The surgery was okay. There were some complications. When they got in there, they realized the node was dead and had plastered itself all over. No wonder I had experienced so much pain. It was plastered to my veins, artery, muscle, and nerves. They didn't feel it was worth the risk of permanent damage to remove it from areas like my artery and nerves so they left some behind. However, they said that since it is dead, it should just fall off naturally over time. The body will take care of itself.
It wasn't a hard recovery. I was tired a lot and took little pain medicine. I had to sleep sitting up which is super uncomfortable with my bad back. My family helped a lot especially with applying copious amounts of goo to my wound. This bacitracin application has to be done for 3 weeks, then we move onto massaging vitamin E oil into it. Ugh. The most difficult part of recovery? Stupid AuntFlow decided to pay me a strong visit the morning before surgery and she stuck around a lot longer then normal. Bitch. Doesn't she know what's up?
The only postoperative complication I have had is numbness and painful tingling on and under my chin up through my jaw to my ear. It's a nuisance really. Not terribly painful, but always there and it just doesn't feel right. They almost kept me overnight for neurology, but I really wanted to just get home. The doctors all said they think it was from intubation and not a result of the actual surgery. I was informed that the feeling could take weeks to go away! It has in some areas, but still there in others.
So they sent the sample off for evaluation. The first results have already come back. No lymphoma, no cancer. No we're just waiting to find out what kind of infection it was that took hold. They also want to know if the lymph node died and was then infected or if the lymph node died because it was infected.
The scar, although 3 1/2" in length, is beautiful. You barely notice it. The pleasures of having a plastic surgeon ENT. He used disposable internal stitches so it looks and healed great. I keep getting compliments on it as if I had done the work myself. The drain he put in and had to remove the next day because it wasn't working well left a small hole that closed up well as well.
Overall, I am feeling pretty good. Took two weeks to be able to build up my strength and stamina to return to work. I'm going to miss my naps!
Thanks for all your well wishes!
As for the baby making. We will be trying naturally for a few months. We didn't really want another Christmas baby so we are not going to pay for treatments on something we aren't feeling as strongly about. If it happens for us naturally during this time, then it was meant to be. If not, we will go back to the fertility doc in May. That seems like forever.
It wasn't a hard recovery. I was tired a lot and took little pain medicine. I had to sleep sitting up which is super uncomfortable with my bad back. My family helped a lot especially with applying copious amounts of goo to my wound. This bacitracin application has to be done for 3 weeks, then we move onto massaging vitamin E oil into it. Ugh. The most difficult part of recovery? Stupid AuntFlow decided to pay me a strong visit the morning before surgery and she stuck around a lot longer then normal. Bitch. Doesn't she know what's up?
The only postoperative complication I have had is numbness and painful tingling on and under my chin up through my jaw to my ear. It's a nuisance really. Not terribly painful, but always there and it just doesn't feel right. They almost kept me overnight for neurology, but I really wanted to just get home. The doctors all said they think it was from intubation and not a result of the actual surgery. I was informed that the feeling could take weeks to go away! It has in some areas, but still there in others.
So they sent the sample off for evaluation. The first results have already come back. No lymphoma, no cancer. No we're just waiting to find out what kind of infection it was that took hold. They also want to know if the lymph node died and was then infected or if the lymph node died because it was infected.
The scar, although 3 1/2" in length, is beautiful. You barely notice it. The pleasures of having a plastic surgeon ENT. He used disposable internal stitches so it looks and healed great. I keep getting compliments on it as if I had done the work myself. The drain he put in and had to remove the next day because it wasn't working well left a small hole that closed up well as well.
Overall, I am feeling pretty good. Took two weeks to be able to build up my strength and stamina to return to work. I'm going to miss my naps!
Thanks for all your well wishes!
As for the baby making. We will be trying naturally for a few months. We didn't really want another Christmas baby so we are not going to pay for treatments on something we aren't feeling as strongly about. If it happens for us naturally during this time, then it was meant to be. If not, we will go back to the fertility doc in May. That seems like forever.
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