Cholesteatoma "What?!"

I am on day 5 (not including operation day), and wanted to share about my cholesteatoma experience.

Pre-Op: After having a plugged feeling, and loss of hearing in my left ear for around 6 months, the week after Annelise's 3rd birthday, I was diagnosed with a cholesteatoma (CT-Scan and it can actually also be seen from the Dr. just looking in my inner ear). This is a skin growth, non cancerous tumor that has enzymes in it that cause it to destroy structures including bone that are in it's way. I was assigned a surgery date of August 25th - the soonest to fit me in the schedule, and not something at my stage to delay to avoid further damage, and just the fact that it was uncomfortable. They presumed the growth had destroyed my ear structures and they would need to be removed, and needed to remove the growth soon as it had started to attack the skull bone that leads to my brain. I would have NO hearing in this ear for 6 months, and at that time they would operate again to install "fake" ear drum and other structures I can't spell to bring my hearing to 60-70%. Pretty cool to live during this time of age and not the 1800's - even in the last 10 years the procedure has advanced.

Operation Day: Jim is feeling "sick" to the stomach but I am ready to get this long awaited surgery over with so without delay, we drive out at 8:45 and arrive at the UCD Hospital off Stockton Blvd just before 10, and are greeted by my sister in-law. She has a huge smile and is bubbling over with positive energy. My in-laws who have taken the kids the night before, arrive after dropping Rylan off at his new school (started Kindergarten Thursday prior), and little Annelise. I'm called into the Pre-Op room at 10:30. Jim gets more sick and has to leave. Later, my sister in-law and mother in-law take turns "hanging out" before I get "put under". Later I learn Jim was throwing up profusely and laying on the steps outside the ER. At the time we're not sure if the flu or nerves.

About 8 different Dr's, Nurses, and Anethesioligists visited me, and I am glad for Jennifer being there to ask questions I was too nervous to think to ask. She took complete charge and even hit it off with the group to the point I thought we were "hanging out" at Chevy's for cocktail hour or something. They were joking and having a good ole time. Just 10 minutes prior to "going under" - around 12:30 - Jim made it in to kiss my good luck. One of the Anethesiologists gave me a couple shots, and that was all I remembered until I "woke up" hours later dreaming about "my to do list" that would not get attention for some time now. The surgery was about 5 hours, and then it took awhile in recovery for me to "wake up".

I awoke to a different nurse and Jennifer leaning over me. Jennifer, again, was taking charge - and had arranged for my pain meds to be sent to a different place -a Walgreens on the way home since it was now about 8 pm, and my place in Auburn would be closed. She thought ahead, and I am very thankful! My mother in-law had left hours before to pick-up the kids from school and tend to them. Jennifer and Jim had received all the information about the surgery from the Dr.'s who had already gone into another surgery. They are very busy! They wiped the goopy stuff my my eyes, gave me a drink of water, got me dressed, and rushed me to the car where my father in-law was driving since Jim was still sick. We were on a mission to get to Walgreens before they closed. "Give me Vicodin!" The operation medicines stayed with me until the next day but I was glad to have some pain medicine ready when I needed it.

I learn the surgery went very well and they got all the growth removed, and they didn't have to mess with the facial nerves or balance area. They did put in a support devise since the skull bone had been eroded.