Trying again?

[Guest guest]

I had posted my first post last week - and I didn't get any replies. I have really appreciated reading all of the posts though and it has really helped me understand my situation as an adult with cholesteatoma - as I dealt with most of this when I was a child.

As I stated in my post last week, I have had 11 surgeries on my left ear. I went to the ENT (who specializes in ears/otology/neurotology) last Monday after a six year break --- and he immediately noticed that I had cholesteatoma regrowth. He sent me for an immediate CT scan of my left temporal bones - because he stated that the new cholesteatoma was growing really close to my balance canals and that he wasn't comfortable messing with it until he saw the CT.

I got a letter from him later on in the week that I needed to put mineral or baby oil in my ear every night for the next several days and that he would see me back in his office on the 20th - his hope being that he would be able to remove the cholesteatoma at that time (it had not grown into the balance canals - per the CT) - and that if he could remove the cholesteatoma in the office, obviously, I would not have to have surgery.

Since I have dealt with this cholesteatoma issue since I was two - and I am now 33 - I have a lot of questions because I don't really have a lot of understanding about everything that was done while I was a child - and my lack of understanding of everything led me to neglect this problem - which I now greatly regret doing. I believe that my childhood doctor is now retired, but I am going to try to call today to obtain medical records.

I have some questions that I'm hoping some of you with experience can help with:

Does anybody have experience with dealing with cholesteatoma as a child and as an adult - if so, have you experienced adult cholesteatoma regrowth also?

Does anybody with a radical mastectomy (is that the same as a canal wall down?) - have experience with cholesteatoma removal in the office - if so, what should I expect?

My ear is draining really gross, very disgusting/stinky drainage - am I to assume that the dr. is going to deal with this obvious infection after the cholesteatoma is removed?

I know that I have a ceramic ear bone in my left ear (it was placed along with a skin graft) - does anybody else here have a ceramic ear bone? How long have you had it? How successful has yours been?

I " think " those are all of my questions - again, I really appreciate this group - being in a group of people that understand this issue is wonderful!! Thanks!-- })i({ Melinda Kaye Spille })i({

Very Proud Wife of Captain " Big Al " Super Blessed Mommy of Trinity, Emelia & TreyRomans 8:28, Ephesians 3:20(\__/) (='.'=) ( " )_( " )