u/Hemlock_the_Hog

34F (female) 147lbs 5ft 3in. ADHD, thoracic outlet syndrome, anxiety/depression, and autism. Mostly well controlled with Effexor, focalin, lamictal, hydroxyzine.

Sorry this is gross.

TLDR at the bottom.

I had my third thoracic outlet syndrome surgery almost 7 weeks ago. First 2 they removed my first ribs and some scalenes, and brachial plexus neurolysis on both sides. No throat issues. This time they went back into my left side to remove scar tissue and neurolysis of long thoracic nerve, brachial plexus, and maybe something else? I’ll attach the notes from the procedure.

I am in PT and healing well. The one thing that I am REALLY struggling with is swallowing. After my surgery when I woke up the first thing I remember is coughing up really weirdly sweet liquid with the worst sore throat of my life. For about 3 days pain meds didn’t even touch it and it was so much worse than my surgery pain. I also ended up with symptoms of a bad cold that night that progressed over a week, lasted about another week, and then got better. The lingering symptoms were just a cough with a lot of dark green phlegm and a feeling like a sinus infection (I’ve had them a lot). I assume I just caught a cold from the hospital. Since then I have had a weird feeling in my throat.
When I swallow liquid or even my spit I feel like I have to swallow over and over again to get it down. Food doesn’t really do this but I have been swallowing a lot of air with both. I noticed over the last 3-4 weeks a smell and taste coming from the very back of my throat, confirmed with a qtip I swabbed back there. It’s gotten worse every day and so has this feeling. I went to urgent care because I thought it was just some kind of infection bc my tonsils were covered with white mucus or pus. They gave me an antibiotic for tonsillitis.
After 6 days there was no improvement so I went to my PCP. She said the same thing, swollen lymph nodes, swollen tonsils, and redness in tonsils. Got a new antibiotic. That day I also scraped my tonsil and a small amount of pus came out of it. Not a stone but like what comes out of a pimple. She said possibly is just a tonsil stone but there are none visible. Totally fine with that. I’ve had 2 before over the years forever ago and came out quick and easy. Never was able to taste or smell or feel them though. Since then I have been swishing with warm salt water 5+ times a day. I also use an antiseptic mouthwash twice a day. About a year ago I got Invisalign so after every meal I brush my teeth and clean my Invisalign. I end up brushing and flossing at least 3 times a day.
I got a referral for an ENT and went this past Tuesday. By then I had been cleaning the back of my throat and maybe the antibiotic helped shrink everything back down and clear up the mucous. I told him the feeling in my throat was further down below my tonsils. He looked up my nose in my ears and in my mouth with a flashlight. I was hoping he would look down into my throat maybe with a camera or something? I’m not sure what’s standard so I can’t really say much on that. He said I’m fine and give it a couple months and gargle with salt water. Probably tonsil stones and he thinks the sore throat was from the breathing tube. All totally fine with me that’s good news right? I was bummed out because he didn’t offer to clean anything out but ok with the fact that it wasn’t something serious.
I’ve continued to clean around my tonsils with a qtip every other day or so in an attempt to get anything out. There is nothing really there. I managed to get out a tiny piece of something a couple days ago but really nothing significant.
What is bothering me the most is the smell and taste I have 24/7. The constant feeling of having a marble in my throat and almost like a numb feeling? That marble feeling sometimes causes a sharp pain down in the middle and left side of my throat and feels like it’s catching on something and yanking it. There’s almost like a clicking sensation at the same time but I can’t explain it. Is this my tonsils?
Could this be something from surgery? Or the breathing tube? Maybe just gigantic hidden tonsil stones making it harder to swallow? Could one thing cause the other? Could it be gastro related?

TLDR: nerve surgery in thoracic outlet. Severe throat pain after waking. Healed after 2 weeks but started to get smell and taste and weird feeling in throat. 2 doctors prescribed antibiotics for tonsillitis. ENT determined with flashlight there’s nothing but could be tonsil stones and gargle with salt water for 2 months. No improvement so far and symptoms seem worse every day.

Mainly I want to know if this is something I should bring up to the surgeon? I just don’t want him to think I am criticizing him or any of the staff members. They are amazing there. Should I go to my PCP for it again instead? Do I try again with the ENT in 2 months if it’s still there? Is there anything I can do at home to get rid of this taste besides what I’ve already been doing?

Idk anyone in my life that could really tell me this except for the AC people and my apartment manager who are both telling me it’s fine. It has leaked and flooded my closet 3 times (currently on the third, waiting for the repair guy still). I’m just really struggling to believe this is normal and I’m not sure if I’m being unreasonable. I had a gas leak a few weeks ago as well. I’ve been here for 11 years and it’s had its issues on and off the whole time. They just keep telling me it’s fine. The last picture is underneath the unit behind where the air filter goes. They said it should just dry on its own.
The last time this happened almost everything I had stored in my closet was ruined. It’s the same all over again and soaked the whole carpet and all my stuff. I’m so overwhelmed.
Do you have any advice on keeping it from happening again? They never really told me anything. Is it worth asking them to replace the wood maybe?

(The shoebox is there to keep my cat out of that gap)

I also bought the little frame with the cats getting married. This was between 2 huge antique/thrift malls. There were so many more too!