ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: mimoore on October 06, 2008, 08:57:06 am
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I was washing my hair yesterday and felt a funny bump (I had retrosigmond surgery). All around the bump it is slightly indented. I am positive it is some type of screw that is up and all of the rest is indented.
I started thinking well should I worry? I keep feeling it now. Was it always this way and now more swelling has gone down so I can feel it? Then I thought well who should I see- I would not go to my local hospital. Would they do a CT? I don't want that (more radiation). When do I panic? It is next to impossible to see my surgeon, I guess I could call...
Michelle :o
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Hey Michelle...
I feel a little bumpy too behind my ear... although not new, i have had/felt this since surgery. I thought maybe a screw too. I got my family doctor to check out my incision after taking out the staples (at 2 weeks post op) and then again when i went back (i forget why...) a few weeks later. She said all looked good. I mentioned that my head was bumpy/lumpy. She said part of recovery (maybe bone growth?) and all was fine/normal. Anyway, no insights here, just mentioning that i too have bumps but am not concerned. I would guess that they would have used 4 screws to put on mesh, but i only feel 2 bumps (and they are close together). The area was pretty sore about a month+ post surgery (oh yeah...that's why i went to my family doc). She said no worries, all part of bone healing. ANYWAY... i'll leave it at that.
How is your implant quest going? I am going to see if the eye surgeon that i am to see in January (about double vision, which seems to be correctly, slowly, over the past few weeks) does implants. If not, i might see how yours goes! ;)
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I have had the 3 surgeries on the rt and was concerned over one bump that I didn't think was there in the past but got assured that is was fine, just from one of the incisions. I was sure it was a screw but they said it wasn't. I have a huge indentation just above the ear and really feels weird. I have mentioned it more than once to my surgeon and he says it is ok too. They do kind of change as the head heals.
Cheryl R
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Michelle -
Don't panic. Give your doctor a call and tell him about it. I'm sure it's normal, but you'll feel better hearing it from him. I'm sure you're not the first person who called him to say they had a screw loose! :D
As the swelling goes down and thing start to settle, you'll be able to feel and see weird things you couldn't before. I wouldn't go to the local ER if you're not having any problems because they will turn you into a guinea pig and do every test on you just because it's not often they get people with screws in their head coming through their doors.
Lori
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Thanks Gang! As I said in a post to Vonda - I would always ask you guys before any doctor. You have much more experience. Oh I would be afraid Lori to go to emerg - "What you have a screw loose?" Call the men in white jackets - hurry we have a crazy lady here. Droopy face and all. HAHAHAHA
I'll keep you posted on the screw story.
Michelle
Not rattling just yet. Brain still intact.
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My doctor has always told me that if I have any issues, to please call him first before going to the ER. All you have to do is walk in there an tell them you had brain surgery and you have metal things in your head, blah, blah, blah, and they will immediately go into high gear and do a bunch of stuff that doesn't need to be done. On the bright side though, you won't have to spend long in the waiting room! :D
I had an infection of my BAHA site a few months back, just as I was getting ready to go out of town (of course..). My doctor had me come into his office on my way to the airport (at 6am!) so he could make sure it was ok because he was afraid of what might happen if I needed to go to an ER while out of town. He said he could just see me walking in and saying "this area of my head hurts". They'd take one look and say, "well, here's the problem - you have a metal snap on your head! Let's just take that out." :o
Lori
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Michelle,
I had translab just over two months ago and have some pretty strange feelings things behind my ear. I have assumed it is the mesh and screws too -- my daughters kid me and call me the bionic woman! I'm not concerned but do plan to mention it to my doc next month if it still feels the same. Sorry I can't be much help. I have been sending him periodic updates at his request -- if I decide to ask about this, which I very well might do, I'll let you kne what he says.
Hang in there,
Wendy
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I wasn't even aware of the fact that they put screws or staples in there???Do i have them??
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Well, hold a refrigerator magnet really close to your head - if it sticks - you have screws in there. :D
Just kidding. Not everyone has them. The only one I have is my BAHA implant - I didn't have any screws from my translab. It seems to depend on the surgeon.
By the way, refrigerator magnets don't stick to my BAHA screw either. Too bad, I was hoping to have a handy place to put my shopping list.
Lori
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wowt!You had me going for a minute. ;D
They told me how they would go in & pull back facial nerves cut skull fill w/ fat all that but nothing about staples or sscrews.I acually called & requested a copy of my med records today
all they ever gave me was a 5 page after care sheet & a brief explantion of the reason i was treated & what the surgery was for.i like to see it written down rather then them just tell me whats up when i go there.
