I awoke to a loud clamor of noises and people trying to hold me down trying to insert a breathing tube as I was not breathing regularly. The reason I was not breathing well was a side effect of the morphine I was given for pain. A major side effect of Morphine is depression of the respiratory system, as the result of being given too much pain medication. I looked around frantically and recognized I was looking at ICU equipment. The entire clamor was because, unbeknownst to me, I was just out of open heart surgery. My mind was real fuzzy and I was in pain. Why was I in an intensive care unit with someone trying to insert an endotracheal tube down my throat?
I was diagnosed with a sixth parathyroid tumor, located in my chest area, in 2003. I had already had a chest parathyroid tumor removed from my heart, using a scope type of surgical procedure in the late 1990’s. This surgery was done in Miami, Florida.
We moved to Tennessee in 2000. My endocrinologist, in Tennessee, found another chest parathyroid tumor. The endocrinologist and as well as a thoracic surgeon assured me that this chest parathyroid tumor, most likely, could also be removed by a scope type of surgical procedure. The removal of this chest parathyroid tumor was essential to my survival. A parathyroid tumor tells your body to make an increased level of Parathyroid Hormone, which increases calcium levels in the body. The extra calcium can be leached from your bones and teeth. This in turn leads to weak bones, difficult digestion of food and kidney stones. Therefore the increased calcium levels could lead to major kidney damage.
A few minutes later (or hours, because I had no concept of time) I remember seeing my husband John and my friend Terry. WHAT HAPPENED! John and Terry told me that the physicians were unable to remove the tumor and they had to open my chest to try to find a tumor. The physicians told me that they were pretty certain that they had removed the tumor, but my calcium levels were still high. I was assured by my endocrinologist that it may take a few days for my calcium levels to return to normal. Within 2 days, I was moved out of ICU and placed on a step down unit, which is a unit where people need skilled nursing care but are not considered critical.
I still had many tubes in me. Two thick tubes, known as chest tubes, to drain the fluid from my chest, a catheter to drain urine and a naso-gastric tube to empty stomach contents. As the days went by the tubes were removed and I was starting to feel halfway human. To make light of the situation I remember my friend Terry and I JOKING THAT NOW I WAS A TRUE TENNESSEAN being that on my chest area I had a T formation. I had a scar from an incision from previous parathyroidectomies stretching 7 inches across my neck and now I had a long vertical chest incision to form a T.
After about a weeks stay in the hospital I was sent home with pain meds and sleeping pills. I was told to rest, walk, and recover. When I got home I started to reconnect with friends and even called my mother, whom I had not spoken to for many years. I told her that whatever we were in disagreement about should be put aside. After going through the recent surgery, I realized, you truly do not have control over your own destiny. To my dismay my mother scolded me about calling her to get sympathy and that was the last conversation we ever had. Sad, but life goes on.
I developed breathing difficulty after I was home about two weeks from the hospital. I went to the surgeon, where I was diagnosed with a lung infiltrate (extra fluid in the lungs). It was a side effect of the chest surgery and I was sent home on strict bed rest, breathing exercises, and medication to clear the fluid out of the lungs and medication to keep me relaxed most of the time.
It was close to Thanksgiving and we had planned a family trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which had to be cancelled. My wonderful sister, Debbie and her family came to Tennessee to help me and our family. We were able to spend the Thanksgiving holiday together.
I owe my recovery to my dear friends and family who pushed me to recover and not feel sorry for myself. My friend Anne was of great assistance. She made me literally get up and out of the house. She made me do all the breathing exercises and insisted that I not drive and to have my heart pillow to protect my chest area with me at all times. Of course Anne also brought down her special recipes and always cooked a great dinner each night and made wonderful deserts, and especially made sure my family was also taken care of.
I had the routine post-op visits with the surgeon and by a week before Christmas I was feeling pretty good and getting my strength back. My endocrinologist called saying that I had to come to his office that day. Now this was unusual because most patients wait months to see this very busy physician. He also said to be sure to bring my husband that he had something he had to talk to us about. Well I of course assume the worst and was worried that he was going to tell me I had cancer. He told John and me, that this invasive surgery had not removed the tumor but several lymph nodes had been removed. Through tears I remember asking him if the big surgery had any benefit at all. This is when he told me that the surgery to removal the chest parathyroid tumor was unsuccessful.
John, my wonderful husband, was equally devastated but he had the forethought to ask what the next step would be as I still had the tumor in the chest area. We were told to go we should to a major medical center, and Mayo Clinic was suggested. We were told to go home and open a bottle of wine and think about going to Mayo Clinic in the spring, once my body had fully recovered from the chest surgery.
We went to Mayo Clinic in the spring of 2004 and discovered that yes; anyone can come to Mayo Clinic. We have been very pleased with the education and treatment that we have received over the last several years. We consider Mayo Clinic our primary health care source. I now visit Mayo Clinic at least 4 times a year and we have made many friends. We consider Mayo Clinic our second home.
