So, when Margaret ripped off my steri-strips, I thought I was going to crawl up the wall. Then, that was it. That's the only reason I drove up there. She can't look inside my ear to check on things because of the packing.
I asked for explanation of what Dr. McElveen really did, because I hadn't known before now. Harold just told me "he fixed it". That's all I had to go by until yesterday.
Turns out, that I did have a cholesteatoma behind my eardrum. Hence the reason he had to cut me open behind my ear. This cyst was very small and they feel certain that all of it was removed and shouldn't come back. Margaret said it was caused by my eardrum laying on top of something else. My eardrum was sucked inwards due to the hole and my eustachian tube doesn't work properly...never has for that matter.
Here's some interesting information provided to me:
- A cholesteatoma is a benign growth of skin in an abnormal location such as the middle ear or petrous apex.
- It can form from an improperly functioning eustachian tube.
The eustachian tube is a canal which connects the middle ear to the back of the nose. It is responsible for equilibrating middle ear pressure to the pressure in the external environment. This tube is normally collapsed in its resting state and when we swallow or yawn, the muscles around the tube contract and cause the tube to open allowing the influx of air into the middle ear space. When this tube does not work appropriately, a relative negative middle ear pressure is generated and maintained. Over time the intact eardrum begins to retract back toward the inner ear. Eventually a skin-lined sac forms which continues to grow and cause infection and bony destruction.
Because I have a 'stapes' prosthetic, he had to go in behind my ear to be sure that it was still working properly. And thank goodness it was! Dr. McElveen removed alot of calcification within my ear and then put some cartilage under my eardrum to support it and prevent it from falling inward again.
All in all, I am pleased with my surgery. Besides a few bumps in the last week, it has been a good experience. Now, once that packing is out of my ear and I can actually hear normal, I'll go back to Raleigh for another hearing test. Hopefully, it has improved too!
I recommend Dr. McElveen to anyone with ear troubles...he is also Duke affiliated.
P.S. - Hunter made an A+ on his castle! Yippee!! We rock! They studied all about the Knights and Midevil Times and they did a reinactment of a play (that I missed because I was in Raleigh) yesterday. Hunter's "Knight" name was Sir Query (teacher said because he asked so many questions!) Wonder where he gets that? hmmm...
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