The "short" of a very long story!

It all started this past Spring.  Albert and I went to see the dentist and our dear friend and hygienist, Stacy, refused to treat him because he had such HIGH blood pressure.

Shock!  For decades, he has had low blood pressure, never high.

Friend to friend, Stacy advised me to insist that Albert see a doctor THAT day!  So he saw an available PA and was put on high blood pressure medication immediately. 

The second blip?  Initial bloodwork showed elevated blood calcium levels.

Follow-up: changed medication to include diaretic in high blood pressure meds.

Follow-up: blood calcium levels elevating, not dropping.

Next stop: endocrinologist!

Great endocrinologist, really like her!  She immediately changes Albert's meds to stop the diaretic THAT DAY!

Diagnosis: hyperparathyroidism.

Dr ordered: ultrasound of throat and neck area, 24 hour urine collection, complete lab work, bone density test.

Follow-up and diagnosis:  further elevated blood calcium levels, osteoporosis of the spine, osteopenia of the hips, need surgery to remove the haywire parathyroid, and need a radioactive scan to find the parathyroid in question.

Next stop: surgical endocrinologist!

OMG!  Love her even more!!!!

Dr ordered: new scan to get much better picture of area and identify the malfunctioning parathyroid.

Follow-up:  found the parathyroid!  AND SOMETHING ELSE!

Next stop: biopsy of tumor found during prior scan.

Follow up: biopsy results show nuero endocrine carcinoma of the thymus gland.

Next Stop: cardiologist.

Is it possible????  LOVE him!!

Follow up: schedule surgery to remove BOTH parathyroid and cancerous tumor.

Fast forward to today: the surgery is in two days and my husband is a nervous wreck!!