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OK~I have thought of this so many times - does anyone remember the old ER episode where the interns/residents (or someone) were trying to break into the MRI machine b/c the one that had done the MRI for everyone else to see was convinced that their protons and electrons were out of line?? Anyone?? Dave & I laugh about this ALL the time -that I'm out of whack! (No comments about how this does not surprise anyone!! LOL!!) Street lights ALWAYS go off when I drive by them... :o
K ;D
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Ok, so how long did you actually hold that magnet near your head waiting for it to stick? :D
Kay, I've never seen that ER episode, but it sounds hilarious! I'll have to ask James about that one. He is a nuclear engineer, so I have frequently asked him if his protons are functioning normally. He always tells me, yes..he's positive they are. Get it? Did I mention I married a geek?
Anyway, Cin605, looks like you and I are what they call "fat heads" - unlike Michelle who apparently is a "metal head".
Lori
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I had retrosigmoid, and I have screws, titanium mesh, and a titanium plate in my head - and that's just from my AN surgery.
I also have a titanium abutment, compliments of my BAHA surgery.
My AN site is kind of lumpy in spots, most likely just scar tissue, but there was originally some concern about a screw from my AN surgery possibly "popping through" the site where my BAHA abutment is.
My doc told me if the screw does ever pop through my skin, he'll just remove it with a screwdriver :P Sounds like fun ::)
Jan
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Oh, Jan, don't be silly! Save yourself a co-pay. We have plenty of screwdrivers here. I'd be happy to tighten any loose screws.
Lori
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Lori -
as always you are just TOO thoughtful - and I never cease to be amazed that you always have my best interests in mind.
I'm not sure if I should let you get near my head with a sharp object though :o :o :o LOL
Jan
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Oh thats all I needed was a screw driver. :o
"Honey can you check if it is a robinson or a phillips screw?, the girls said we can screw it in ourselves" Ha ha if it was only so easy.
Didn't someone take out their own internal eyelid weight - still makes me shiver.
Michelle ;D
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Lori and Jan, and usual I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt!
Lori, I can picture you standing on a stepladder(since you are short and Jan is tall but I guess you get that) to tighten Jan's screw and Jan running away!
You are just so considerate and always ready to lend a helping hand. ;D
Jan - RUN! ;D
K - I don't remember that episode of ER but it does sound really funny! Do the street lights really go off or are you pulling our legs? :o I thought once my titanuim mesh and screws were setting off the alarm in a store in the mall since I didn't have a package when I lwalked out. I walked back in and out and nothing happened. My guess is someone must have passed the exit with something that had a security tag on it at the same time that I walked out and come too close the exit. Thank goodness it wasn't me -- can you imagine having to explain that to Security? Sorry but I have titanium mesh in my head. They'd probably want to see my incision or search me!
Michelle - Pretty funny, but if you literally have a screw loose I'd let the doc fix it.
Wendy
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Wendy~
Lights do go off ALL the time when I drive by them, but HOPEFULLY, they just do that a lot...maybe others can try to start noticing too. Who knows? It might just be me!! ???
K ;D
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Are you sure he didn't say" HAVE a Screwdriver"???? ;D
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Well, yes, ideally you should HAVE a screwdriver... or three.. before I come after you with a real screwdriver to tighten up your loose screw. ;)
Wendy, my BAHA sets off the alarm at Best Buy. That's the only place though. I just tell them it's my hearing aid and when they see how grateful I am to just be leaving in the first place, they don't bother too much. Now I just drop my husband and my son off there while I go to a store I like. Those two could spend the entire day in that place!
And Kay... I think it's just you! :D
Lori
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This is pretty funny, wonder how long it will take before it gets booted to AN community? I had retrosigmoid, no fat and no titanium or screws. I think I remember them saying they did a cranioplasty which is something like drywall compound. Seems to have worked....and at least I don't have to worry about anyone coming after me with a screwdriver!
M
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No, but you may need to be spackled at some point! ;D
Lori
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Marci,
I had translab but also had a cranioplasty too. My doctor used titanium mesh and straps and screws and didn't replace the bone plate since he feels it doesn't provide adequate pressure. Some docs don't use anything at the surgical sitel, just close it. He also said that with retrosigmoid most doctorrs put the bone plate back and secure it with titanium strips and screws. I know since Jan has both the bone plate and mesh (I thnk it was Jan anyway) some doctors use both. I guess it's a matter of preference and where they were trained.
Wendy
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I know since Jan has both the bone plate and mesh (I thnk it was Jan anyway) some doctors use both. I guess it's a matter of preference and where they were trained.
Guilty as charged. I personally think it's a matter of preference - does the doc like to spackle or is he a screwdriver kind of guy.
