Things Keep Happening

UCLA Health article
By
2 min read

I had been monitoring a steady increase in blood pressure for a while but could never pinpoint its cause. Therefore, it was a relief when my nephrologist diagnosed me with hyperaldosteronism, caused by a small benign tumor on the adrenal gland. I was relieved because now there was a way to fix this problem. Hyperaldosteronism is characterized by high levels of aldosterone, which causes blood pressure to increase as well.

The surgery itself went smoothly - I experienced no pain and the incision is barely visible. Coming back for a post-operation appointment 3 weeks later, I've never felt other than terrific. Though, I faced several unexpected occurrences throughout the process. Immediately after surgery, I was surprised to find that my blood pressure went up. I was terribly concerned when I first found out about my heightened blood pressure and was afraid that the surgery actually made things worse. An intern explained that this condition can last for a day and reassured me that it would go back to normal. Twenty hours later, my blood pressure began to lower and has been falling slowly in the 3 weeks since. Two weeks following surgery, I received a bad lab report. I was surprised once again, but with reassurance from my nephrologist and time, the measures have been returning back to normal.

Things are constantly fluctuating as your body slowly begins to readjust to the new normal. Removing one adrenal means that the other must now figure out what to do to compensate. Looking back, I would not worry about temporary rises and falls, because they may happen. Though, it is important to follow up and monitor these changes. The staff has been very helpful throughout this procedure, and I'm glad I got the procedure done.

Share: