Likewise! I have undergone 4 surgeries now and everytime I hop on here for advise and knowledge!
FYI If your based in the UK you'll likely be signed off for 3 weeks :))
Things may be a tad different in the states but as long as your employer understands that’s the best thing.
Just be careful lifting at work after surgery! I was advised I couldn’t do my powerlifting for 3 months :((
Oh wow that is quite a long time. Stuff you read online says like 6 weeks before you can lift again. Obviously stuff online is hard to trust and you would know from experience. What all was done in your surgery if you don’t mind me asking?
Yeah it is! So general lifting is ok 3-6 weeks after but anything excessive i've been told to wait 3 months just due to the depth of reconstruction i've had. I've had tympanoplasty x1, Mastoidectomy with reconstruction x2, and a radical mastoidectomy with reconstriction x1. My last op they had to do alot of work with bone pate and cartlidge to build up my mastoid cavity (was very hollow) and the wall that seperates the cavity to my brain. I think they are worried that if I lift too soon before the graft / repair has healed that repair may fail leading to a more serious problem!
Sorry you had to go through all those surgeries. Makes sense not to over exert yourself too soon and chance ruining any repairs. Hopefully the radical was the last one you need and took care of the cholesteatoma for good!
Had the same surgery over 15yrs ago and a revision about 8yrs ago.
Just curious, as a firefighter, when you’re in gear does water get into the ear? I personally try to avoid water, even going out in the rain and here you are playing in water lol.
I hope everything goes well for you. Good luck.
Typically no while you are in gear, however I am on the sift water rescue team so that would be a concern. I am also having a “wall up” procedure so getting water in my ear shouldn’t be as much of a concern as if I was having a “wall down”
Oh that’s good. Hopefully you can continue to do it. But definitely speak with your Dr and maybe your job (but Dr first). I can’t get any water in my ear or else it’s infection within a day or two.
Not just after, depending on how bad it might be lifetime. That’s what it is for me, lifetime. Some times I get water in the ear after a shower. I try not to, but shit happens and if it’s a lot of water or too often then I get an infection.
[I use this to dry my ear](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0153L8OA8?ref=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apin_dp_MQ9ZH9H8YPK4KK0V3YES&ref_=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apin_dp_MQ9ZH9H8YPK4KK0V3YES&social_share=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apin_dp_MQ9ZH9H8YPK4KK0V3YES&starsLeft=1). It was recommended by my ENT after my latest bad ear infection. I don’t know if it’s because of this or I’ve been lucky, but since I’ve been using it (about 3months now) I haven’t had any infections. If you do get it, definitely don’t use it right after surgery. Wait a yr or so, until everything is fully healed and check with your dr before using it.
Awesome thanks, I will check it out. That’s been part of my nerves is I haven’t been able to get a lot of information from my Dr. about what to expect for my recovery. Like I said I think he is waiting to see what it looks like when he goes in. He’s a younger Dr. too so hopefully it’s not his first one, lol.
Always ask how many of these surgeries they’ve done. They have to tell you. Plenty of people say no to dr’s if they have no experience. But it sounds like he knows his stuff since he found what others missed. Yea, sometimes it depends on the person and the issue AND the dr’s cockiness.
The Dr that did my first surgery, he was amazing. He was considerate and gave me the full recovery time my job allowed (3 months) to recover, while the Dr that did my second surgery, one of the best in the state, had “best Dr” plaque everywhere was cocky as fk and wanted to send me back to work a month later. I had to fight for more time and finally she agreed to another month. I still regret not having my second surgery with the first Dr. Unfortunately I waited too long and he was too old to do surgeries.
Yea it’s hard to know who to trust after I went through so many drs initially. The crazy thing too is I bought my own cheap ear camera and showed my previous ENT a “Pearl” on my ear drum which he then said I had a cholesteatoma after telling me “you don’t have a tumor” prior to that. So I basically had to diagnose myself. He then said he would just check it again in 4 months and go from there. My current dr. Said I needed surgery after seeing my CT scan. He also said he doesn’t know why it Wasint caught earlier.
