kitty2, please don't put off having the surgery! The effect of continued high calcium affects so many major systems and will worsen kidney disease, osteoporosis , heart disease, gastrointestinal constipation, etc. It's extremely important that the surgery be done by an experienced surgeon and that he/she checks all 4 glands during the procedure. It is usually just a 20-30 surgery when done by an experienced surgeon, and it's an outpatient procedure. Anyone can download the CalciumPro app to their phone to get a wealth of information about parathyroid disease and its treatment. I had the surgery and it's a quick recovery for most people and my only regret is that I didn't have it earlier. Good luck!