Jen job done

First topic message reminder :

No 3 on operating list. Back at hotel now. Sleepy, wobbly, bit sore. One tumour about 1.5 cm emitting 1600 units pth sited on vocal chord so little tricky to remove. Took 16 mins. Voice fine I think but so tired can't think or hardly talk!!! Will post more later. Thanks SO much for all thoughts, prayers and good wishes

Hi Jens Husband,
A couple of funnies for you, I have a few american quilting friends and yes we get the giggles over some of the different words used.  A friend was reading Harry Potter and asked me why on earth would Ron's mother knit him a jumper???  So I said Why not??? Hogwarts gets cold in the winter, to which she replied  yes but why a dress???  Seems a jumper in americanese is a pinafore dress rather than a sweater.
On a trip to Texas, I was told we were having homemade pecan pie soo in my english accent said ohhhh would love to try pecan, to which my host's husband replied, Ma'am its PICARN!  PEECANS ARE WHAT WE KEEP UNDER THE BED
Glad to hear Jen is doing well.
Sue

I have a funny story too, although it wasn't funny at the time - I was mortified ...... Not sure about the rest of the UK re colloquialisms, but where I come from we call small electric shocks 'bangs' (you probably already know where I'm going with this). For as long as I can remember I have always got shocks off most things metal - car doors, supermarket trollies, lift buttons etc. So we were in Orlando a few years back and every time I pressed a button in the hotel lift (elevator to our US friends) I got a really bad shock, I mean really fierce, and I thought for sure that the lift must be unsafe so I decided to report it to the hotel receptionist, and took my husband along as back up. I said to her "I just wanted to let you know that every time we get in the elevator I get banged". With immaculate timing she looked at my husband and then at me and said "..... and your problem is, ma'am?" When I realised what I'd said I wished that the ground would open up and swallow me whole .......!

Jasmine x

FYI, I believe that Tylenol is the American equivalent of Paracetomol.

I should just say "sorry" if I've offended anyone with my story - it didn't occur to me until after I'd posted that it could cause offence.  Admin, feel free to remove it if you think it's inappropriate.

How about I remove the apology     

In fact, the poster can always delete their own posts, but in this case I really do not think that it is necessary.

Let's see if anyone complains .....

Oh shush now Jasmine, worry not , there really is nothing wrong with your funny story   crikey if we didn't have a giggle now and again we would probably all go bonkers   

Nelly

No offence at ALL! Laughter IS good medicine. Both the lift and pecan stories made us both laugh. Thank you!
Jen's husband

Just popping in to say hi before we end our last day here in Florida ...I'm feeling much better this end of the day, having spent most of it resting by the pool! I could get used to this. But I have a question that is nagging me and that is about the arbitrary calcium regime we're advised to adopt. I'm aware that surgeons in the UK don't necessarily prescribe calcium post op as they prefer to allow the glands to wake up naturally. I can see that argument too, and I've just read a review by a former patient who developed severe arthritis symptoms as a result of the calcium dosage, and it was by accident that she stopped taking the calcium and all the arthritis went!! I'm inclined to only take this calcium for a limited time, then reduce it quite quickly and see what happens. I can always take it again if I get symptoms of low calcium.

Has anyone got any thoughts on this? I think you might have had something similar happen to you, Audrey, if I remember correctly? Any thoughts most welcome.

Hi Jen I am still pre op, but it does seem like all the U.S post op people take the calcium pills at first and then taper down. Audrey and Jasmine call help u with that. Dr N should have gave u some post op instructions on calcium supplements.
Jasmine u are to funny, I read that to my husband and he is still laughing.

Wow, I have surely missed a lot of action here on the forum today! Where do I start?

I'm sorry I haven't been on here much for a couple of days. Had some appointments and just a couple of rough days.

First of all, Jen, I am VERY happy you are doing so well post-op! I know how excited you must be to have the surgery behind you.

Yes, my hair started growing back immediately after surgery. I actually didn't realize this until 2 months post-op when I saw a whole lot of new little inch-long hairs coming in at the front of my hairline, around my face. About a month later, I started noticing a lot of 1-1/2 inch hairs coming in all over my head. Funny thing is that my hair continued to fall out pretty badly for about a month after surgery, but it was obvious that the new hair had started coming in to replace the previously lost hair immediately after surgery. I know this makes no sense, but my body never does, so it's par for the course.

Jen's hubby, thank you for keeping us all posted on Jen's progress. It was so nice to have you join us!

Jasmine, that story of yours is so funny, I have probably shared it with at least 10 or 15 people!! Hilarious!! I mean, seriously, what would be so bad about getting banged on an elevator?! That girl probably thought you were bragging!   

