hello everyone

[Guest guest]

Am I reading the numbers correctly? Band weight/Current weight/Goal

weight? If so, you were about the same size that I am now. I really

don't have a goal weight yet because I can't imagine weighing below

160 (I was born weighing 170!)

almost2tired2

Dori

Smilz

>

> Hi Newbie, Welcome. You will be glad you had the surgery. I am

anxiously

> awaiting my first fill. Looking forward to seeing a strong,

healthy me in

> the mirror.

>

> Tami D

> 208/198/148

> Banded

> 10/21/05

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, Ready! Yes, I remember treatment, 3 times! And

it really sucks. Didn't work, either. I relapsed 2

months after quitting it, each time. So I'm waiting

for one of the new protease or pollymerase inhibitors

to come out. Don't be polite, tell us how you really

feel!

Michele

--- Ready <ready12344@...> wrote:

> Hi , How are you people doing ? I am ready12344 ,

> name ask for it ? I

> am under treatment yuck .It sucks .....

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Well, Vesper, the good news is that eventually you

WILL be able to eat more than 3 bites. It took awhile

but then all of a sudden I could eat again! Then the

problem is do I want to get another fill and feel that

tight again or not! Right now I am stuck on the same

weight for about a week but I am willing to exercise

and work a little harder before I try another fill! I

wish you the best and congratulations on all the lost

inches!

Penny

Penny Manville

Walden, Colorado

DOB 9/26/05

230/185/135

1st fill 12/9/05 1cc

2nd fill 1/27/06 0.5 cc 1.5 cc total

5'4 "

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

What size of band do you have? I have the VG and I got 4cc's and I can

feel the restriction. Today, I am on solids after soups and some

protein mixes which I still use especially in the morning cause I am

tighter then. Congrats on the weight loss...keep up the great work.

>

> Its nora , i just got my second fill and now i could feel the

> restriction,,, i had it do on april 14, 2006 i could feel the

> restriction,, i have lost 4 pounds since friday,,, so its wonderful

> feeling,,, i love doctor aceves and his staff

>

[Guest guest]

Congratulations!! That's great news! You go. Thanks for posting and

encouraging the rest of us!

Vivian

Hello everyone

Its nora , i just got my second fill and now i could feel the

restriction,,, i had it do on april 14, 2006 i could feel the

restriction,, i have lost 4 pounds since friday,,, so its wonderful

feeling,,, i love doctor aceves and his staff

[Guest guest]

HI Nora, .......... 45 pounds is awsome!!!

When were you banded? How much fill do you have now? What's a typical day of eating for you now?? I had my second fill 4-26 and mine was really good too!

I'm learning what the band "likes" allover again!

Dana

DOB 2-1-06

200-165-140's

-------------- Original message -------------- From: "noralastra" <noralastra@...> hello my name is nora,,,as of today i have lost 45 pounds my second fill was the greatest,, i am very restricted which i love the most , and i fell good 217/172/130nora cervantes

[Guest guest]

who did you 2nd fill? keri uresti dob 4/27/06 300/279/145noralastra <noralastra@...> wrote: hello my name is nora,,,as of today i have lost 45 pounds my second fill was the greatest,, i am very restricted which i love the most , and i fell good 217/172/130nora cervantes

Messenger with Voice. PC-to-Phone calls for ridiculously low rates.

[Guest guest]

I don't know Rosie but when you were a kid and ran hard did you ever get a pain on your left side....at your waist? When I hear about this pain I wonder if it is like that....not that there is a point to my comment...LOL..Lexi

-- HELLO EVERYONE

Today is my 14th day post op....YEY....I was one of the one with the horrible shoulder pain, for those of you considering surgery, supposedly I had one of the worst cases of shoulder pain ever according to , but I survived it and its finally gone, the first few days I really asked myself what in the world had I done to myself, and was regretting my decision to have the surgery, but its like having a baby, you forget, and if you go in knowing it might happen you will be prepared, I was really scared, I had heard some shoulder pain after surgery might happen, but it freaked me out that I had it so intense and for so long, so if it happens to you, you'll know its normal and nothing is wrong. I am really looking forward to my new life of having control of what I eat. I have a question for the more experienced bandsters, some posts ago there were many people talking about pain on the left hand side, yesterday I got it bad, I had had it before but mild, but yesterday's pain actually freaked me out a little, its like a searing pain that gets better if you hold your belly on that side. Why does this happen? Does anybody know?RosieMiami, FloridaDOB 05/11/2006

[Guest guest]

LEXI, YOUR RIGHT, THE SIDE PAIN IS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT PAIN WE HAD FROM RUNNING AS KIDS. (BUT IT DOESN'T GO AWAY WHEN YOU REST:) I DID FIND THAT RAISING MY ARMS UP OVER MY HEAD AND STRETCHING FAR BACK (WHILE SITTING) HELPED......DANA:)

--------- HELLO EVERYONE

Today is my 14th day post op....YEY....I was one of the one with the horrible shoulder pain, for those of you considering surgery, supposedly I had one of the worst cases of shoulder pain ever according to , but I survived it and its finally gone, the first few days I really asked myself what in the world had I done to myself, and was regretting my decision to have the surgery, but its like having a baby, you forget, and if you go in knowing it might happen you will be prepared, I was really scared, I had heard some shoulder pain after surgery might happen, but it freaked me out that I had it so intense and for so long, so if it happens to you, you'll know its normal and nothing is wrong. I am really looking forward to my new life of having control of what I eat. I have a question for the more experienced bandsters, some posts ago there were many people talking about pain on the left hand side, y

esterday I got it bad, I had had it before but mild, but yesterday's pain actually freaked me out a little, its like a searing pain that gets better if you hold your belly on that side. Why does this happen? Does anybody know?RosieMiami, FloridaDOB 05/11/2006

[Guest guest]

That's exactly what it feels like, mine is very intense. Does anyone know

what causes it? How long before it goes away?

