Guest guest Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 Quoting Surfin Dave <srfndave@...>: > Hi everyone! > > Well, I had a successful surgery last Friday. The C-Toma was much > larger and more extensive than the doc had hoped for.> Glad to hear that your surgery went well! Enjoy your well-deserved rest. I had the same thing with my taste nerve. Fortunately, it wasn't anywhere near the dura. My taste sensation still is kind of sour on that side, but I've heard other Listies say that theirs came back. Somehow the other side is supposed to compensate. > Now I have a protheses (sp?) for my hearing bones, and a patch on or > near the dura. The doc said I have to take it very easy for two > weeks, no lifting or anything that might cause the protheses or the > patch to dislodge. I even have to be careful about how I sneeze > (and of course my wife has taken it to the extreme saying I can't > sneeze for two weeks!). Yeah, I never could figure out how to sneeze with my mouth open either. > I still have a lot of pain, and the Vicodin helps somewhat. I'm > sleeping better and watching a lot of TV. I have packing that will > dissolve mostly on it's own, and anything that's left he will remove > when I see him again on April 5th. He said it would also take a > couple of months for the packing behind the new ear drum (yeah, got > one of those, too) to dissolve and then we'll be able to find out > how well the new protheses will work. Nobody gets awards for suffering, so don't be afraid to take your meds. You won't get addicted in the short time that you'll need to take them. > Thanks again everyone for the support and education I have gotten > here. It really scares me to think what would have happened if I > had followed the wishes of my HMO and let my regular ENT perform > this surgery. It's really hard for me to accept the risk that they > were willing to put up with on my behalf just to try and save > themselves a few bucks. Unfortunately, that's the name of the game in managed care. From my 20 or so years in the medical field, the patients who get the best care are the ones who are not afraid to speak up or challenge the system and don't take no for an answer. Proactive = results. Best to you and your family, Dave. -- Diane Brunet http://www.sassysuds.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 Thanks for the update -- it sounds like you have some great support with your wife and are in good hands with your surgeon. I was pretty depressed about losing the taste on the right side of my tongue after surgery, but it is amazing how the left side has 'taken over'. It seems like the left side is hypersensitive or compensating for the loss, because most of the time I don't even realize I have the taste loss on the right side. I had to laugh at the cracker/paste comment, because the only time I notice the taste loss is when I am chewing something with texture on my right side (popcorn and peanut butter are especially weird!) Hang in there, it gets better. Another interesting thing about the taste and how I always chew on the one side of my mouth now --- at a recent dental exam my dentist noticed my bite was a little off and figured out it was because my jaw muscles were stronger on my left side (because it was doing all the work); I don't know if anyone else has had this happen...... he said it wasn't a serious problem, but I try to chew gum on that side now and then to keep my jaw in shape. =) Good luck through your recovery -- don't be afraid to ask for pain meds, it's not worth it to suffer. carrie > Hi everyone! > > Well, I had a successful surgery last Friday. The C-Toma was much > larger and more extensive than the doc had hoped for. As I > understand it from the conversation my wife had with the surgeon > afterwards, and the phone call I had with him on Sunday (he called > me at home to check up on how I was doing!), not only had the c- toma > eroded the hearing bones, but it had also wrapped around my taste > nerve and was headed through the bone to the brain. The taste nerve > had to be cut, and I'm now learning how to eat on one side of my > mouth (not too hard since it hurts right now to chew on the other > side!). My wife was reluctant to tell me about the taste nerve, > until I had her try a cracker I was eating because I thought it > tasted like glue. > > Now I have a protheses (sp?) for my hearing bones, and a patch on or > near the dura. The doc said I have to take it very easy for two > weeks, no lifting or anything that might cause the protheses or the > patch to dislodge. I even have to be careful about how I sneeze > (and of course my wife has taken it to the extreme saying I can't > sneeze for two weeks!). > > I still have a lot of pain, and the Vicodin helps somewhat. I'm > sleeping better and watching a lot of TV. I have packing that will > dissolve mostly on it's own, and anything that's left he will remove > when I see him again on April 5th. He said it would also take a > couple of months for the packing behind the new ear drum (yeah, got > one of those, too) to dissolve and then we'll be able to find out > how well the new protheses will work. > > I think the hardest thing about it all is watching my wife having to > do everything around the house because I