Glomus Tumor

What the heck, another ear infection????  But my lovely doctor says to me, "this dosen't make sense Marilyn, you keep getting these, no cold or sinus infection, and no fever. I give up and am sending you to an ENT."

So, I make an appointment, two months away. Again my ear is killing me, no fever, no cold, no sinus infection.Second round of antibiotics and all I am getting is another damn yeast infection! Finally, my appointment arrives, it's April. I go in tell the ENT doc the whole story, as well as him having my report from Dr. D. "Hmm," he says, "let's do a hearing test"... ok, left ear 20% hearing gone right, great. Ok, so what is the pain from and I forgot to mention the ringing in my ear and hearing my heartbeat when I lay down at night..???????? Then he tells me I want to send you for a CAT scan and MRI. Oh fun!!!

Well I have my youngest son, Greg go with me. I go in get undressed, put the lovely fashionable gown on and here I go. I have never had the privilege of this monster machine before. Now I have a record of panic history... great again, huh. So, I lay down on the table and I can see that the other end is open. Ok Marilyn, I say to myself you can get out of here. Just bend you arms and shoot out of here. Ha, nice try I panicked! Well. they said you can get someone to come with you next time. Wait! Greg is here! So, they go get him, he comes back takes off all of the metal puts his armor on and this sweet son of mine rubs my knee and reassures me that I am ok and that he is here with me and not leaving me... did I tell you that Greg is a saint yet???

So, few days go by, ring on my cell, Friday night, it's the doctor. Marilyn we got the results back and the radiologist found evidence of a glomus tumor. A what??? HE gave me the run down... I didn't hear a thing and said can you please tell all of this to Al. He talks to Al and I go, well I won't tell you what I said. Now I have to check with my insurance because I am going into Chicago and have this done. They don't fix glomus tumors in the country...

I get the low down with my insurance and a little birdie told me when I signed up for insurance to get the top PPO. Thank you little birdie... I make an appointment with Dr. P. He runs these test on me and I have a tube put down my nostrils... lovely you can see all of my boogers. He concurs with the test results and sends me to his partner... Dr. W (the best I have to say). He is an Otolaryngologist, I can't even say it! He tells me that my tumor is 1x4 inches and the best thing to do is to take it out. Ok awesome I say. I already have this lovely scar on my neck from having a thyroidorectomy when I was twelve, Now a cut from behind the ear to the neck. Guess what? I am more concerned about him shaving my head! Well he reassured me that he would be kind and he would only shave underneath. He told me all of the things that might happen. I heard him but there was something about him that said God has his hands Marilyn and you are going to be fine. I was totally relaxed.
I scheduled the surgery for the day after Memorial Day. First I was to see a Neurosurgeon that would do the embolization through the groin (still have never found a mark on me). Then they rest my body for a day and the procedure will take place June 2. ICU for a couple of days and then a room for five to seven. Ok fine. Still no panic setting in.
May 14, 2011, Chris my oldest turns 30. We go into the city have a lovely dinner and then hang out with his friends at a local pub. Probably one of the most amazing times of my life to see him introducing and reintroducing me to his friends. I never thought this day would come. Just wait, your kids will grow out of that stage where they want nothing to do with you unless your wallet is open. LOL
Then the big day comes. Greg and Rose (his awesome girlfriend, that is also my dear friend), come with us. We drive into the city, during rush hour (Chicago traffic). We get to Rush (awesome hospital), I am taken in almost right away. They bring Al with me. Chris meets us at the hospital Stef had started a summer internship on the same day in Oklahoma but she was there through text messages to Rose the whole time. Ok so here we go. They bring the kids back tell them to say goodbye and Al and I move onto the next phase.

THE IV EXPERIENCE!!! I go back and get on my lovely bed of a stretcher. (by the way, Rush is a teaching hospital) The doctor in training tells me that she is going to stick me. Ok miss, again miss, again miss I can keep going but it was fourteen times. Al was getting so mad. He is a nurse and usually gets it on the first stick. But my lovely little veins like to roll!!! Finally it is in me. The drugs are relaxing me and I am getting slap happy! Around the corner comes the neurologist, DR. L, heck he puts Dr. Mc Dreamy to shame, This guy is so, so, so good looking, And guess what??? I tell him so!!! He laughs and says that he will take good care of me to Al and then starts to wheel me away. Al kisses me and tells me that he loves me and what is my smart alec response??? "Bye honey, I am going to have surgery with this good looking Doctor!!!" That is all that I remember... and then I heard that they all went and had a pizza for lunch. LOL

Later that night, I remember waking up I guess in the recovery room. They ask me time and time again: what is your name, your birthday, where are you?, what day is it. Well after a few times I remember saying to them, "I am not sure of the day, but it sure as hell isn't payday!"