>From: rondana@...

>Reply-

>

>Subject: Re: HELLO EVERYONE

>Date: Fri, 26 May 2006 16:32:59 +0000

>

>

>LEXI, YOUR RIGHT, THE SIDE PAIN IS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT PAIN WE HAD FROM

>RUNNING AS KIDS. (BUT IT DOESN'T GO AWAY WHEN YOU REST:) I DID FIND THAT

>RAISING MY ARMS UP OVER MY HEAD AND STRETCHING FAR BACK (WHILE SITTING)

>HELPED......DANA:)

>--------- HELLO EVERYONE

>

>Today is my 14th day post op....YEY....I was one of the one with the

>horrible shoulder pain, for those of you considering surgery,

>supposedly I had one of the worst cases of shoulder pain ever

>according to , but I survived it and its finally gone, the

>first few days I really asked myself what in the world had I done to

>myself, and was regretting my decision to have the surgery, but its

>like having a baby, you forget, and if you go in knowing it might

>happen you will be prepared, I was really scared, I had heard some

>shoulder pain after surgery might happen, but it freaked me out that

>I had it so intense and for so long, so if it happens to you, you'll

>know its normal and nothing is wrong. I am really looking forward

>to my new life of having control of what I eat. I have a question

>for the more experienced bandsters, some posts ago there were many

>people talking about pain on the left hand side, yesterday I got it

>bad, I had had it before but mild, but yesterday's pain actually

>freaked me out a little, its like a searing pain that gets better if

>you hold your belly on that side. Why does this happen? Does

>anybody know?

>

>Rosie

>Miami, Florida

>DOB 05/11/2006

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Hello everyone,

Hi , welcome to the group!

> I am new to EFT and have been reading about it like crazy.

Have you downloaded the free EFT manual from Craig's website yet?

> I have read success stories about snoring and how ppl have overcome

> the snoring with EFT. I would like to know how i can do that for

> myself.

Well, by reading the success stories you pretty much have the basic

guidelines on how to approach the snoring issue.

> I as much as i would love to get a few of the EFT books cant afford

> to at this time as money is that tight for me. My sons, ages 4 and

> 13, have also snored so would the eft work on them too?

You really don't need a lot of books to get you started. If you

haven't done so already, download the free manual first and foremost.

It give you more than enough information and goes into the mechanics

of EFT better than most of the other books out there. Here's a link

for the manual:

http://www.emofree.com/downloadeftmanual.asp

Start there...

-Jef

[Guest guest]

Nora it was soooo fun meeting you. You are great....you look great. I am going to brag about you a little. Nora has lost 60 lbs since Dec 29th. This is one determined young lady. She is in a size 8 jean.

You go girl

Dee

Tampa FL

In a message dated 8/8/2006 2:30:42 PM Eastern Standard Time, noralastra@... writes:

its nora i just had my 3rd fill i do feel restriction , i have learned to live with my band which has been an experinced that i have learned, this weekend i had the best time ever ,i meet alot of nice people and nina is a sweetheart, i love everthing about this group, god bless dr a and sergio and yolanda and nina and everyone execellent nora

[Guest guest]

Hello Dee it was also a pleasure to meet you i had a nice time talking to everyone i the other lady name i am already eating solids and its great since saturday i have not had anthing all has been liquids so that feels good so depeding how i feel i mightg have another fillin 2 months just depeding how i feel but i had a great time meeting everyone take care girl noraimdeelightful@... wrote: Nora it was

soooo fun meeting you. You are great....you look great. I am going to brag about you a little. Nora has lost 60 lbs since Dec 29th. This is one determined young lady. She is in a size 8 jean. You go girl Dee Tampa FL In a message dated 8/8/2006 2:30:42 PM Eastern Standard Time, noralastra writes: its nora i just had my 3rd fill i do feel restriction , i have learned to live with my band which has been an experinced that i have learned, this weekend i had the best time ever ,i meet alot of nice people and nina is a sweetheart, i love everthing about this group, god bless dr a and sergio and yolanda and nina and

everyone execellent nora

Get your email and more, right on the new .com

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathy,

If you move to the St.Louis area, I'd recommend Dr. Mehlman at Washington

University School of Medicine/ Hospital. I have been going here for 10

yrs.

now. There is another hospital that does transplants - St.Louis University but

it's in

a little bit " rougher " part of the city. My neighbor is going to meet a Doc

about

there possibly being put on the list. I'll see what she thinks about it & pass

it on to

you.

Kathy <KMSavelio@...> wrote:

I wanted to know if anyone in the group knows of good liver drs.

around Cheyenne, Wyoming....Colorado Springs, Co. .....ST. Louis

Missouri....Ohio, Washington, Utah..Idaho..NC...SC...

My husband is military and these are the places we might move to in

the coming year...

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Kathy

[Guest guest]

Still looking for info on docs/hospitals in texas area............ We

want to move but not sure we should give up out access to

Mayo-ville Sue

> I wanted to know if anyone in the group knows of good liver drs.

> around Cheyenne, Wyoming....Colorado Springs, Co. .....ST. Louis

> Missouri....Ohio, Washington, Utah..Idaho..NC...SC...

>

> My husband is military and these are the places we might move to in

> the coming year...

> Any help is greatly appreciated.

>

> Thank you,

> Kathy

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

All experiences are unique to each person. I can share my experience and

I'll apologize ahead of time. It was awful!!! I had my right ear done and it

was a nightmare as far as pain goes. Yea, I can hear a little better but it

doesn't really matter to me cause these stupid things can grow back anyway.

