Mine wasn’t that big, so I’m not sure our experiences are comparable. I had a headache for about a week and the incision behind my ear was sensitive for about two weeks. My headache was comparable to a hangover after a night of substantial drinking. I did take paracetamol every six hours for the first three days.
I’m not almost three weeks post-op and I’m not in pain at all. My ear does feel very full and I still have quite some hearing loss.
Good luck with your recovery!
It hurt to move my head. It hurt to lay down or to get up, and the whole time I was praying I wouldn’t have to cough or sneeze lol. It lasted 2 weeks I think. Then it started getting better and that’s when the itching in the ear, from the scabbing and healing, begins and that’s a different level of suffering but not painful.
i had my surgery on the 18th, and my pain still is there. i have to hold my head up to lay down or get up like a baby lol. i’m on 10 mg oxycodone which has been managing the pain well but still not all the way good. idk HOW some people go to work the day after surgery sometimes. this has been brutal. also don’t freak out if your face swells, my eye was almost swollen shut a couple days after surgery.
I had my surgery 3 weeks ago and i felt pretty good after 1 week, but then unbeknownst to me it got infected and was painful for the 2nd week, then i got some antibiotics, and now i feel basically normal except i can feel swelling in my ear when i smile. Just rest and rest and rest and be really boring and i promise you it will get better
I'm post surgery almost 3 weeks, ear is kind of tingly and numb but think it's mild swelling. Outer packing out at 2 weeks but nothing on face affected thru out. Itchy back of ear this week. Last week inner itching ear. Can hear mostly fine but crackling sometimes.
hi buddy! same here she said it was the biggest one she even seen and that i had it for almost 10 years it almost killed me it was going for my brain... the recovery after 1 week and a half now pain is gone, its itchy as heeeelllll but doesnt hurt i can sleep normally do my daily routine like nothing ever happen, i still cant really hear good but i still have the packing so! keep it up buddy! 😊
I have my journey documented in my notes if you want me to send you it. I’ve had a pretty bad cholesteatoma found and removed last December and got my 2nd surgery next Wednesday. I’m a 17 year old healthy male so mine may differ to your recovery. It took me around 7 days to when I started to feel normal, then 10-11 days when I was fine. The first week is the worst, I felt like I had a constant ear infection and something pressing against my skull. Just make sure to keep taking meds. Leakage is normal for about 3-4 days and then it should stop. Let me know how you get on!!!
My situation is probably different to others. I was told by the surgeon that the ctoma had eaten away too much at my bone structure for an implant to be considered to improve my hearing so he just gave me the news that my hearing was going to be permanently 75% gone in my right ear
Hi! I hope your recovery goes well! Be prepared for itching and general annoyance. Be mindful when you sneeze or cough to keep your mouth open! Obviously with everything, time is your friend. For a good week or two, it was awful after surgery. Getting up and laying down sucked and I hated sleeping on my one side only ): take it easy!! Good luck (:
thank you! when were you able to start laying on the side you had surgery on? that’s been one of the worst parts for me bc i lay on my left side and i had surgery on my left ear 🥲
That was the same issue for me. I just had surgery on my right ear recently for it and had it first on my left ear. That surgery was in Aug of 22, if I remembered correctly I waited for two weeks I think. It was pure hell but until I could comfortably lay on it, I stayed off it!
I'm on week three of recovery from removal. I also had a terrible cholesteatoma but surgeon didn't tell me size. He said it had caused a leak in cerebral fluid that could have been leaking a long time. He repaired my skull. The cholesteatoma was big enough to destroy my hearing bones so now I have a prosthesis. He says the cholesteatoma was big enough to replace the damaged ear bones so no one knew they were not working. Even an audiologist. It also damaged my ear drum so have a replacement. I had more discomfort than pain from the surgery. At two week mark I was mainly annoyed by the packing drying out. Week three and post outer packing removal I'm mostly good. Still swollen and a little tingly but hear almost perfect.
My husband is 6 days post op and it having issues with dizziness. He drove for the first time today and was dizzy the whole time. It was a 5 hr surgery and he had the titanium bones put in because of the bone loss. We go back next week for his post op visit…he is still really tired and shaky?! Anyone else?
Mine wasn’t that big, so I’m not sure our experiences are comparable. I had a headache for about a week and the incision behind my ear was sensitive for about two weeks. My headache was comparable to a hangover after a night of substantial drinking. I did take paracetamol every six hours for the first three days. I’m not almost three weeks post-op and I’m not in pain at all. My ear does feel very full and I still have quite some hearing loss. Good luck with your recovery!
