Swollen Parotid Gland

[Guest guest]

Hello all Air Friends,

Has anyone every had a swollen Parotid Gland? If so what helped?

This is my 3rd time to have this problem by my left ear. The first

time I was still working at Newport, IN; and looked like I had the

mumps. The doctor had a CT scan done to see if I had a salvia stone,

but did not. I do not remember getting any medication for it. Last

year I had this problem, and my lung doctor recommended that I suck

on lemons. It hurt just thinking about that so I did not do it.

Instead I sucked on Sugar Free Ice Breaker Sours and chewed gum and

got over it. This week my lung doctor had let me stop taking Valcyte

(the medication to prevent the CMV virus) and is allowing me to stay

off of it until Mon. and see if it gets better just by using the

Sours. If it isn't better by Mon. he will have me have another CMV

blood test.

Those of you who do not know what CMV virus is: It is a virus which

they claim is in 85% of the world propulation, but most people don't

get sick from it except for post transplant people so they put you on

Valcyte as soon as you have the transplant. A year ago I had a sore

throat for 10 weeks after they had taken me off of Valcyte, and

finally the doctor decided to put me back on it to see if it helped.

Within 3 days my sore throat went away, and I have been taking

Valcyte every since May 3rd, 2008. It is the expensive medication

that costs $6,000 for a bottle which is a 3 months supply for 2 pills

per day. I got a refill in Dec. while I was still on Medicare

Catastrophic and only had to pay the 5% for the 3 month supply. But

if I have to continue on it the rest of my life this is not only

going to be very expensive, it also has lots of nasty side effects

like the rejection medication has.

Love and Aloha,

Judy (Ohio) IPF 11/06 TX 8/07