Parotidectomy tomorrow, of my mother 57F
Hi lovely people!
I’m feeling extremely anxious and overwhelmed right now and wanted to ask people here who may have gone through something similar or have experience with parotid gland surgeries.
My mother is 57 years old and has been diagnosed with a left parotid pleomorphic adenoma (benign salivary gland tumor). Tests like Ultrasound CT scan FNAC (done twice)..
have all suggested a benign pleomorphic adenoma.
The tumor is around ~2 -2.5cm and located in the superficial lobe of the parotid gland, so doctors have planned a left superficial parotidectomy tomorrow morning. They are also removing her hair from left side near ear.. and temples..
My mother also has:
• Hypertension (controlled) and Hypothyroidism (thyroxine dose was adjusted recently due to low TSH)
The doctors postponed surgery by a week earlier to optimize thyroid levels and BP, so they seem careful and thorough.
Still, I’m extremely scared about:
• Facial nerve injury
• Whether biopsy after surgery can still unexpectedly show cancer despite benign FNAC
• Post-op pain/swelling
• Eating/drinking difficulties
• Recovery timeline
• Drain tube experience
PS: used gpt to structure my thoughts.