Question:
Help I had tyroid removed now too, what do I do?

I not only had gastric bypass in Feb, now they removed my thyroid due to cancer, now my calcium level is haywire, what do I do, it won't absorb...I am worried, ended up in ER !!!    — Nilda G. (posted on December 20, 2002)

December 19, 2002
I am very sorry to hear about your cancer. I have no advice for you other than you need to contact a specialist that might be able to tell you how you might be able to get alternative ways of getting calcium. The best of luck and my thoughts are with you.
   — Jody Diou

December 19, 2002
Hi, I suffered from thyroid disease, had a nodule (growth) on it and they zapped it with radiation (rather than removing it). This was in 1996. The radiation killed the thyroid altogether (it's there, but no longer functions). I am on a thyroid supplement (Levoxyl) for the rest of my life. I had open RNY on 1/31/02, down 92 lbs so far. My calcium levels are fine, but I thought I might suggest to you to try a liquid form of calcium. You can probably find it on line, and I think in liquid form it would HAVE to be absorbed. Good luck!
   — [Deactivated Member]

December 20, 2002
Hi Nilda! You are the third person I know of from this website who had WLS this year, and then got diagnosed with thyroid cancer afterwards (not related to WLS, of course). I hope it helps for you to know you are not alone!<P>I had a gastric bypass in May 2002, had my thyroid and a bunch of cancerous lymph nodes removed due to thyroid cancer in September 2002, and completed a course of radiation for the whole mess last month. During the thyroid surgery, the surgeon also removed two of my four parathyroid glands, so I also had problems initially with low calcium levels in the hospital (though fortunately I never got symptomatic). Because of the WLS (I had a proximal RNY), I still take 1500 mg. of calcium citrate a day, with magnesium and Vitamin D added for better absorption, just like I did before the thyroid surgery. I order those capsules off of vitalady.com, and my docs are cool with that. (Egads ... they tried to have me take Tums at first for the parathyroid deficiencies -- if they hadn't dinged my left vocal chord during the thyroid surgery, I'd have screamed at them, LOL!). At this point, my blood test levels are at the "low end" of normal for calcium, but are improving. The remaining parathyroid glands may pick up the "slack" of the two that are gone, but it will take close monitoring to be sure whether that happens. In the meantime, I asked my pcp to order a bone density test, which I just had done last week (Dexascan) so we could use it as a baseline in the future to watch for any signs of osteoperosis. I think all of us WLS'ers, especially women, should get such a scan, but you in particular should consider it given your special calcium deficiency issue. I am monitoring my own calcium problem closely with my endocrinologist, thyroid surgeon, nuclear medicine doc, and bariatric surgeon, all of whom are kind of interested to see what happens with the WLS-thyroid cancer combo (I feel like a science project!).<P>Also, if you haven't already joined it, I strongly suggest you join the thyroid cancer discussion board on yahoo.com: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Thyca/?yguid=106670120. There are lots of people handling parathyroidism (and resulting calcium deficiency issues) there as a result of thyroid cancer surgery, and they are a good resource of information on what your docs should be doing to address this issue. There are also a number of docs and radiologists who actually post to that board, so you can really get the low-down on what treatments you should be having. I think I've read there that there is something you can take to help your body absorb the calcium better (I can't recall the name of the product -- something like Rocalcitrol??, dang I wish I could remember).<P>I wish you good luck in your cancer recovery! So long as you keep on monitoring for any signs of recurrence, you can probably keep that nasty cancer in its place -- which is, GONE. {{{Hugs!}}}
   — Suzy C.

December 20, 2002
Isotonix liquid calcium is the best for absorbtion I have heard. It tastes like Tang. For information on it go to Barbara Thompson's website www.wlscenter.com. I am also having elevated parathyroid and I don't understand it. My doctor is "too busy" to call me back about the results of my elevated parathyroid test. I am worried. This is my pcp who won't answer my questions. My parathyroid was 101.3 and normal is 14-72. Above the results was a line all across the page that said "tumor markers". I don't know what this means. I do have a little nodule on the left side of my neck right below my head and I am worried. Anybody understand this? I had the full blood work done thanks to Michelle Curran's advice on what to have done and this is the first time this has showed up. Normally, the pcp doesn't do this much blood work unless you ask. Please, all of you, have your parathyroid checked! I am afraid that I might have a BIG problem. I am 14 mos postop. Lost 115 lbs. Don't want cancer!!!
   — Mylou52

December 21, 2002
You guys are the greatest ! That is why I love this website, it helps sooo many people ! Your info is so signicant to me, you don't understand ! I ended up in the ER room the other day 2 days after surgery due to calcium level, was 6.5 should be way over 8.5 (which is normal low) Had iv on all day, calcium/magnesim/vitamin D !! Wow ... but now I feel the same symptoms again, the calcium is slow to pump up, I hope it kicks in on it's own, I am getting worried. My tingling in fingers/mouth, it's terrible, my fingers got like tales of the crypt, they were so cramped and twisted ! Thanks again and I will take all the advice given ! Keep them coming please, you are the greatest ! Thanks Nilda By the way, my sis and daugther had the same thyroid cancer, the endo says it is hereidtary, so get family checked !
   — Nilda G.