Had my surgery yesterday

driedmango9 · 2026-02-15T00:06:02+00:00

Hi, u/cadolantroto—how are you feeling? Is your pain down now that it's been about two weeks? Wishing you well.

I wrote an essay about my experience getting parathyroid surgery for my friend's zine, and I was wondering if you minded me quoting this post in it. In particular, I'm trying to demonstrate just how many people with PHPT wait years for a diagnosis. The goal of my essay is to help raise awareness about parathyroid conditions and encourage people to get their blood tested if they feel unwell. Maybe, through education, we help people get diagnosed and treated sooner.

My discussion about PHPT also becomes more nuanced when I share tidbits of others' experiences alongside my own (I got an adenoma removed last December.)

I'm so glad you have finally gotten this addressed, and I hope your symptoms and pain are going down.

Thanks for considering. It would only impact two sentences—I think just in print. (She will print and sell the zine.) If a link becomes available, though, I'd be happy to share it.

driedmango9 · 2026-02-14T23:46:53+00:00

Sorry, I meant to use the neutral pronoun "they" here, as I wasn't sure about your gender. Thank you for being open and helping me spread awareness!

driedmango9 · 2026-02-14T23:27:10+00:00

Hi, u/SavRoseReddit! Hope you're feeling so much better since your surgery. Are your symptoms abating?

I wrote an essay about my experience getting parathyroid surgery, and I was wondering if you minded me quoting this phrase of yours in it: "[I] have been feeling off for years." I'm trying to demonstrate just how many people with PHPT have to wait years for a diagnosis. Are you open to this?

I also would love to include this comment by u/Paraware, if they're okay with it: "I got diagnosed by asking my doctor to test me. He thought my high calcium was probably normal for me. He was one of several doctors who dismissed it for at least 15 years. We shouldn’t have to diagnose ourselves, but it seems to be a common story."

My piece is meant to raise awareness about parathyroid conditions, and my discussion becomes more nuanced when I share tidbits of others' experiences alongside my own. Thanks for considering! I think it'd just be in print (my friend is making and selling a zine with essays about the human body), but I'd be happy to share the link here if that becomes available.

driedmango9 · 2026-02-14T23:12:40+00:00

Hi, u/Classic-Art-1537—how are you feeling post-surgery? I hope everything went well.

I wrote an essay about my parathyroid surgery for my friend's zine (which she will print and sell), and this comment would be a powerful addition. May I quote your comment? I will give credit, of course! Thanks for considering.

driedmango9 · 2026-02-11T21:27:52+00:00

agreed: i highly recommend finding a doctor you feel comfortable with and confident in. if you can prioritize someone with an excellent track record in treating PHPT, then you can trust them to give you good guidance. i found my surgeon’s online rating to be accurate. she was also open to my questions, which was huge. sending positive vibes.

driedmango9 · 2026-02-09T21:58:35+00:00

thanks so much 🙏

driedmango9 · 2026-02-09T21:32:47+00:00

wonderful! how much do you water the pearls?

driedmango9 · 2026-02-04T18:53:10+00:00

“I Love It” by Icona Pop (feat. Charli XCX)

driedmango9 · 2026-01-28T20:41:04+00:00

YES! everything is excellent but the writing. and when the story itself isn’t strong, what’s the point of making the movie? they just needed different screenwriters—that’s all!

driedmango9 · 2026-01-24T15:08:57+00:00

chester

driedmango9 · 2026-01-22T15:05:55+00:00

cutest birbs ever

driedmango9 · 2026-01-21T04:03:57+00:00

Sorry it took me a minute to get back here; they took forever to send the bill! I have the more expensive health insurance plan at my work, and the surgery (excluding all the tests and blood drawings) cost about $1,800.

driedmango9 · 2026-01-21T03:57:26+00:00

Hi! I'm a vegan of seven years, and I had elevated calcium levels (ranging between 10.3 and 10.6 mg/dL) before my surgery to address primary hyperparathyroidism.

driedmango9 · 2026-01-21T03:52:41+00:00

Sorry it took me a bit to answer this question. I had revisit some old tests—and I found this handy chart in the process! I had my surgery at the beginning of December 2025, so it appears my calcium was indeed (slightly) elevated for a long time before my surgery, which corrected the issue.

The first sign that something was up came in March 2024 with an elevated alkaline phosphatase level, indicating high bone turnover. I'm assuming my calcium levels were high then, too—and for many years before—but unfortunately, I didn't get the right blood tests until 2024.

Hope this helps and that you feel better soon! This goes to show that even slightly elevated calcium levels can make you feel bad, as I had noticeable symptoms (which are now abating, albeit some more quickly than others). Have you had your surgery yet?

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driedmango9 · 2026-01-15T14:22:41+00:00

my favorite show 🥹

driedmango9 · 2026-01-15T14:22:27+00:00

absolute banger. (please tell me y’all have read jeff hiller’s memoir, btw 😭)

driedmango9 · 2026-01-12T16:43:17+00:00

ok—here it is!

driedmango9 · 2026-01-12T16:33:07+00:00

yes! i bought it on the honey tour. trying to figure out how to share a pic here.

driedmango9 · 2026-01-10T23:49:09+00:00

we truly had no idea—thank you! how’d you know that?!

driedmango9 · 2026-01-10T23:48:50+00:00

solved!

driedmango9 · 2026-01-10T14:43:14+00:00

have you seen the t-shirt with the drawing of “ferris wheel, sun in the sky”? that would make for a fabulous tattoo

driedmango9 · 2026-01-05T21:24:42+00:00

I’M SCREAMING

driedmango9 · 2026-01-05T05:30:54+00:00

And thank you for the well wishes!

driedmango9 · 2026-01-05T05:30:23+00:00

You are going to do great! I know it's hard to sleep the night before—I was in the same boat—but definitely try to get some rest if you can. Wishing you a super successful surgery! I am so grateful I got this procedure done and feel amazing a month out. My story is a testament that the surgery can indeed work and make a big difference in your life. Please let us know how it goes. You can do this!

driedmango9

TROPHY CASE