcium..but Ive stopped taking it..
would love to hear more about people's experience with surgery....local anesthesia or full?

I had these sorts of issues.  I found it good to have some lighter comfort foods (for me it was sleepytime tea at night, and light snacks like salads or carrots.  I also had popcorn a lot but I don't think that helped

I'd also try and simplify things in your life as much as possible.  there's a lot of stuff you're not going to get to while you are in this state, accept it, refine your daily priorities, and hopefully it helps out.  My wise old neighbor told me "you can stop doing yardwork, don't worry, it isn't going anywhere" heh

Im trying to remember to slow down...Im not used to feeling this lousy....so I dont handle it well.....hoping to get this surgery over with soon...

would love to hear more from people who have had the surgery (minimally invasive)
thanks!

I had MIRP.  The anesthesia was whatever they use at the Norman center.  I feel like I was out cold the entire time and they just woke me up right afterwards.  I guess it's real good stuff they use but I kind of don't know what it's called or anything.

I had a general anesthesia.  I was out for around one and a half hours.  I woke up and did not feel too groggy or sick. 

I had a lot of anxiety and it caused my a lot of stomach pain.  I was on clonopin .5mg as needed once a day.  I found this to help with the stomach problems and calm me.

My best recommendation...drink water and more water, it dilutes the calcium and lessens the symptoms.  though ofcourse it makes you pee more.  it's the lessor of two evils as I would rather have my mind than my urine...if you know what I mean!