can't risk undoing any of > the doctor's work. > > Thanks again everyone for the support and education I have gotten > here. It really scares me to think what would have happened if I > had followed the wishes of my HMO and let my regular ENT perform > this surgery. It's really hard for me to accept the risk that they > were willing to put up with on my behalf just to try and save > themselves a few bucks. > > Dave Sedovic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 Hi Dave Congratulations on your surgery. Six months, it took for my taste to come back properly (or for the brain to adapt the taste buds form the side - whichever it is). And it seems that quite a lot of people report that it can take somewhere between three months and year to return. I perfected the art of eating raw chillies on the non-tasting side. Phil Hi everyone!Well, I had a successful surgery last Friday. The C-Toma was much larger and more extensive than the doc had hoped for. As I understand it from the conversation my wife had with the surgeon afterwards, and the phone call I had with him on Sunday (he called me at home to check up on how I was doing!), not only had the c-toma eroded the hearing bones, but it had also wrapped around my taste nerve and was headed through the bone to the brain. The taste nerve had to be cut, and I'm now learning how to eat on one side of my mouth (not too hard since it hurts right now to chew on the other side!). My wife was reluctant to tell me about the taste nerve, until I had her try a cracker I was eating because I thought it tasted like glue.Now I have a protheses (sp?) for my hearing bones, and a patch on or near the dura. The doc said I have to take it very easy for two weeks, no lifting or anything that might cause the protheses or the patch to dislodge. I even have to be careful about how I sneeze (and of course my wife has taken it to the extreme saying I can't sneeze for two weeks!).I still have a lot of pain, and the Vicodin helps somewhat. I'm sleeping better and watching a lot of TV. I have packing that will dissolve mostly on it's own, and anything that's left he will remove when I see him again on April 5th. He said it would also take a couple of months for the packing behind the new ear drum (yeah, got one of those, too) to dissolve and then we'll be able to find out how well the new protheses will work.I think the hardest thing about it all is watching my wife having to do everything around the house because I can't risk undoing any of the doctor's work.Thanks again everyone for the support and education I have gotten here. It really scares me to think what would have happened if I had followed the wishes of my HMO and let my regular ENT perform this surgery. It's really hard for me to accept the risk that they were willing to put up with on my behalf just to try and save themselves a few bucks.Dave Sedovic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 Good look Dave and fight on. I can hear of your writing that you feel convinced that it will go well and that you feel fully informed. And I most say it was nice doc to phone you home. Hi everyone! Well, I had a successful surgery last Friday. The C-Toma was much larger and more extensive than the doc had hoped for. As I understand it from the conversation my wife had with the surgeon afterwards, and the phone call I had with him on Sunday (he called me at home to check up on how I was doing!), not only had the c-toma eroded the hearing bones, but it had also wrapped around my taste nerve and was headed through the bone to the brain. The taste nerve had to be cut, and I'm now learning how to eat on one side of my mouth (not too hard since it hurts right now to chew on the other side!). My wife was reluctant to tell me about the taste nerve, until I had her try a cracker I was eating because I thought it tasted like glue. Now I have a protheses (sp?) for my hearing bones, and a patch on or near the dura. The doc said I have to take it very easy for two weeks, no lifting or anything that might cause the protheses or the patch to dislodge. I even have to be careful about how I sneeze (and of course my wife has taken it to the extreme saying I can't sneeze for two weeks!). I still have a lot of pain, and the Vicodin helps somewhat. I'm sleeping better and watching a lot of TV. I have packing that will dissolve mostly on it's own, and anything that's left he will remove when I see him again on April 5th. He said it would also take a couple of months for the packing behind the new ear drum (yeah, got one of those, too) to dissolve and then we'll be able to find out how well the new protheses will work. I think the hardest thing about it all is watching my wife having to do everything around the house because I can't risk undoing any of the doctor's work. Thanks again everyone for the support and education I have gotten here. It really scares me to think what would have happened if I had followed the wishes of my HMO and let my regular ENT perform this surgery. It's really hard for me to accept the risk that they were willing to put up with on my behalf just to try and save themselves a few bucks. Dave Sedovic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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