I was suppose to have my eardrum cut open a month ago but we lost our health

insurance. He said the fluid isn't escaping from my ear and that is what can

cause the C-toma to return. I have to have my left ear done sometime soon as

well. It never bothered me at all before but it is starting to ring a little

and crackle. That is what my right ear did but bad. My right ear is a

constant high-pitch ring. I pray your surgery goes well and you don't have a

lot of pain. I don't know what my doctor did to me but it was awful,

painful. Good luck.

Oh yea, my tongue just had a weird feeling for a little bit. I don't know if

I lost the taste or what but it was a little weird for a bit but back to

total normal.

>From: " Wagemann " <geowags@...>

>Reply-cholesteatoma

>cholesteatoma

>Subject: Hello Everyone

>Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 06:24:51 -0000

>

>My name is and I'm new to this group. I'm 46 yrs. old and have

>been diagnosed as having a possible cholesteatoma. I had a catscan

>this past Tuesday Sept. the 26th and now the Dr. wants me to see

>him " in his office " on Tuesday Oct. the 3rd. I think he's pretty sure

>that I have a cholesteatoma but wanted to check out how far it had

>infiltrated etc.

>

>What I would like to know is what to expect as far as surgery(ies),

>recovery following surgery and amount of hearing loss experienced

>following surgery. I had also done a search and found that it is

>fairly common for people to lose their sense of taste following middle

>ear surgery. Has anyone experienced this?

>

>Any and all info. is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi - obviously, everyone is different; however, I can offer up my

experiences....

I have had two operations in my left year and one in my right (just

finished that - the ear is still healing). I probably had a c-toma

for a long while in my left ear before I got fed up with my ENT and

went to another one, who immediately sent me to see an otologist at

University of Miami. At any rate, I went down there, had a C-scan,

and had my first surgery where they removed the c-toma. After 6

months, I had another surgery where he confirmed that there was no

more c-toma growth and installed a prosthetic device. It's a couple

of years later, and I just had surgery in my right ear. (By the

way, I have never had any of the " typical " symptoms of c-toma - no

ear infections, no ear discharge, no ear pain, nada!) This time, he

removed the c-toma (which was very minimal) and went ahead and

installed the prosthestic. All three surgeries were behind the ear,

where (from what I understand) they cut the ear and pull it forward

(your ear will stick out like Dumbo - but it goes back! - I was

horrified when I first noticed it!). The very first surgery was

awful - the pain was horrendous. I had been prescribed Tylenol 3 w/

Codeine and that just did not cut it. I wound up with a

prescription for Percocet (which he now prescribes to everyone). I

have never used all of my pain medication - I guess I used it for

about 5 days. This last surgery was the best of the three. I woke

from anesthesia in about 30 - 45 minutes and as soon as I was

wheeled to my room, I was up and in the bathroom. I ate (soup) and

was free to go after about 2 - 3 hours. I felt that the worse part

was the plastic-like after taste from the intubation tube and the

sore throat for about four days. As far as losing taste, I did have

a loss of taste in the right rear corner of my tongue, which lasted

a few days. It's all back to normal. I don't remember from the

first surgery about the taste, but I was in such horrible pain that

I don't think I cared about eating. Oh, and the wound on the back

of the ear is no big deal. The doctor put bandaging on it and

removed it at the week after post-op appointment. I think it was

five days that I couldn't wash my hair.

I hope this is the info you were looking for and it helps...

>

> My name is and I'm new to this group. I'm 46 yrs. old and

have

> been diagnosed as having a possible cholesteatoma. I had a

catscan

> this past Tuesday Sept. the 26th and now the Dr. wants me to see

> him " in his office " on Tuesday Oct. the 3rd. I think he's pretty

sure

> that I have a cholesteatoma but wanted to check out how far it had

> infiltrated etc.

>

> What I would like to know is what to expect as far as surgery

(ies),

> recovery following surgery and amount of hearing loss experienced

> following surgery. I had also done a search and found that it is

> fairly common for people to lose their sense of taste following

middle

> ear surgery. Has anyone experienced this?

>

> Any and all info. is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks , as I said, any and all experiences are appreciated just so I kind of know what to expect. How old were you when you had it done and how long was your recovery? My problem seems to be fairly new although I've had problems throughout my life in my left ear. When I was a kid I always had a problem with swimmer's ear and infections and I can't remember exactly when but I believe my eardrum perforated due to an infection when I was younger. I've always had ringing in my left ear and almost thought it was normal. About 8 years ago I noticed that my hearing started to dull in my left ear and I told the Dr. and they tested it and said I was within normal limits but nowhere near as good as my right. They told me I had tinnitis which I thought was more of a symptom than a diagnosis but anyway, they gave me antibiotics and it seemed to get a little better. Eight months ago I started noticing it again

