I came down to UCLA because I found out that I had hyperparathyroidism and started researching what it was because I never heard of it before. I learned that surgery wasn't difficult but tricky so I had to find a specialist for parathyroid surgery. I started looking for someone in the LA area and ran across a video by Dr. Yeh and Dr. Livhits about the parathyroid. I felt more confident in these doctors after watching the videos. The process was amazingly fast. Since I already had the diagnosis and had all the blood work, the nuclear scan, the ultrasound, bone density, MRI done, they just had to verify my labs. Because of my research, I knew the only option was surgery when I came down here. I came down on Sept. 10 and surgery was the Oct. 9 so again amazingly fast. I felt fairly comfortable leading up to my surgery. The office visit did not go how I expected it to so I felt a little unsettled because the questions I expected Dr. Yeh to ask he didn't, and the questions he did ask I felt I couldn't completely answer. Since I already did a lot of research, I didn't have too many questions coming but the questions I did have, I emailed then to Dr. Yeh who forwarded my questions to Dr. O who could answer my questions while he was away. One thing I was surprised was that I was caught in traffic the day of the surgery and for my post-op appointment, they all said don't worry about it, we'll be fine. I was worried that I had to reschedule my surgery but everyone was very accommodating. I was so surprised about how understanding the staff was about trying to come down to the LA area. During surgery they found that all four of my parathyroids were affected but surgery was still smooth, no complications and minimal discomfort. I have noticed that even 3 weeks later, there's still some internal swelling. I still have to take smaller bites and chew food more carefully and take pills in smaller amounts. Almost immediately, I noticed I had more energy and the pain that I have had for years was gone. My bladder issues were better but the pain and energy levels were the biggest thing. I couldn't believe this change. People told me that my mood is different. A few days after surgery one of my kids told me there was a spring in my step when there hasn't been for years. The difference is so pronounced that it makes me wonder how long I've had hyperparathyroidism for. I would highly recommend Dr. Yeh and his staff.
