Re: Letting the C-Toma Role...

[Guest guest]

Many of us let things go a little long ... and yes years. After all, as

we all seem to get told, it's just an earache or a popped feeling or a

little drainage. It doesn't help when we go to doctors (general

practitioners) and all they do is give us an antibiotic because our ear

looked like it had an infection. Often we're lucky when the

cholesteatoma causes some damage that is noted and inexplicable - in my

case it was losing a significant amount of hearing in my right ear. In a

way I'm thankful that it took out my bones of hearing and left the dura

alone, because that is what got me past the general practitioner to the

otologist/neurotologist. The antibiotics made my ear feel a bit better,

but my hearing didn't come back. So, finally I got a referral. I just

wasn't the type to 'self-refer.'

Unfortunately, too many of us go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed until that

noticeable damage occurs. At least you went when you did and described

what was wrong quite well. You're fortunate that the doctors listened

.... hopefully right away. Mine obviously didn't for ... oh, about 14

years ... but I was moving around a lot. I was always going to doctors

that just didn't know me or my history well.

Matt

Bradford Burt wrote:

>

> Here's a question that I am very curious about what the group has to say.

> Here is a little background. I'd say I'm pretty much your typical guy

> (48 yrs old), who doesn't like going to the Doctors office too much.

> You know, the same ole excuses, " too busy with work " , " oh it's nothing

> to worry about " , " it will go away by itself " .

> Anyway, I would say I let this Cholesteatoma ride for quite sometime.

> I'd say at least 4 years when I first started seeing drainage. I've

> had ear issues my whole life, so who knows how long this thing has

> been there. But again, I would say it was four years after I first

> started seeing drainage from my ear that I decided to go to the Doctor.

> Is that like, uh, crazy? Or have others on this list put off going to

> the Dr. like I did?

> Just trying to judge how big of an idiot I really am :-)

>

>

--

[Guest guest]

I waited 6 yrs and only went because of the pain swelling and drainage. Jenni

Bradford Burt <bradford_burt08@...> wrote:

>Here's a question that I am very curious about what the group has to say.

> 

>Here is a little background.  I'd say I'm pretty much your typical guy (48

yrs old), who doesn't like going to the Doctors office too much.  You know, the

same ole excuses, " too busy with work " , " oh it's nothing to worry about " , " it

will go away by itself " . 

> 

>Anyway, I would say I let this Cholesteatoma ride for quite sometime.  I'd say

at least 4 years when I first started seeing drainage.  I've had ear issues my

whole life, so who knows how long this thing has been there.  But again, I

would say it was four years after I first started seeing drainage from my ear

that I decided to go to the Doctor.

> 

>Is that like, uh, crazy?  Or have others on this list put off going to the Dr.

like I did?   

> 

>Just trying to judge how big of an idiot I really am  :-)

> 

>