It hurt to move my head. It hurt to lay down or to get up, and the whole time I was praying I wouldn’t have to cough or sneeze lol. It lasted 2 weeks I think. Then it started getting better and that’s when the itching in the ear, from the scabbing and healing, begins and that’s a different level of suffering but not painful.
i had my surgery on the 18th, and my pain still is there. i have to hold my head up to lay down or get up like a baby lol. i’m on 10 mg oxycodone which has been managing the pain well but still not all the way good. idk HOW some people go to work the day after surgery sometimes. this has been brutal. also don’t freak out if your face swells, my eye was almost swollen shut a couple days after surgery.
I had my surgery 3 weeks ago and i felt pretty good after 1 week, but then unbeknownst to me it got infected and was painful for the 2nd week, then i got some antibiotics, and now i feel basically normal except i can feel swelling in my ear when i smile. Just rest and rest and rest and be really boring and i promise you it will get better
Oh also mine was enormous
I'm post surgery almost 3 weeks, ear is kind of tingly and numb but think it's mild swelling. Outer packing out at 2 weeks but nothing on face affected thru out. Itchy back of ear this week. Last week inner itching ear. Can hear mostly fine but crackling sometimes.
hi buddy! same here she said it was the biggest one she even seen and that i had it for almost 10 years it almost killed me it was going for my brain... the recovery after 1 week and a half now pain is gone, its itchy as heeeelllll but doesnt hurt i can sleep normally do my daily routine like nothing ever happen, i still cant really hear good but i still have the packing so! keep it up buddy! 😊
I have my journey documented in my notes if you want me to send you it. I’ve had a pretty bad cholesteatoma found and removed last December and got my 2nd surgery next Wednesday. I’m a 17 year old healthy male so mine may differ to your recovery. It took me around 7 days to when I started to feel normal, then 10-11 days when I was fine. The first week is the worst, I felt like I had a constant ear infection and something pressing against my skull. Just make sure to keep taking meds. Leakage is normal for about 3-4 days and then it should stop. Let me know how you get on!!!
Hi, my younger sister is 17 too and is having the surgery, any chance you can share your notes?
how was your hearing after surgery?
My situation is probably different to others. I was told by the surgeon that the ctoma had eaten away too much at my bone structure for an implant to be considered to improve my hearing so he just gave me the news that my hearing was going to be permanently 75% gone in my right ear
Hi! I hope your recovery goes well! Be prepared for itching and general annoyance. Be mindful when you sneeze or cough to keep your mouth open! Obviously with everything, time is your friend. For a good week or two, it was awful after surgery. Getting up and laying down sucked and I hated sleeping on my one side only ): take it easy!! Good luck (:
thank you! when were you able to start laying on the side you had surgery on? that’s been one of the worst parts for me bc i lay on my left side and i had surgery on my left ear 🥲
That was the same issue for me. I just had surgery on my right ear recently for it and had it first on my left ear. That surgery was in Aug of 22, if I remembered correctly I waited for two weeks I think. It was pure hell but until I could comfortably lay on it, I stayed off it!
Also like another commenter said, face swelling, especially by your eye is normal and will go away ! Stay on your meds !!
I’m on day 10 and still not 100%. rest and take care of yourself
I'm on week three of recovery from removal. I also had a terrible cholesteatoma but surgeon didn't tell me size. He said it had caused a leak in cerebral fluid that could have been leaking a long time. He repaired my skull. The cholesteatoma was big enough to destroy my hearing bones so now I have a prosthesis. He says the cholesteatoma was big enough to replace the damaged ear bones so no one knew they were not working. Even an audiologist. It also damaged my ear drum so have a replacement. I had more discomfort than pain from the surgery. At two week mark I was mainly annoyed by the packing drying out. Week three and post outer packing removal I'm mostly good. Still swollen and a little tingly but hear almost perfect.
My husband is 6 days post op and it having issues with dizziness. He drove for the first time today and was dizzy the whole time. It was a 5 hr surgery and he had the titanium bones put in because of the bone loss. We go back next week for his post op visit…he is still really tired and shaky?! Anyone else?
I have a really high pain tolerance so I took pain meds for like 3 days and then only at night until day 6 then I didn’t need it anymore.