(the hearing loss) and I told my Dr. It was complicated because I also have sleep apnea and my machine didn't have a humidifier so they thought I was getting congested in my eustachion tube on the left side (my sleeping side) and once I got a humidifier for my CPAP machine it would clear up. They gave me Flonase. I used that and did a re-check and he said that because my eustachion tube had negative pressure due to being clogged, my eardrum had become concave and debris was settling in there. Well he tried to vacuum out the debris and found a hard spot. He thought that ear drops would soften it up. I started taking the drops and every day my ear became more painful. Finally when my jaw hurt so bad I couldn't chew I called off work and went in to see him. He said my eardrum was inflamed and that I possibly had an infection. He tried the vacuum once again and found that the little "hard spot" didn't loosen

up. So he tells me he's getting concerned. He sent me for another hearing test and a catscan. The hearing test confirmed what I already knew, my hearing had worsened. He had also prescribed an oral antibiotic, antibiotic ear drops and vicodin for the pain. I think the infection is gone because the pain is down quite a bit. So now Tuesday is the big day. I find out the catscan results. Sorry for the ramble but sometimes it helps me to get it all down on paper as it were, to trace how and when it all started. ph <faithfuljsj778@...> wrote: ,All experiences are unique to each person. I can share my experience and I'll apologize ahead of time. It was awful!!! I had my right ear done and it was a nightmare as far as pain goes. Yea, I can hear a little better but it doesn't really matter to me cause these stupid things can grow back anyway. I was suppose to have my eardrum cut open a month ago but we lost our health insurance. He said the fluid isn't escaping from my ear and that is what can cause the C-toma to return. I have to have my left ear done sometime soon as well. It never bothered me at all before but it is starting to ring a little and crackle. That is what my right ear did but bad. My right ear is a constant high-pitch ring. I pray your surgery goes well and you don't

have a lot of pain. I don't know what my doctor did to me but it was awful, painful. Good luck.Oh yea, my tongue just had a weird feeling for a little bit. I don't know if I lost the taste or what but it was a little weird for a bit but back to total normal.>From: " Wagemann" <geowags >>Reply-cholesteatoma >cholesteatoma >Subject: Hello Everyone>Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 06:24:51 -0000>>My name is and I'm new to this group. I'm 46 yrs. old and have>been diagnosed as having a possible cholesteatoma. I had a catscan>this past Tuesday Sept. the 26th and now the Dr. wants me to see>him "in his office" on Tuesday Oct. the

3rd. I think he's pretty sure>that I have a cholesteatoma but wanted to check out how far it had>infiltrated etc.>>What I would like to know is what to expect as far as surgery(ies),>recovery following surgery and amount of hearing loss experienced>following surgery. I had also done a search and found that it is>fairly common for people to lose their sense of taste following middle>ear surgery. Has anyone experienced this?>>Any and all info. is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.>>>>>>>>>>

[Guest guest]

Thanks , When you say a "prosthesis" do you mean a hearing aid? It sounds like post surgical pain is a big issue for everyone. I'm taking vicodin now for pain but have only taken about 5 of the 10 he prescribed for me in the past week. It seems that as the infection went away, so did the pain. Of course that will all change after surgery. jenvigli <jennifer.vigliano@...> wrote: Hi - obviously,

everyone is different; however, I can offer up my experiences....I have had two operations in my left year and one in my right (just finished that - the ear is still healing). I probably had a c-toma for a long while in my left ear before I got fed up with my ENT and went to another one, who immediately sent me to see an otologist at University of Miami. At any rate, I went down there, had a C-scan, and had my first surgery where they removed the c-toma. After 6 months, I had another surgery where he confirmed that there was no more c-toma growth and installed a prosthetic device. It's a couple of years later, and I just had surgery in my right ear. (By the way, I have never had any of the "typical" symptoms of c-toma - no ear infections, no ear discharge, no ear pain, nada!) This time, he removed the c-toma (which was very minimal) and went ahead and installed the prosthestic. All three surgeries were behind

the ear, where (from what I understand) they cut the ear and pull it forward (your ear will stick out like Dumbo - but it goes back! - I was horrified when I first noticed it!). The very first surgery was awful - the pain was horrendous. I had been prescribed Tylenol 3 w/ Codeine and that just did not cut it. I wound up with a prescription for Percocet (which he now prescribes to everyone). I have never used all of my pain medication - I guess I used it for about 5 days. This last surgery was the best of the three. I woke from anesthesia in about 30 - 45 minutes and as soon as I was wheeled to my room, I was up and in the bathroom. I ate (soup) and was free to go after about 2 - 3 hours. I felt that the worse part was the plastic-like after taste from the intubation tube and the sore throat for about four days. As far as losing taste, I did have a loss of taste in the right rear corner of my tongue, which lasted a

few days. It's all back to normal. I don't remember from the first surgery about the taste, but I was in such horrible pain that I don't think I cared about eating. Oh, and the wound on the back of the ear is no big deal. The doctor put bandaging on it and removed it at the week after post-op appointment. I think it was five days that I couldn't wash my hair.I hope this is the info you were looking for and it helps...>> My name is and I'm new to this group. I'm 46 yrs. old and have > been diagnosed as having a possible cholesteatoma. I had a catscan > this past Tuesday Sept. the 26th and now the Dr. wants me to see > him "in his office" on Tuesday Oct. the 3rd. I think he's pretty sure > that I have a cholesteatoma

but wanted to check out how far it had > infiltrated etc.> > What I would like to know is what to expect as far as surgery(ies), > recovery following surgery and amount of hearing loss experienced > following surgery. I had also done a search and found that it is > fairly common for people to lose their sense of taste following middle > ear surgery. Has anyone experienced this?> > Any and all info. is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.> > >"Wherever you go, there you are!" Wagemanngeowags@...

Get your email and more, right on the new .com

[Guest guest]

Usually prosthesis means a fake auditory ossicle or bone. They can be make of just about anything. I had a plastic one once and one made out of cartlidge.

Edmondson

(678)622-6085

Re: Re: Hello Everyone

Thanks ,

When you say a "prosthesis" do you mean a hearing aid? It sounds like post surgical pain is a big issue for everyone. I'm taking vicodin now for pain but have only taken about 5 of the 10 he prescribed for me in the past week. It seems that as the infection went away, so did the pain. Of course that will all change after surgery.

jenvigli <jennifer.viglianogt> wrote:

Hi - obviously, everyone is different; however, I can offer up my

experiences....

