Health scare

I have had a health scare. Just over 5 years ago I had surgery to remove a benign tumor under my ear. It appears to be back. On thursday I had severe pain under my right ear and there was a lump. I went to the doctor on Friday and he hopes it is just a nasty infection and he gave me penicillan & I hope it works. I just have the feeling it isn't an infection as it feels and looks exactly the same as last time!

Oh Ady, I know how scary this must be for you but hopefully it's not what it was before. Can you go to the same doctor you were seeing before when you had the tumor? I bet they would be able to give you better answers knowing your history. I hope things work out for the best and I'm sending positive thoughts your way!

I hope it turns out to be nothing for you. It must be scary though, especially since you've had it before. Hope it all works out.
Good luck.

Eeeks Ady, I hope its not what you think, chances are, the penicillan will work (I had a scare of a similar kind a while ago.... it turned out to be nothing but a gland a blocked hair follicle) Lots and Lots of good thoughts coming your way love, try not to worry, and keep us "in the know"!!!!!

Oh, Ady I hope it's just an infection. Would it make you feel better to get a second opinion?

I hope everything turns out ok for you. Hopefully it isn't anything really serious. Let us know what happens and what the doctor says about it.

Ady, I hope you will be ok, and it turns out to be an infection!

Hey, one of my ex-coworkers had something similar, I think. She had a lump kind of at the base of her neck (it was nasty..... it was a hard bump), and one right behind her ear lobe, like you described. I guess it hurt her pretty badly, too! She went to the doctor, and she was ok..... it was only an infection!

About a year ago my husband and I noticed a little bump on our sons temple. It was about 1/2 the size of a pea and sort of hard. We shrugged it off as a gland or something. Well it got bigger and harder, and we finally had to take him to the dermatologist about it. It turned out that they wanted to remove it "just to be sure". It was benign, it was called a pilomatrixoma ( sp?? ). Sort of like a cartilage deposit.
Anyway, my point is that most of the time ( and this is what my doc told us ), its just some misformed tissue and is nothing bad. Try not to worry, the odds are in your favor that it is just another growth that is benign. Can you get it removed? Or is the antibiotics supposed to do the trick??

Ady - I hope it turns out to be nothing more than an infection. Gosh, these things are so scary! Sending tons and tons of positive energy up to you. Please let us know what you find out.

Oh Ady! I am so sorry to hear this! But I am sending up prayers and good thoughts that it is only an infection that can be cleared up with medication and not another tumor. Please let us know as soon as you find anything out!!!!!!!! *hugs* (and try not to worry, although it is hard not too) My thoughts are with you!!!!!

Well I have an appointment at the doctor's this afternoon. The last time I had this the tumor was in my perodit (sp) gland and they said it could have gone malignant at any time. That is why I am taking no chances with this. My last surgery to remove it was major and caused some nerve damage around my face. I really hope I don't need surgery again.

Thanks for all of the well wishes! You are all angels

I'll let you know any updates tomorrow.

I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers and will try to check back here tomorrow if I can to see what you found out! *hugs*

Ady, I hope everything is ok, I'll keep you in my thoughts.

Ok - here is what he said. It is not a reoccurance of the tumor (yeah!). It was however a nasty infection in the surgical site. He thinks it was in the area where they had to remove my gland - he thinks it is in the gland end. He says this sometimes happens. I am on massive doses of penicillan. He hopes it heals quickly, because there are alot of exposed nerves in that area and the swelling may cause some additional nerve damage then what is there already. Plus, because of the raw nerves the swelling is extremely painful.

So it is not as bad as I feared and not as good as I hoped.

Thank you all for your support - it really helped me get thru the waiting!

YEY! Ady that IS good news!! I know its not as good as you were hoping for, but at least its not what you were dreading!! Here, have a drink on me!! Now just concentrate on getting that swelling down!!

Thanks Bod, but no alcohol with pennicillan - you'll have to drink it for me!

Oh What a shame!! :laughing: Hmmm., Well, you can have a Dr Pepper....

Ady! I am SO glad it was not a tumor! Hopefully it will heal fast!!!