Surgery the 10th

[Guest guest]

Hi to all. It's been a while since I've posted. The last time I posted I had

just learned of my C-toma and was heading on a vacation to Cozumel and was

woundering about being able to snorkel. I sought a second opionion prior to

leaving for the trip and was told to keep the ear dry using ear plugs and not to

dunk my head in the water and all should be fine. I had a CT done just before I

left and when I came home from vacation I saw the doctor about the results. He,

to no surprize, confirmed I had an attic c-toma, but indicated it was small.

The first doctor said I had a " large " attic c-toma. I do have hearing loss in

the effected ear, but I'm happy to report it is not severe. The doc has stated

that this is a good inidcation that the hearing bones are all still attached to

eachother. He's being very optomistic which I can appreciate. He has even

commented that he hopes to be able to leave all the bones in tact. He makes no

promises of course and has stated we will only know for certain when we get into

surgery.

I guess at this point my fear is the doc is being too optomistic and I'm afraid

of being disappointed once I wake up and find out what all had to be done. It'

scary to think that I could come out of surgery with worse hearing when it isn't

that bad now. It seems odd to have surgery that could make things worse and you

don't even feel bad or seem to have any major problem. I know that it can be a

major problem left unattended, it just makes you wonder - is surgery the right

thing? Again, I know it is the only answer. I've done all the research and

I've had numerous doctors tell me the same thing.

The first doc had showed me on a monitor using a camera the inside of my good

ear and then the bad. In the ear with the c-toma you could not see the head of

the mallus. It was covered with white (which I was told was the c-toma).

Hopefully, the c-toma is just over the mallus and not adheard to it. My doc

doing the surgery is hoping that if any bones have to be removed that he can put

in prothesis during this surgery. I read a lot of post where this is done at a

second surgery. Does anyone know why it wasn't done in the first if they had do

do it in a second? Also, I haven't read one post where people have had only one

suregery (unless they just had their first). Has anyone on this foreum only had

one surgery and not needed another? Even my GP, when he found out about the

surgery, asked me the question if I knew that very offten this type of surgery

requires more than one.

The last thing I'll add is he plans to do a mastoidectomy, but does not plan to

do a CWD. Anyone have thoughts on that? Thanks to all those who read my post

and I wish all those who have recently had surgery a speedy recovery and all

those that are wating to have surgery I wish you the best.

Grimes

Texas