I have had two operations in my left year and one in my right (just

finished that - the ear is still healing). I probably had a c-toma

for a long while in my left ear before I got fed up with my ENT and

went to another one, who immediately sent me to see an otologist at

University of Miami. At any rate, I went down there, had a C-scan,

and had my first surgery where they removed the c-toma. After 6

months, I had another surgery where he confirmed that there was no

more c-toma growth and installed a prosthetic device. It's a couple

of years later, and I just had surgery in my right ear. (By the

way, I have never had any of the "typical" symptoms of c-toma - no

ear infections, no ear discharge, no ear pain, nada!) This time, he

removed the c-toma (which was very minimal) and went ahead and

installed the prosthestic. All three surgeries were behind the ear,

where (from what I understand) they cut the ear and pull it forward

(your ear will stick out like Dumbo - but it goes back! - I was

horrified when I first noticed it!). The very first surgery was

awful - the pain was horrendous. I had been prescribed Tylenol 3 w/

Codeine and that just did not cut it. I wound up with a

prescription for Percocet (which he now prescribes to everyone). I

have never used all of my pain medication - I guess I used it for

about 5 days. This last surgery was the best of the three. I woke

from anesthesia in about 30 - 45 minutes and as soon as I was

wheeled to my room, I was up and in the bathroom. I ate (soup) and

was free to go after about 2 - 3 hours. I felt that the worse part

was the plastic-like after taste from the intubation tube and the

sore throat for about four days. As far as losing taste, I did have

a loss of taste in the right rear corner of my tongue, which lasted

a few days. It's all back to normal. I don't remember from the

first surgery about the taste, but I was in such horrible pain that

I don't think I cared about eating. Oh, and the wound on the back

of the ear is no big deal. The doctor put bandaging on it and

removed it at the week after post-op appointment. I think it was

five days that I couldn't wash my hair.

I hope this is the info you were looking for and it helps...

>

> My name is and I'm new to this group. I'm 46 yrs. old and

have

> been diagnosed as having a possible cholesteatoma. I had a

catscan

> this past Tuesday Sept. the 26th and now the Dr. wants me to see

> him "in his office" on Tuesday Oct. the 3rd. I think he's pretty

sure

> that I have a cholesteatoma but wanted to check out how far it had

> infiltrated etc.

>

> What I would like to know is what to expect as far as surgery

(ies),

> recovery following surgery and amount of hearing loss experienced

> following surgery. I had also done a search and found that it is

> fairly common for people to lose their sense of taste following

middle

> ear surgery. Has anyone experienced this?

>

> Any and all info. is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

>

>

>

"Wherever you go, there you are!"

Wagemann

geowags

Get your email and more, right on the new .com

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[Guest guest]

,

No biggie. You're not rambling. It can be a long story when it comes to

these things. I am 28 years old. I had my surgery recently May 30th. It took

about a week for me to be able to feel somewhat normal, but like I said each

experience is different and other people are up and about sooner. Growing up

I had a ton of ear infections, strep throat, tonsilitis and Mononucleosis.

My ear drum probably " burst " two or three times (blood and all that good

stuff). I constantly felt fluid in my right ear and definite hearing loss

growing up. Doctors never looked further into it. Well, as an adult I got a

severe ear infection, suicidal ear infection, haha! So, I went to the

doctor's office three times and they just kept prescribing " different "

antibiotics. Nothing, I mean nothing, was working. So, I went to the

emergency room, they put a wick in my ear which I screamed and cried when

they did it and prescribed drops. Nope. The next day I went to a different

hospital to see if they could PLEASE help me. Finally, I got IV pain meds

and IV antibiotics, by the next morning it was finally clearing up.

Supposedly no blood flow reaches near the C-toma so it is harder to clear up

the infections. So, anyway, I had follow-up appointments and he called me

his " problem " patient and said I would have to see another doctor. This

doctor noticed something funny in my ear and ordered a CT scan and found the

C-toma. So, here I am post surgery on my right ear and need my left ear

done. Yep, I was blessed with these things in both ears. But, all I do is

leave things in the Lord's hands. I can't stress and worry about the outcome

of things, it will do nothing to help me. Although I am nervous about my

next surgery I at least know now that I do NOT have to put up with pain and

I can go to the hospital and get relief. I don't know why but I feel like a

burden sometimes and won't do or say anything about some things, but I won't

do that again. HaHa! They prescribed Darvocet, wasn't even touching the

pain. He finally prescribed Percocet after I was in the hospital for two

nights on IV pain relief. Duhhhhhh, I coulda used that in the first place.

How's that for rambling!!! HaHa!!

>From: " W. " <geowags@...>

>Reply-cholesteatoma

>cholesteatoma

>Subject: RE: Hello Everyone

>Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 13:19:49 -0700 (PDT)

>

>Thanks , as I said, any and all experiences are appreciated just so I

>kind of know what to expect. How old were you when you had it done and how

>long was your recovery?