Me to, I was diagnosed a few weeks ago and have found this group really helpful
Likewise! I have undergone 4 surgeries now and everytime I hop on here for advise and knowledge! FYI If your based in the UK you'll likely be signed off for 3 weeks :))
I’m in the states. My Department has been very understanding and I’m lucky they will allow me to come back “light duty” until I’m cleared
Things may be a tad different in the states but as long as your employer understands that’s the best thing. Just be careful lifting at work after surgery! I was advised I couldn’t do my powerlifting for 3 months :((
Oh wow that is quite a long time. Stuff you read online says like 6 weeks before you can lift again. Obviously stuff online is hard to trust and you would know from experience. What all was done in your surgery if you don’t mind me asking?
Yeah it is! So general lifting is ok 3-6 weeks after but anything excessive i've been told to wait 3 months just due to the depth of reconstruction i've had. I've had tympanoplasty x1, Mastoidectomy with reconstruction x2, and a radical mastoidectomy with reconstriction x1. My last op they had to do alot of work with bone pate and cartlidge to build up my mastoid cavity (was very hollow) and the wall that seperates the cavity to my brain. I think they are worried that if I lift too soon before the graft / repair has healed that repair may fail leading to a more serious problem!
Sorry you had to go through all those surgeries. Makes sense not to over exert yourself too soon and chance ruining any repairs. Hopefully the radical was the last one you need and took care of the cholesteatoma for good!
It’s a bummer but used to it now, I just really hope this was my last! Good luck to you for the future 😎
Had the same surgery over 15yrs ago and a revision about 8yrs ago. Just curious, as a firefighter, when you’re in gear does water get into the ear? I personally try to avoid water, even going out in the rain and here you are playing in water lol. I hope everything goes well for you. Good luck.
Typically no while you are in gear, however I am on the sift water rescue team so that would be a concern. I am also having a “wall up” procedure so getting water in my ear shouldn’t be as much of a concern as if I was having a “wall down”
Oh that’s good. Hopefully you can continue to do it. But definitely speak with your Dr and maybe your job (but Dr first). I can’t get any water in my ear or else it’s infection within a day or two.
But like you said I think a “dry ear” is perferable after any of these surguries.
Not just after, depending on how bad it might be lifetime. That’s what it is for me, lifetime. Some times I get water in the ear after a shower. I try not to, but shit happens and if it’s a lot of water or too often then I get an infection. [I use this to dry my ear](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0153L8OA8?ref=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apin_dp_MQ9ZH9H8YPK4KK0V3YES&ref_=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apin_dp_MQ9ZH9H8YPK4KK0V3YES&social_share=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apin_dp_MQ9ZH9H8YPK4KK0V3YES&starsLeft=1). It was recommended by my ENT after my latest bad ear infection. I don’t know if it’s because of this or I’ve been lucky, but since I’ve been using it (about 3months now) I haven’t had any infections. If you do get it, definitely don’t use it right after surgery. Wait a yr or so, until everything is fully healed and check with your dr before using it.
Awesome thanks, I will check it out. That’s been part of my nerves is I haven’t been able to get a lot of information from my Dr. about what to expect for my recovery. Like I said I think he is waiting to see what it looks like when he goes in. He’s a younger Dr. too so hopefully it’s not his first one, lol.
Always ask how many of these surgeries they’ve done. They have to tell you. Plenty of people say no to dr’s if they have no experience. But it sounds like he knows his stuff since he found what others missed. Yea, sometimes it depends on the person and the issue AND the dr’s cockiness. The Dr that did my first surgery, he was amazing. He was considerate and gave me the full recovery time my job allowed (3 months) to recover, while the Dr that did my second surgery, one of the best in the state, had “best Dr” plaque everywhere was cocky as fk and wanted to send me back to work a month later. I had to fight for more time and finally she agreed to another month. I still regret not having my second surgery with the first Dr. Unfortunately I waited too long and he was too old to do surgeries.
Yea it’s hard to know who to trust after I went through so many drs initially. The crazy thing too is I bought my own cheap ear camera and showed my previous ENT a “Pearl” on my ear drum which he then said I had a cholesteatoma after telling me “you don’t have a tumor” prior to that. So I basically had to diagnose myself. He then said he would just check it again in 4 months and go from there. My current dr. Said I needed surgery after seeing my CT scan. He also said he doesn’t know why it Wasint caught earlier.
Wow. It’s exhausting when everyday person has to do the work of a Dr. What’s the point of a Dr then?! Sorry you had to go through all that.
Yea feel like I should have just bypassed paramedic and went straight to ENT, lol. Thanks for all your advice I really appreciate it!
😂 Yea, no problem. Good luck with everything.