size of cholesteatoma???Also..I am new to group

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

I am new to this group.I am 37..female..just found out I have a

cholesteatoma - left ear .My ENT is sending me to The House Ear

Clinic in Los Angeles..apt. on Oct. 17.I was looking at the cat scan

films...and reading over copies of his hand-written notes that I am

to take to my new Dr. He thinks I will need a mastoidectomy and

ossiculoplasty.It is fair to say that I am a little freaked

out...okay, a lot freaked out.I do not know when I grew this

thing....I can tell you that I only had FIVE ear infections from

birth-15 yrs old.Not exactly a case of chronic ear infections!

So how did I find out about this?

Early this year a rash of ear infections went through my family.Odd,

I though, as an ear infection seems to be a secondary infection after

an initial URI.Well..this time, it seemed as if the bacteria/virus

went right for the ear.I had three kids on antibiotics for ear

infections! Weird!! Then, of course, I got it. My eardrum ruptured

(that killed)..went on antibiotics..doing fine. About a week and half

later..the left side of my face started to be paralyzed.I couldn't

blink my eye, scrunch up my nose on that side..it was mild(my

daughter thought it hilarious!).So, I saw an ENT.Went on

steroids..the facial weakness cleared up.Ear still felt full..All

along hearing tests remained the same..hearing loss at high

frequencies.My ENT ordered a CAT scan because of a niggling gut

feeling on a " funky presentation of symptoms. " He was right....I just

keep thinking about him saying, " It is larger than I expected. " So, I

looked at the CAT scan report..9mm ..7mm..1.3cm..these were all

measurements of the cholesteatoma in certaiin parts of my ear.Does

anyone have experience with this?

What is big?What is small?

I have the holidays coming up..I have 4 young kids..and I am

wondering how long I will be out of comission .

Of course I have been reading ANYTHING that I can find.I seem to

focus on the rare complications that involve permanent nerve damage

and brain abscess..meningitis..all of that.

Has anyone ever had any of that?

Obviously I want to be positive, but also realistic.From all the

reading I have been doing it seems like this will be an ongoing thing

for the rest of my life.Kind of a bummer..oh well.It doesn't seem

like this is just one of those surgeries that you have once.Seems

like many have had many surgeries.

What is the range of time on the surgery?It seems like anywhere from

1-5 or more hours.

Well, thanks for letting me ramble on.This is all I can think about

until my apt. on Friday.

Thank you,

cathy