>

> My problem seems to be fairly new although I've had problems throughout

>my life in my left ear. When I was a kid I always had a problem with

>swimmer's ear and infections and I can't remember exactly when but I

>believe my eardrum perforated due to an infection when I was younger. I've

>always had ringing in my left ear and almost thought it was normal. About

>8 years ago I noticed that my hearing started to dull in my left ear and I

>told the Dr. and they tested it and said I was within normal limits but

>nowhere near as good as my right. They told me I had tinnitis which I

>thought was more of a symptom than a diagnosis but anyway, they gave me

>antibiotics and it seemed to get a little better. Eight months ago I

>started noticing it again (the hearing loss) and I told my Dr. It was

>complicated because I also have sleep apnea and my machine didn't have a

>humidifier so they thought I was getting congested in my eustachion tube on

>the left side (my sleeping side) and once I

> got a humidifier for my CPAP machine it would clear up. They gave me

>Flonase. I used that and did a re-check and he said that because my

>eustachion tube had negative pressure due to being clogged, my eardrum had

>become concave and debris was settling in there. Well he tried to vacuum

>out the debris and found a hard spot. He thought that ear drops would

>soften it up. I started taking the drops and every day my ear became more

>painful. Finally when my jaw hurt so bad I couldn't chew I called off work

>and went in to see him. He said my eardrum was inflamed and that I

>possibly had an infection. He tried the vacuum once again and found that

>the little " hard spot " didn't loosen up. So he tells me he's getting

>concerned. He sent me for another hearing test and a catscan. The hearing

>test confirmed what I already knew, my hearing had worsened. He had also

>prescribed an oral antibiotic, antibiotic ear drops and vicodin for the

>pain. I think the infection is gone

> because the pain is down quite a bit. So now Tuesday is the big day. I

>find out the catscan results.

>

> Sorry for the ramble but sometimes it helps me to get it all down on

>paper as it were, to trace how and when it all started.

>

>

>

> ph <faithfuljsj778@...> wrote:

> ,

>

>All experiences are unique to each person. I can share my experience and

>I'll apologize ahead of time. It was awful!!! I had my right ear done and

>it

>was a nightmare as far as pain goes. Yea, I can hear a little better but it

>doesn't really matter to me cause these stupid things can grow back anyway.

>I was suppose to have my eardrum cut open a month ago but we lost our

>health

>insurance. He said the fluid isn't escaping from my ear and that is what

>can

>cause the C-toma to return. I have to have my left ear done sometime soon

>as

>well. It never bothered me at all before but it is starting to ring a

>little

>and crackle. That is what my right ear did but bad. My right ear is a

>constant high-pitch ring. I pray your surgery goes well and you don't have

>a

>lot of pain. I don't know what my doctor did to me but it was awful,

>painful. Good luck.

>

>Oh yea, my tongue just had a weird feeling for a little bit. I don't know

>if

>I lost the taste or what but it was a little weird for a bit but back to

>total normal.

>

>

>

> >From: " Wagemann " <geowags@...>

> >Reply-cholesteatoma

> >cholesteatoma

> >Subject: Hello Everyone

> >Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 06:24:51 -0000

> >

> >My name is and I'm new to this group. I'm 46 yrs. old and have

> >been diagnosed as having a possible cholesteatoma. I had a catscan

> >this past Tuesday Sept. the 26th and now the Dr. wants me to see

> >him " in his office " on Tuesday Oct. the 3rd. I think he's pretty sure

> >that I have a cholesteatoma but wanted to check out how far it had

> >infiltrated etc.

> >

> >What I would like to know is what to expect as far as surgery(ies),

> >recovery following surgery and amount of hearing loss experienced

> >following surgery. I had also done a search and found that it is

> >fairly common for people to lose their sense of taste following middle

> >ear surgery. Has anyone experienced this?

> >

> >Any and all info. is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Yes, it is a prosthetic middle ear bone (or bones). I think mine

are made of titanium (I could be wrong...).

> >

> > My name is and I'm new to this group. I'm 46 yrs. old and

> have

> > been diagnosed as having a possible cholesteatoma. I had a

> catscan

> > this past Tuesday Sept. the 26th and now the Dr. wants me to see

> > him " in his office " on Tuesday Oct. the 3rd. I think he's pretty

> sure

> > that I have a cholesteatoma but wanted to check out how far it

had

> > infiltrated etc.

> >

> > What I would like to know is what to expect as far as surgery

> (ies),

> > recovery following surgery and amount of hearing loss

experienced

> > following surgery. I had also done a search and found that it is

> > fairly common for people to lose their sense of taste following

> middle

> > ear surgery. Has anyone experienced this?

> >

> > Any and all info. is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

>

>

> " Wherever you go, there you are! "

>

> Wagemann

> geowags@...

>

>

> Get your email and more, right on the new .com

>

>

_____________________________________________________________________

___

> Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and

security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from

across the web, free AOL Mail and more.

>

[Guest guest]

I'm reading everyone's experiences here. It's very helpful. I was

just curious.

Is cholesteatoma often not diagnosed when it should be? That is do

doctors often miss it?

I don't want to bore people, but here's how things proceeded before

my son got diagnosed with cholesteatoma.

In Japan, ear-nose-throat doctors are quite common. My son had an ear

infection about two years ago, we went to the family doctor and he

sent us to the ear-nose-throat doctor. The first ear-nose-throat

doctor did nothing but prescribe antibiotics. At first I wasn't

involved in this, but only my wife.

However, after about a month or two of antibiotics, I started reading

up on ear infections. I went to the doctor myself and he seemed a bit

of a snot as he got impatient when I started asking questions. So we

switched doctors. The next doctor was very kind and he got my son off

the antibiotics. He suggested that unless my son had a cold, just

monitoring the ear regularly might be okay. (The only problem was my

son's ear was impacted.)

The ear still didn't heal (it remained impacted) so we made an

appointment at a famous children's hospital close to where we live.

They did lots of ear tests (listening tests), took an x-ray, and said

we should consider a tube. However, tube placement apparently would

put us on a three month waiting list. The reason was they wanted to

put my son to sleep and use general anesthesia and keep him in the

hospital for three days.

I thought, my gosh, in America it'd be in and out of the doctor's

office in three hours. The tube would only be in for potentially only

three months, basically the *length* of the waiting period. I was

really frustrated.

