Long Time, No Problems

Annie has been extremely blessed with good health and no surgeries or hospitalizations ever since her spinal fusion and infection over all of 2014.  But her streak has come to an end. Several weeks ago we noticed that Annie had developed a mass in her lower cheek along her jawline.  We suspected it was in her parotid gland, since she has had several salivary gland issues and surgeries in the past.

I took Annie to her ENT a couple weeks ago and he suspected that the mass might just be a swollen gland in response to a different lump she has had in her upper ear lobe for several months, so he put her on antibiotics to see how the mass would respond. 

Annie also had an ultrasound of the mass, which showed that it actually wasn't in the parotid gland, which is a huge relief.  If it had been in the parotid gland, major surgery would have been required with dangerous risks to her facial nerve.

The mass did get smaller by about 50% after the antibiotics, but after following up with the ENT this week, we learned that it is a cyst that will require surgical removal.  The ENT will also remove the cyst in her ear, as he believes they are related.  Annie is also due for another dental cleaning under general anesthesia soon, so we are keeping our fingers crossed that the ENT and the dentist will be able to coordinate their schedules so that both procedures can be done at the same time to avoid a second round of general anesthesia.


We knew her streak had to come to an end eventually, but we're just happy that her next surgery is for something so minor and simple, although there are always risks with anesthesia.  We aren't sure when her surgery will be yet, but we hope it's soon enough to get her better before we plan to go camping in our new pop up trailer!