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[Cazikins]

Morning Ladies - I had an ear operation a couple of days ago (mastoidectomy) & now my ear canal has a dressing stuffed down it which must be kept dry for 2 weeks when it will finally be taken out.
I have also had stitches at the back of my ear which I think run from behind the lobe to the top of the ear where there is possibly a staple (it's a bit difficult to see what with matted hair & dry blood) .
Anyway I am looking for some sort of headband that will keep my ear warm for when I need to go outside & also to cover up my hair which in time will get a bit messy as I can't wash it just yet!!
I am thinking along the lines of something like the keep fit ladies use on a workout, something fashionable rather than surgical.
I'm going to have a look on Amazon later but wondered if anyone has any experiences etc of ear ops like this.
Many thanks
Cazi x

[Annie0710]

eBay or amazon are your best bet.  My daughter has learnt to knit and these were her first creations so if you knit that'd be your quickest way to get one. X

[Cazikins]

Thanks Annie, I shall have to buy something as can't knit. No patience & eyesight no good xx

[Annie0710]

No friends/family that could make you one quick?

Last winter I had both ear drums burst and couldn't get them wet for weeks, they still had all the dried blood and gunk stuck in them so I bought a bobble hat (a nice one !) as the wind and cold started off the ear pain again x

[Cazikins]

Don't know of any knitters -  just nutters  .

I bet that was painful Annie. My ear feels so full at the moment like it's full of air or something & fit to burst & all I can hear is a whooshing pulsating noise, still it's to be expected I suppose for a few more days yet.xx

[Annie0710]

It was horrible, I lost my hearing completely for 2 weeks, I had to have subtitles, and I developed musical tinnitus throughout the hearing loss, it took weeks and weeks to recover from and one year on they've never been right, always feel like they need popping. What was your op for ? X

[Cazikins]

I have tinnitus too Annie it's a nuisance isn't it. I have managed to blot mine out most of the day but at night it's always there in the background. Mine is a deep vibration that occasionally goes to a high pitch.

I had what seems to be a cholesteatoma. I'm waiting for the surgeon to confirm for certain. I'm sure he said it was that just after I came round from the anesthetic, also this is what we discussed & he suspected when I had a CT scan done last year. It was a 2hr op & I was in hospital for 1 night.  xx

[Annie0710]

Aw bless you.  I have no idea what a cholesteatoma is

Yes tinnitus started with meno.  If I sit up/stand up it increases.  It's allsorts....high pitch/machine/pulsating and can switch from one to the other suddenly

The other evening I had a really short spate of the musical tinnitus again, freaked me out thinking my Hearing was going again x

[CLKD]

Wouldn;t you think that there would be ladies who knit on the appropriate Wards  .  Have a look at dog snoods?  or pop to the Charity Shop to see if there are any 2nd-hand?  Or a scarf for now, even a small blanket?

[Cazikins]

A cholesteatoma is an abnormal collection of skin cells deep inside the ear, if it's left untreated, they can damage the delicate structures inside the ear that are essential for hearing and balance. Worst case scenario if left untreated is a brain abscess/meningitis.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cholesteatoma/

Looking back I think my T may have started after I went into meno. It's about learning to live with it somehow. My hearing has got worse in the last 6 years since it was diagnosed but that can also be put down to the cholesteatoma growing as well.

Cazi xx

[Annie0710]

HOw did they realise you had it cazikins ? X

[Cazikins]

Hi Annie - I was sent to see an ENT consultant after going to GP with tinnitus about 6-7 years ago. After a CT & MRI scan they said I had a dis functional eustation tube & an upper attic retraction.

I had check ups every 6 - 12 months & had hearing tests. My hearing was getting a little bit worse each time but certainly not enough to warrant a hearing aid.

Then just over a year ago I got 3 colds over the winter & these developed into ear infections which AB's (oral) didn't touch so my doc got in touch with the ENT dept at the hospital & they saw me that same day.
I was given some ear drops which were stronger than the tabs my doc gave me & eventually it cleared up.

When I went in July last year for my check up my consultant sent me for another CT - he then compared it to my previous scan (which must have been taken about 5 years previously) & he saw a white mass showing up in my ear that wasn't there on the previous scan.
Cholesteatoma was his first thought but it is very hard to diagnose apparently. I think it is a matter of ruling out other possibilities first.

Anyway I've ordered 2 soft cotton headbands from Am***n to try out. I have managed to use a bit of dry shampo (Bat****) to make my sticky smelly hair a bit fresher this morning & going to take things easy for a few days.

Love Cazikins xx

[Vieja Bruja]

I've had 3 ear ops in the past (to repair perforated eardrums), 2 they cut down the back and 1 down the front.  I had packing in and still remember having it removed (my last op was about 20 years ago), I also remember not being able to wash my hair etc so you have my full sympathy.

Ear warmers / headbands like the skiers and snowboarders wear are handy at this time of year plus just regular woolly hats, I crochet and imagine that it wouldn't take long to create one. 



Buff do some awesome neck warmers which can be transformed into headgear, check out their website

http://www.buffwear.co.uk/

You may feel dizzy / sick when they remove your packing and stitches, so take your time and don't feel rushed to stand up etc

[Cazikins]

Thanks Vieja Bruja - there are some beautiful hats & headwear on that site aren't there?. Wish I was going skiing again.

I am suffering from a pulsating sound & whooshing sensation now & it is driving me crazy. I didn't get a good nights sleep last night so a bit stroppy at the moment. I suppose it is to be expected but at least I'm not is too much pain just a bit of a headache. It's just this constant pulsating/throbbing going on which is in rhythm with my heartbeat.  My ear felt quite numb yesterday but I'm glade to say I have a bit more sensation today.............Oh & the side of my neck has gone to yellow after being purple for the last 3 days.

How are your ears now Vieja Bruja? do you still have problems?

Many thanks for the advice about the removal of the stitches. I shall make sure OH does the driving that day.

Cazi x

[Vieja Bruja]

I'm so sorry that I never replied sooner - life has been pretty hectic and I'm only just back visiting the forum

Hopefully you should be all recovered by now - how did you get on?

In answer to your question, yeah I still have problems with my ears, recently been on antibiotics (twice) for an ear infection and I also wear a hearing aid in that ear so I'm feeling pretty blue about it all.