BTW, Lori, I'm drinking those screwdrivers even as we speak - so get your ladder :D
Seriously, and back to topic, before Phyl moves us (sometimes I think she just moves every thread Lori and I participate in ;) ) as Wendy suggested, if you do have an "issue" with a screw, please consult a medical professional - and no, although Lori is one, in this case she doesn't count.
Jan
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Tooo funny! ;D
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This is pretty funny, wonder how long it will take before it gets booted to AN community?
Seriously, and back to topic, before Phyl moves us (sometimes I think she just moves every thread Lori and I participate in ;) )
Let me take this opportunity to clarify. :)
In the moderators' discussion on the subject of hijacking, we recognized that sometimes a topic comes along that is both serious and funny. A loose screw is a perfect example of a topic that is both real to many AN patients, yet rich with potential humor. Humor is good, we all know how important it is in the AN journey; it is straying off into other subjects that becomes a problem.
The goal is simply to keep the boards with a specific subject matter on topic, while the AN Community board serves as a grab bag for all the off topic discussions. It is pretty easy to make the call for posts under Headaches, Facial Issues, Hearing Issues, etc. The AN Issues board is broader in scope, so it is not always easy to decide what constitutes being on topic, and that probably applies to Post Treatment as well, since the rest of our lives is post treatment.
Yes, we did note that the "Jan and Lori show" is sometimes an indicator that a thread is straying off topic and may have to be moved, but we appreciate your contributions to the forum too much to make it an automatic thing.
I hope all of you have your heads screwed on snuggly today. ;)
Steve
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Ah, that explains why my ear was ringing... you guys were talking about us!!
Oh, wait, my ear was ringing long before that....
Well, like I've said before, it's all Jan's fault. And I did not drop my halo for Phyl to trip over this time!
Lori
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Thanks Steve... will leave it at that....
... and hoping all screws are tightly in place and all are feeling well.....
:)
Phyl
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I have screws & plates too!I just got my records the said due to the drilling there was screws &plates to repair 5cm defect.
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oh yeh...I'm going to pick up orange juice just in case...i need that screwdriver..
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I'm jealous that I don't have titanium. I have no "bling". :D Marci
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I bet you can still use that screwdriver~
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Amen
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Psst, Lori.
I think we have competition. Did you just see the Cin & Marci show? ;D LOL
Steve -
thanks for the explanation. I kind of realized what you said, before you said it, but it's nice to have clarification.
Despite Lori always blaming everything on me :( we both like to provide a little levity on the forum - although we've both proven we can be helpful and serious, too.
Thanks for not "booting" us ;D
So, back to the topic at hand . . .
Michelle -
what ever became of the issue with your screw? Did you contact your doc? What did he say? I'm relatively sure it had nothing to do with orange juice ;)
Jan
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Cheri -
are you a fat head, too?
Jan
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Is that what you get after the screwdriver & getting plaistered?? ;D
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It's what you get when they use belly fat to seal the deal. Or was that a rhetorical question? ;)
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Hi Guys,
Okay back on topic. Yikes guys don't get the new girl in trouble here. hehehehehe ;D ;D
The swelling in the area of question is subsiding and thus I could feel hardware I knew was there but up until now could not feel anything. Anyway I spoke with my surgeon and he said there are four "dog bone shaped straps" with screws to hold the bone flap in place and it will feel different of course. Here is a peek at the straps online.
All is well and no screwdriver needed. Maybe a wee bit of wine will help. hehe
Michelle :o
http://www.stryker.com/en-us/products/Craniomaxillofacial/Biomaterials/Inion/index.htm
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Thank You.I had wondered what they looked like.As for getting me in trouble..yeh listen to her & don't get me in troulble!! ;D
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:P oh yeh i forgot i can stick out my tongue now..
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Sure, paint me as the troublemaker! If you can stick your tongue out I would say that is a fabulous improvement. Be careful while driving though; people may take it the wrong way! :o
Sorry, back to topic. Michelle, glad your screw isn't really loose after all.
Marci
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Good news, Michelle. Glad all is well.
Thanks for the link, also. VERY interesting 8)
Jan
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Michelle,
Very glad to hear you do't have a screw loose. ;D As Jan said, thanks for the link too. I found it very interesting as well. I can feel there the titanium mesh is since it feels so different from the rest of my head but nothing else except for a couple of ingrown hairs. I'm seeing my doc in about three weeks and now I'm really curous about which plates he used. I'll have to ask.
Bet wishes,
Wendy
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St. Vincent's sent me a bill for $3000 for miscellaneous surgical supplies they said weren't covered by my insurance. Turned out to be the hardware holding my skull together! Seemed kind of silly -- insurance covering the surgery but not the screws to put me back together. Nobody could answer my question on that...
