The old adage says, “No news is good news”. In almost two months since my last blog, there was no news in my life after cancer, thus nothing to write about. I was living a normal pre-cancer life--busy with work, family and volunteer obligations. It has been nearly four years of living without evidence of disease, so life has been good.

Then two health related events happened one week after another this past month.

During my regular cancer quarterly monitoring appointment, my family doctor checked my blood pressure. For the first time in my life, it was unusually high. She sent me home with instructions to check it regularly for two weeks to see if the pressure would lower. This was not the case.

So, in mid December, I was put on high blood pressure medication. We are not sure if the high blood pressure is hereditary (my father had and sister has high blood pressure), or if it is being caused by my anxious personality. So I have a new health issue to manage, which is not difficult with medication and my continued regime of proper diet, regular exercise, and healthy weight.

But then there were unusual lab results that came after my last quarterly check-up. Another surprise, and one that is more difficult to manage.

I have been diagnosed with hypoparathyroidism--a rare and permanent condition where my body is secreting abnormally low levels of parathyroid hormone, resulting in low levels of calcium and high levels of phosphorus in my body. It can be hereditary, can occur if the thyroid is damaged in surgery, or can arise with an endocrine condition. None of these apply to me, so we are not sure how I acquired it.

My breast cancer nurse educator tells me it is likely a side effect from my chemotherapy and radiation, as the four tiny parathyroid glands lie behind the thyroid gland in the neck. The thyroid gland area is at risk whenever breast cancer patients undergo chemotherapy and radiation. She says that the condition can develop long after active cancer treatment is completed.

I do not know how long I have had hypoparathyroidism. I suspect it has been for a few months. There have been several clues that it may have been developing. I chalked it up to being in my 50’s and living with an aging body.

These last few months, I have had increased low-level chronic pain in my legs, feet, hips, and lower back. There have been terrible charley horses (always at night) in my legs, feet and hands that remind me of when I was calcium deficient when pregnant. (These side effects can also occur while on Tamoxifen, my chemo maintenance medication, so I thought it was the trigger). My doctor put me on anti-inflammatory medication, but I had to go off of it because of my high blood pressure.

My bones ache at times. Some nights I hardly sleep, as pain will wake me up several times. Fatigue is now part of my daily life. I have developed extremely dry and flaky skin and now react to skin care products I have used for some time. My nails are so soft that they snag and tear.

At my last eye appointment, my optometrist was concerned with the results of some of the tests and is monitoring my eyes more carefully. He was perplexed by the test results, which will see me undergo retesting early next month. He has been monitoring my eyes because of the risk of cataracts from chemotherapy, and now will have to monitor my eyes with hypoparathyroidism as it can cause eyesight problems.

If left unchecked additional problems like impaired kidney function, heart issues, and osteoporosis can occur with hypoparathyroidism.

My family doctor is monitoring this condition with quarterly blood tests. I will be monitored for the rest of my life. Generally, hypoparathyroidism can be stabilized with consumption of calcium-laden foods, calcium supplements, and high doses of Vitamin D. If the parathyroid hormone levels continue to be low with my next tests in February, I will then be referred to an endocrinologist for an in-depth assessment and further treatment.

In the meantime, I have to learn how to manage this new health issue. It confuses me, so I will see my breast cancer nutritionist early in the New Year to determine what foods I can eat with this condition. Foods that are high in calcium (particularly dairy) are also high in phosphorus. I do not know how to lower phosphorus levels in my body while boosting my calcium levels. It is further complicated because I’m lactose intolerant and I avoid soy based foods because of their natural estrogens, which can be an issue with an estrogen positive breast cancer history. I am hoping she has some answers.

It is a setback as I work through these new health challenges. At times I feel discouraged, but I refuse to give in. Instead, I shift my thinking and remember to be grateful to have had almost four years added to my life thus far because of cancer treatments. I continue to fight daily with Strength, Courage, and Determination.