The ear-nose-throat doctor my son was seeing on nearly a weekly basis

said he could do laser surgery. Poke a small hole in the ear and

relieve the pressure and drain any liquids. (Tube insertion required

a specialist.) So we tried that. The ear healed and the infection

seemed to go away. Everything was fine. Great in fact.

However, we continued to monitor his ear with monthly visits at the

ear-nose-throat doctor. After a cold the ear became impacted again

and stubbornly wouldn't return to normal. We visited the famous

children's hospital one more time and got the three month waiting

list talk about the tube placement. I talked to the ear-nose-throat

doctor and asked him what he thought about using the laser one more

time. He thought it was worth a shot.

So we went with that. This time the ear almost immediately became

impacted again. So we went back to the famous children's hospital to

make arrangements for tube placement.

At this time we also, a bit surreptitiously, made a second

appointment with another specialist as well. This was a specialists

the ear-nose-throat doctor strongly recommended.

(It's not common at all to get second opinions in Japan.)

Both of the specialists told us my son had cholesteatoma. They

noticed a tiny pearl like bubble on my son's eardrum. We had the CAT

scans done and that confirmed it.

Our regular ear-nose-throat doctor had *not* noticed the tiny pearl

like bubble. I have no idea when it first become visible.

Supposedly the cholesteatoma is not far advanced. We'll know after

surgery.

I am really curious to know when my son developed the cholesteatoma.

It might sound odd, but I am hoping it is a side effect of his last

laser surgery. It's quite possible that when the puncture from the

laser healed it didn't heal properly and created a cholesteatoma. I

hope that's it because it would mean it's very recent.

If my son has had this for two years or since he's been born, I hate

to think that all that time we *missed* it.

best,

Matt Dioguardi

[Guest guest]

This is all new to me. I had assumed that when they performed the surgery it would involve the removal of the tumor, sew you back up and send you on your way. Why would they need to remove any bones? You guys are starting to scare me a bit.shannon759@... wrote: Usually prosthesis means a fake auditory ossicle or bone. They can be make of just about anything. I had a plastic one once and one made out of cartlidge. Edmondson(678)622-6085 Re: Re: Hello Everyone Thanks , When you say a "prosthesis" do you mean a hearing aid? It sounds like post surgical pain is a big issue for everyone. I'm taking vicodin now for pain but have only taken about 5 of the 10 he prescribed for me in the past week. It seems that as the infection went away, so did the pain.

Of course that will all change after surgery. jenvigli <jennifer.viglianogt> wrote: Hi - obviously, everyone is different; however, I can offer up my experiences....I have had two operations in my left year and one in my right (just finished that - the ear is still healing). I probably had a c-toma for a long while in my left ear before I got fed up with my ENT and went to another one, who immediately sent me to see an otologist at University of Miami. At any rate, I went down there, had a C-scan, and had my first surgery where they removed the c-toma. After 6 months, I had another surgery where he confirmed that there was no more c-toma growth and installed a prosthetic device. It's a couple of years later, and I just had surgery in my right

ear. (By the way, I have never had any of the "typical" symptoms of c-toma - no ear infections, no ear discharge, no ear pain, nada!) This time, he removed the c-toma (which was very minimal) and went ahead and installed the prosthestic. All three surgeries were behind the ear, where (from what I understand) they cut the ear and pull it forward (your ear will stick out like Dumbo - but it goes back! - I was horrified when I first noticed it!). The very first surgery was awful - the pain was horrendous. I had been prescribed Tylenol 3 w/ Codeine and that just did not cut it. I wound up with a prescription for Percocet (which he now prescribes to everyone). I have never used all of my pain medication - I guess I used it for about 5 days. This last surgery was the best of the three. I woke from anesthesia in about 30 - 45 minutes and as soon as I was wheeled to my room, I was up and in the bathroom. I ate (soup) and

was free to go after about 2 - 3 hours. I felt that the worse part was the plastic-like after taste from the intubation tube and the sore throat for about four days. As far as losing taste, I did have a loss of taste in the right rear corner of my tongue, which lasted a few days. It's all back to normal. I don't remember from the first surgery about the taste, but I was in such horrible pain that I don't think I cared about eating. Oh, and the wound on the back of the ear is no big deal. The doctor put bandaging on it and removed it at the week after post-op appointment. I think it was five days that I couldn't wash my hair.I hope this is the info you were looking for and it helps...>> My name is and I'm new to this group. I'm 46 yrs. old and have > been diagnosed as

having a possible cholesteatoma. I had a catscan > this past Tuesday Sept. the 26th and now the Dr. wants me to see > him "in his office" on Tuesday Oct. the 3rd. I think he's pretty sure > that I have a cholesteatoma but wanted to check out how far it had > infiltrated etc.> > What I would like to know is what to expect as far as surgery(ies), > recovery following surgery and amount of hearing loss experienced > following surgery. I had also done a search and found that it is > fairly common for people to lose their sense of taste following middle > ear surgery. Has anyone experienced this?> > Any and all info. is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.> > >"Wherever you go, there you are!" Wagemanngeowags Get your email and more, right on the new

.com Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more. "Wherever you go, there you are!" Wagemanngeowags@...

All-new - Fire up a more powerful email and get things done faster.