In the end, it had been submitted wrong. One of many "ooops" we've had with the billing issues. Fortunately, no "oops" from the surgeons. ;)
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Timothy,
Glad you didn't get stuck with a $3,000 bill -- that's some oops! Now that my duaghters know about the titanium mesh and that I'm getting a hearing implant they tell their friends their mom is the bionic woman. Kids!! ;D
Wendy
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Timothy,
Maybe you should have stopped at the hardware store on your way to the hospital and picked up a few supplies - miscellaneous bolts, some chicken wire, spackle. You could have saved your insurance company a bundle! ;D
Lori
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;D
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Wendy -
from one bionic woman to another, can't wait to have you join our "group".
Jan
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Hi Jan,
It's like being a kid who's wating for Christmas to come again! ;D The big differences are that Dr. Choe will be bringing my present and of course. the insurance company and I will be paying for it! That said, I keep picturing him dressed in a Santa suit in the OR -- pretty funny! :D :D :D (as you can see I got my computer to let me use the smileys!!)
Wendy
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When I'm at the hairdressers, I give fair warning about the dreaded "screws" in me head and BOY, do I get treated good! No one wants to hurt the poor lil ole lady who had the friggin brain tumor! When I get one of my brainwrecks, those things just throb. I think mine are surrounded by scar tissue and that irritates the nerves in my head. I may have to get out Dr Loves belt sander someday!
Capt Deb(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/emoticon___pirate_by_anya1916.gif)
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Belt sander ??? :o
Sounds like you could help Lori and me out at our garage surgery business ;)
Jan
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*groans*
*ahem folks......*
:)
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Michelle,
Now that most of the swelling from surgery is gone I can feel what I think is the titanium mesh and screws -- it does feel really hard and kind of weird! Now in addition to being a fat head I'm hard headed too! ;D
Wendy
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Wendy I think that is exactly what happened.. the swelling went down and I discovered the screws. It is where behind my ear where the arm of my sunglasses so I think my sunglasses may have slightly pushed in the strap which makes it easier to feel the screw. Strange but true.
Michelle ;D
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Phyl,
Screws and belt sanders... that's still the same topic! ;)
Lori
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Phyl,
Screws and belt sanders... that's still the same topic! ;)
Lori
I concur ;)
Jan
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Michelle,
I sent an e-mail to my doc and asked him if he thought it could be the titanium mesh. He seemed a little surprised -- I'm not sure if that is because I said I could feel it or because I told him it felt a little lumpy at the bottom. I'm seeing him on November 5 and will ask him more about it then. I'm not concerned, just surprised at how obvious it is to me. I made my husband feel my head to -- I think he was a little creeped out even though he knew about the mesh before. My kids think it's cool and love telling their friends all the gorey details they know, especially my 12 year old. She would still like to see my surgery on Gray's Anatomy. She cracks me up! :D
Wendy
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Wendy -
IMO, and as you know I'm not a doctor, it's probably just thick skin (scar tissue?) you are feeling.
I have titanium mesh in my head, but I'm fairly certain it's well under my skin, and in my case I believe it's covered by the "patch" of skull that my neurosurgeon removed and them replaced before my head was stitched back up.
My AN scar is lumpy in places, but I think it's just the way my skin healed.
I'm interested in what Lori thinks about this; since as a nurse she's much more knowledgeable about medical stuff than I am.
Jan
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Well, if you really want to know what I think - I think Jan has a lumpy head. ;D
Sorry, since I have no mesh, screws or spackle in my head, I don't really know too much about the whole thing. The neuro patients I took care of when I worked as a nurse were pretty well put back together by the time they got to me - or they were in such bad shape that we didn't worry too much about their lumpy heads.
It could very well be a thickened area of scar though. I know I had a raised area, like a ridge, I guess for a while after my surgery, but eventually it flattened out pretty nicely. Now my 7-12 scar feels that way, but I know it's better than it was, so I'm sure in time it will calm down.
It's probably not a big deal and they probably won't do anything about it, but I think I'd probably want to ask the doctor what he thinks just for my own knowledge. I think it would be hard to actually feel the mesh through the skin though - we're not talking re-bar that they use before they pave your driveway - it's a very lightweight, fine mesh they use.
But let us know what the doc says. I'd be interested to hear what is making you lumpy!
Lori
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Thanks for the medical opinion.
While my AN scar has flatten out a lot, I used to have a raised area like a ridge also.
Jan - with the lumpy head ;)
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Oh yeah, my medical opinion and a dollar will probably get you a really lousy cup of coffee! ::)
Lori
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Think I'll pass on the coffee :P