Back in the neuro speciality room, I wake and Rose is there. They bring me a dinner of fish, mashed potatoes and carrots. I tell Rose to get that stuff out of here. She later tells me that I was sticking my tongue out at the nurse every time he came in. HMM, spent the rest of my night with dry heaves. Fun! Guess that's what I get for turning down their yummy dinner!

Day 3 of the hospital...It's time. They come and get me earlier cause they have an OR free. I hear Al's voice but really don't remember anything...did I already say that I like those drugs that they put into my IV??? I am so grateful that I remember nothing.

Ten hours later I wake up, the first thing I see is Greg smiling at me, then my Al. They only allow two at a time in the ICU. Wait a minute here I think to myself, why are my arms and legs being strapped down. I was kicking and trying to pull the tube out tube out of my throat. The nurse said that they would unstrap me if I would stop kicking and pulling. I gave them the thumbs up and then when she turned her back I gave Greg and Al the sign for get this thing out of me...I remember nothing else...Thank you God for the good drugs in my IV again.

Next day, I wake to see that it is 4:00. I think to myself is that AM or PM??? Oh well back to sleep after I saw my poor exhausted Al by my side, he never left it. A little while later I am moving, (in my stretcher that is). I am so much more awake. Wait a second here...what the heck? I have a bandage on the side of my head, I have a patch, a clear patch, over my eye. Oh that's right I think, I had surgery. I ask Al for the mirror after I am settled in my room. Just the boys and Al now. I remember them saying are you sure Mom?
I say yeah let me see. I look, oh geez did I have a stroke? My eye and face are DROOPING, MY EYE WILL NOT SHUT AND WHAT MY VOICE IS G*O*N*E!!! OK I can speak but why is everyone asking me to repeat it and getting close to me to hear???I am MOUTH OF THE SOUTH!!! I talk LOUD!!! I still sound the same to me. But, my throat says no, it just ain't what it use to be.

Dr. W told me this is a side effect and that it would all come back, maybe not as loud as it once was but it would get stronger with time. Nurse comes in... on a scale of one to ten where is your pain? What pain I asked? She says you have no pain? Nope never did really.

I get to have liquids. Yummy, after each child was born I asked for fruit punch. For some silly reason I remembered that. Do you have fruit punch? Yes she said (I had enough of ice chips for a whole lifetime and I hate chewing on ice). Oh that punch was so cold and felt so good going down! Just like I remembered it after I had my babies! But I didn't notice the taste...

The doctors came in later that day. They wanted me up and walking. FUN, FUN!!! I look like a misplaced zombie from Halloween!!! Ok so the boys help me up. I waddle into the bathroom and I say help me back to bed please!!! I did make it a few minutes later with no problems. Then the boys decide that I have to move to get out of the hospital. So, they help me get up. They say mom take our arms and we will practice for the wedding. I was so proud of walking with my boys down the corridor. Then they say look at the atrium Mom, I didn't know that I was on the seventh floor and I could look down. Now I am not afraid of heights but for some strange reason I felt like I was looking down the Sears Tower and the room was spinning. UGH! No I didn't pass out. They got me back to the room just fine.

Later that day, I asked for a coke. Not diet like I usually drink, Just a good old coke. They only had Pepsi. NO, It has to be coke! Then Chris snuck out of the room and brought me one back. The coldest, most unbelievable coke that I have ever had. They asked the nurse and she said sure that I could have it. Chris popped it open for me and poured it. I took a very tiny sip. Heaven. but I can't taste it????

I left the hospital on Monday to go home. Al and Chris had to go back to work. Greg stayed the night with me. He was cute, every time I moved he would ask if I was ok. Poor thing I don't think he slept the whole night.

Greg drove me to home sweet home.

My recovery story will be next...