As for the post-op calcium supplements, yes I did start off by taking 4 a day as prescribed by Dr. Norman's center, then I cut back to 3 a day, then 2 a day, but I think it was just a few weeks after surgery that I decided to stop all supplements because my muscles and tendons were hurting worse! When my first post-op lab results revealed a calcium of 10.2, I was very happy I did stop! My calcium never did drop. It was 10.0 the second time it was checked, and it was 10.2 when checked recently. I'm not saying this is good. I'm not sure what to think about it yet. I just know that some of us do not really need that post-op calcium.

Well, it is my bedtime here in the US. If I have forgotten to comment on anything, please feel free to remind me. I will re-read all the posts tomorrow to check on this. Goodnight all!

Audrey

Hi Jen, have a good trip back, shame you have to leave sunny Florida    I love it there, even for a spot of surgery!  Yes, I stopped taking my calcium supplements after around 10 days, starting reducing the dose from around 6 or 7 days post op, and like Audrey I'm glad I did as my post op calcium has yet to come back down to normal.  Did Dr N tell you what your post op PTH was? He doesn't measure the calcium immediately like they do in the UK.

Look forward to hearing from you when you arrive on UK terra firma.

Jasmine x

Thanks so much for those responses. That's just what I wanted to know. My instinct is to stop the calcium around 10 days which is about the time it takes for the dormant glands to wake up, according to Dr N. I've woken after the most normal night's sleep I've had for about 10 years or more. Although I did wake twice I got back to sleep quickly and the quality was quite different . Long may it last! Also, I feel different, very different, like I'm rid of something which has been dragging me down for years and years.

However, I need to add that this surgery is only a part of a whole life radical overhaul that I started last year, late autumn, when I thought I was dying, I felt so so ghastly. I believe that a big part of my illness has been due to my life approach and choices. I've lived a fairly high octane life and there have been regular, and repeatd experiences of extreme stress, anxiety and upset. In the autumn I found out about Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome, and began a programme of detoxifying my system through diet, (some) exercise and generally eliminating as much stressful stuff as I could, including not engaging too much with people who drained me. So, by January, when I found out about my Hpth I was already feeling significantly better, though still pretty ill.

I've always known since early chiodhood that life experiences and events, and the emotions they give rise to, can have a profound effect on our physical health. It is not an insignificant fact that the last 8-10 years of my life have been the most traumatic, upsetting snd stressful years i've ever had! It must have taken a massive toll on my adrenal system (which was already being taxed more due to menopause). We know that stress releases cortisol into the body and continued high levels of cortisol is very damaging in all sorts of ways. For a start it interferes with vit d absorption!! If folks want to know detail on what I did, and other thoughts i've had, I'll start a separate post on adrenal fatigue recovery.

Hi Jen

Good to hear you are doing so well, makes the mammoth trip over to Tampa so worth the effort and expense.

When you feel up to it I'm sure hearing about your experiences of adrenal fatigue would be very useful to all of us. Some of us on here also have thyroid disease which has a connection with adrenal problems and thyroid medication apparently works so much better once adrenal issues are sorted.

I had a short synacthen test last year to test for adrenal fatigue, it came back normal but the results can be wrong as the test is not very accurate.

Will make interesting reading.

Have a good flight back and bring some sunshine with you please   

Nelly

Jasmine hahahaha and I thought Audrey was the wild and shocking one.   
It makes me laugh when I've heard American people refer to their bum bag (small bag round waist that some people use to keep money in as a fanny pack) or is that just me ???   
Amanda xxxx

I like that one Amanda   

Nelly

Not sure why it didn't appear next to jasmines post I must have done something wrong derrrrr x

Me again I didn't realise there was a 3rd page. I'm having a difficult day    
Sorry Amanda xxxx

Loving the funnies ...loving them! Amanda, so so sorry you're having a horrid day. Wish we could all give each other actual hugs. Have a big long virtual hug tho... Xx

I'll write more on adrenal stuff when I've longer time to post.

Amanda, fanny pack makes me laugh too, although it also makes me squirm a bit because it feels like such a rude word even though nowhere near in the same league as some of the other descriptives ....

Jen, great to hear you are feeling good, you so deserve it after the trauma of the last decade; looking forward to hearing more about the adrenal fatigue thingy when you feel up to it. Safe journey home .......

Jasmine x

WHAT? You prefer bum bag over fanny pack?    Yes, I think some more Americans better get on here. I believe I'm outnumbered!   

Have a safe trip home, Jen. So glad all went well and it's all BEHIND you!   

Audrey

Hahaha Audrey - I get it ..... all behind you....!

Audrey, not sure if you're aware or not but 'fanny' doesn't mean the same here as in the US.....

Well, no, I was not aware of that, Jasmine. Yikes! Well, then maybe there's a good reason why you all prefer bum bag!

Haha I'll PM you to put you in the picture .....

I'm not sure Audrey I think they are both a bit iffy   
I'd rather use a handbag, are you calling in reinforcements   
Thanks Jen safe journey home.
Jasmine you be careful what you get up to in lifts (elevators) !!!
Amanda xxxx

Hahahahaha From now on my fanny pack will be called a bum bag. I like it.