I've got some autoimmune problems, and because of the types of problems I have the immunologist thought that a needle core biopsy of the parotid gland in my cheek might tell us a lot.
I saw the surgeon at Mayo last Tuesday about the needle biopsy and he'd talked to the pathologist and they both agreed that they couldn't get enough parotid tissue to make a definitive diagnosis unless they did a surgical biopsy. He also thought that my gland was so large that he was concerned about cutting the facial nerve during a needle biopsy. They scheduled the biopsy for last Friday morning, so I checked in about 8:30 and they started the surgery about 90 minutes later.
The next thing I remember was waking up in recovery at about 5pm feeling like Mike Tyson had hit me upside my head, and that someone had pinned me to the bed by a tube coming out the back of my neck, that was making this odd slurping sound.
The next morning one of the surgeons came by to get that painful drain out of my neck, and I was pretty glad because it had become painful whenever it moved even the slightest amount. I asked the surgeon how long the drain was and he held his hands about 5-6 inches apart. I thought that was pretty amazing that a 5-6 inch tube could be in my neck like that so I asked him if he was ok with my wife taking video of it so that I could see it later.
The video isn't gross, but if you're the squeamish type you probably don't want to watch it.
When that tube came out it rubbed against my facial nerve and it was the most painful thing I've ever experienced in my life.
It's been 5 days since the surgery now and I'm feeling much better.
-------------- The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government"
The people are masters of both Congress and courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it!
OMG Chad, that was disturbing. I hurt just watching that come out of your neck! Wishing you a speedy recovery!
-------------- After we screw up health care reform, let's take on the initiative of unscrewing the education system (gov't education) Tacitus: (c. 56 AD-c. 117) "The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates."
Oh god, that gave me flashbacks. I had a surgical drain in my abdomen once - it had been indwelling for about 10 days so had kinda grown in. Hurt like a mofo when that thing came out!
-------------- Won't somebody please think of the children!
I asked the surgeon how they got that in there and he said when my face was opened they laid the loop in there and then put a small hole in the back of my neck and threaded the end through that, stitched it to my neck, and connected it to the pump. I had no idea the size of it but the night before I felt something move in my face and then I had a lump by my cheekbone. I wouldn't have ever believed that it was just the first bend in that hose that I was feeling. My oldest daughter had taken a picture the night before and put it on facebook and you can see the hose under the skin after you know it's there.
I can't imagine having one in for that long, I would have thought your body would get numb to the pain but that drain just hurt worse every hour that it was in, and the hole still hurts worse than any other part of the incision.
It's pretty impressive that you can barely see the part of the incision that's in front of my ear.
Attached Image
-------------- The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government"
The people are masters of both Congress and courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it!
If you pay close attention you can hear it, and see it too.
In my defense that guy has no concept of time, or size. That sure wasn't 5-6 inches long and it sure wasn't no 3 seconds of pulling.
-------------- The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government"
The people are masters of both Congress and courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it!
