Little minor medical healing. I was not expecting this year… Last year I broke my ankle, transmission went out in our truck, ac at the house went out on the hottest day of the year, sending our oldest son off to college and we were seeing our youngest off to the Army. Our daughter moved a state away & welcoming our first grand baby into the world. We had several things planned before “life” nipped us in the rear.

Fast forward to this year, end of April, I felt this balloon type thing under my ear, literally, I felt it balloon up some while drinking coffee one morning. I brushed it off as allergies, or maybe ear infection. As we are beginning the mowing season.

About a week or so later, it started to grow, went in to see the local Doctor/Nurse Practitioner, they wanted CT scans, full panel lab and start me on antibiotics. I procrastinated I personally brushed it off as an infection of some kind, nothing major, got a prescription for antibiotics, and labs will let us know if its infection. I figured with antibiotics it’ll go away. I am still set on allergies or ear infection, we’ve been mowing lots of overgrown yards including the farm.

A Sunday morning rolls around, I try to take the antibiotics, I cannot even swallow water. “Okay Shantell” this is going on a couple weeks now, let’s go in and get to the bottom of this.
Tim (hubby) drove me up to Mercy, my mind set is still “I’ll be in and out”. Finally got the CT Scan, and set me up with a really good ear nose & throat doctor, Dr Anderson. I was admitted and stayed in the hospital for 3 days. He took great measurements and drained the cyst without bursting it, he came in a couple days later drained more of the cyst, once again without breaking the sac. For a Second Branchial Cleft Cyst to balloon uP, they can remain asymptomatic for decades and suddenly swell or become painful after an upper respiratory infection. In patients over 40 require a thorough medical evaluation. This is because cystic, necrotic metastatic lymph nodes, tonsillar cancers, can closely mimic benign. The labs all came back negative. PTL. The doctors and nurses continued the IV of antibiotics every 2 hours and steroids every 6 hours, I believe.

So once home, I was to follow up a week later, continue a more powerful antibiotic, orally, to prevent any infections. After the follow-up and much discussion, the only way for the cyst to go away was to be removed surgically. Doctor wants it to balloon up again, so he can see it while performing surgery. There are nerves to my jaw, shoulder and larynx and of course the arteries. I’ve failed to mention, I cantor at church. I cannot lose my voice! Through song is how I personally give praise to God. Panick sets in. The long one month wait, up to the day of surgery is a long time for me to think of ALL the “what if’s”.

The last week before surgery, is when this thing started to balloon up, extremely uncomfortable and eventually started to become painful! I was so sore, the last three days, all I can think of was just a couple more days, just one more day. I went to Father for a Blessing of the Sick, that Sunday.

Finally, the day of surgery I could hardly open my mouth. The swelling had moved into my jaw line; it felt like I needed to “pop” my ear, the swelling was pressing on my ear canal. And I was constantly “clearing” my throat, but nothing was clearing. I am miserable. The pre-op nurses were wonderful. The anesthesiologist was great as well. Of course Doctor Anderson, that performed the surgery was excellent.

From what I’ve gathered, talking and preparing, the nurse I had a video conference prior to the surgery, the hospital didn’t have any notes or previous surgeries on this particular one.

After surgery, I went through MyMercy health care app… well why not, I don’t have anything else to do while in the hospital. Dr Anderson had did a excellent job of describing the surgery. I dont know all of the terms he’d used in the description of how he’d performed. But it is great that he was able to note the 3 and half hour surgery to remove the cyst. Others may be able to follow the same steps.
Finally home with a drain tube in for 5 days, long days. Naturally our oldest son wanted to join in the tube removal office visit. As he was discerning the medical field at one point. The drain in my neck was removed in the office and no one passed out!! My son, he was rather impressed how long the tube went down into my neck. After the little path to healing, I am mentally & financially drained!
God has given me the faith & a reminder to Trust in him. I am scheduled to sing God’s praise soon.

We are sincerely grateful for any donation to help us pay for these expenses! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts

The Burns Family

God Bless