[Guest guest]

Personally, I like the rambling because without a clear idea of what everyone else went through, I really have no idea what to expect. This is all new to me. Two weeks ago I didn't even know what a cholesteatoma was. I've done some research on the web but it's all medical jargon. Getting the personal point of view of people who have gone through it gives me much more info. on what I MIGHT be looking forward to. I'm hoping that what the Dr. has to tell me on Tuesday isn't that bad. I mean really this all just started accelerating 8 months ago. Am I being naive? ph <faithfuljsj778@...> wrote: ,No biggie. You're not rambling. It can be a long story when it comes to these things. I am 28 years old. I had my surgery recently

May 30th. It took about a week for me to be able to feel somewhat normal, but like I said each experience is different and other people are up and about sooner. Growing up I had a ton of ear infections, strep throat, tonsilitis and Mononucleosis. My ear drum probably "burst" two or three times (blood and all that good stuff). I constantly felt fluid in my right ear and definite hearing loss growing up. Doctors never looked further into it. Well, as an adult I got a severe ear infection, suicidal ear infection, haha! So, I went to the doctor's office three times and they just kept prescribing "different" antibiotics. Nothing, I mean nothing, was working. So, I went to the emergency room, they put a wick in my ear which I screamed and cried when they did it and prescribed drops. Nope. The next day I went to a different hospital to see if they could PLEASE help me. Finally, I got IV pain meds and IV antibiotics, by the next

morning it was finally clearing up. Supposedly no blood flow reaches near the C-toma so it is harder to clear up the infections. So, anyway, I had follow-up appointments and he called me his "problem" patient and said I would have to see another doctor. This doctor noticed something funny in my ear and ordered a CT scan and found the C-toma. So, here I am post surgery on my right ear and need my left ear done. Yep, I was blessed with these things in both ears. But, all I do is leave things in the Lord's hands. I can't stress and worry about the outcome of things, it will do nothing to help me. Although I am nervous about my next surgery I at least know now that I do NOT have to put up with pain and I can go to the hospital and get relief. I don't know why but I feel like a burden sometimes and won't do or say anything about some things, but I won't do that again. HaHa! They prescribed Darvocet, wasn't even touching the

pain. He finally prescribed Percocet after I was in the hospital for two nights on IV pain relief. Duhhhhhh, I coulda used that in the first place. How's that for rambling!!! HaHa!!>From: " W." >Reply-cholesteatoma >cholesteatoma >Subject: RE: Hello Everyone>Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 13:19:49 -0700 (PDT)>>Thanks , as I said, any and all experiences are appreciated just so I >kind of know what to expect. How old were you when you had it done and how >long was your recovery?>> My problem seems to be fairly new although I've had problems throughout >my life in my left ear. When I was a kid I always had a problem with >swimmer's ear and infections and I can't remember exactly when but I >believe my eardrum perforated due to an infection when I was younger. I've

>always had ringing in my left ear and almost thought it was normal. About >8 years ago I noticed that my hearing started to dull in my left ear and I >told the Dr. and they tested it and said I was within normal limits but >nowhere near as good as my right. They told me I had tinnitis which I >thought was more of a symptom than a diagnosis but anyway, they gave me >antibiotics and it seemed to get a little better. Eight months ago I >started noticing it again (the hearing loss) and I told my Dr. It was >complicated because I also have sleep apnea and my machine didn't have a >humidifier so they thought I was getting congested in my eustachion tube on >the left side (my sleeping side) and once I> got a humidifier for my CPAP machine it would clear up. They gave me >Flonase. I used that and did a re-check and he said that because my >eustachion tube had negative pressure due to being

clogged, my eardrum had >become concave and debris was settling in there. Well he tried to vacuum >out the debris and found a hard spot. He thought that ear drops would >soften it up. I started taking the drops and every day my ear became more >painful. Finally when my jaw hurt so bad I couldn't chew I called off work >and went in to see him. He said my eardrum was inflamed and that I >possibly had an infection. He tried the vacuum once again and found that >the little "hard spot" didn't loosen up. So he tells me he's getting >concerned. He sent me for another hearing test and a catscan. The hearing >test confirmed what I already knew, my hearing had worsened. He had also >prescribed an oral antibiotic, antibiotic ear drops and vicodin for the >pain. I think the infection is gone> because the pain is down quite a bit. So now Tuesday is the big day. I >find out the catscan

results.>> Sorry for the ramble but sometimes it helps me to get it all down on >paper as it were, to trace how and when it all started.>> >> ph wrote:> ,>>All experiences are unique to each person. I can share my experience and>I'll apologize ahead of time. It was awful!!! I had my right ear done and >it>was a nightmare as far as pain goes. Yea, I can hear a little better but it>doesn't really matter to me cause these stupid things can grow back anyway.>I was suppose to have my eardrum cut open a month ago but we lost our >health>insurance. He said the fluid isn't escaping from my ear and that is what >can>cause the C-toma to return. I have to have my left ear done sometime soon >as>well. It never bothered me at all before but it is starting to ring a >little>and

crackle. That is what my right ear did but bad. My right ear is a>constant high-pitch ring. I pray your surgery goes well and you don't have >a>lot of pain. I don't know what my doctor did to me but it was awful,>painful. Good luck.>>Oh yea, my tongue just had a weird feeling for a little bit. I don't know >if>I lost the taste or what but it was a little weird for a bit but back to>total normal.>>>> >From: " Wagemann" > >Reply-cholesteatoma > >cholesteatoma > >Subject: Hello Everyone> >Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 06:24:51 -0000> >> >My name is and I'm new to this group. I'm 46 yrs. old and have> >been diagnosed as having a possible cholesteatoma. I had a catscan> >this past Tuesday Sept. the 26th and now the Dr. wants

me to see> >him "in his office" on Tuesday Oct. the 3rd. I think he's pretty sure> >that I have a cholesteatoma but wanted to check out how far it had> >infiltrated etc.> >> >What I would like to know is what to expect as far as surgery(ies),> >recovery following surgery and amount of hearing loss experienced> >following surgery. I had also done a search and found that it is> >fairly common for people to lose their sense of taste following middle> >ear surgery. Has anyone experienced this?> >> >Any and all info. is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >