In the middle of August 2023, I scratched an itch under my jaw and discovered a lump. It was close to my earlobe.  So, I went to my ENT doctor. He didn't really think it was a lymph node but instead a tumor on my salivary gland (parotid gland). I never heard of anything like this. He said most of those are benign, but we did a fine needle biopsy. The results were benign. I asked if I could just leave it there because it wasn't giving me problems; it just hurt if I sneezed hard. He didn't recommend leaving it there because typically they do grow and even though benign, can cause problems. However, the surgery to remove this benign tumor that from the outside felt like the size of a marble and was almost as firm as a marble, can be tricky.

There's a facial nerve nearby the tumor that if cut during surgery can give facial paralysis. Wait, what? So,I risk having facial paralysis for a benign tumor removal? I'm 66 years old. I could die of something else by the time the tumor gets big enough to cause problems! My doctor has been doing these surgeries for 32 years, but in December 2023, he's moving to another state. He's never had a patient that had permanent facial nerve paralysis after this type of surgery. So, that being my driving force, and secondly, not wanting to think about this anymore and get on with my life, I had the surgery yesterday, November 13, 2023.

The doctor said that my parotid tumor was the smallest one he's removed in his 32 years of doing this. Therefore, he didn't need to cut next to my ear, just under my earlobe, and down my neck. Because of that, I have NO facial paralysis, just numbness in my earlobe but that might go away within a few months. The moral of the story is even if it's a small benign tumor, get it removed before it gets bigger and requires a more complicated surgery. My doctor is Brian Romaneschi with Sierra Nevada ENT. The surgery was performed at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center in Carson City, NV.

On October 4, 2023, I had Warthin's tumors removed from both my left and right parotid salivary glands. Both had previously been infected, and the resulting scar tissue was hard to remove and facial nerves had to be moved. The aftereffects of surgery were numb ears, difficulty smiling, a tingling feeling when I scratched my cheeks, a lack of feeling when I shaved, a lazy left eyelid, and a lazy lip making it harder to pronounce words with an s. The healing process has been slow and steady.

I celebrate small successes--chewing on both sides of my mouth, an eye lid that closes tight, the ability to whistle a little, and other small things. Brushing my teeth with tight lips is still a challenge. It’s been nearly three months now and progress is slow. The kind assistant to the surgeon gave me some exercises that may speed nerve regeneration. I tend to do some of them; puff out my cheeks, whistle, extend my jaw, close my eyes tight and so forth. I also do some crazy things like play the harmonica.

I am confident I will return to normal but without the tumors growing in size and becoming infected and distorting my face. Good news, no noticeable scars and my nerves are regenerating, but I will probably need another three months before I do not notice the side effects.

UPDATE (February 17, 2024):

I had a parotidectomy on both the right and left glands at St Mary's Hospital (Mayo) in Rochester, Minnesota.  Both tumors were benign but the previous infections in the glands had left scar tissue.  The surgery lasted four hours.  The immediate side effects of the surgery included numbness in both ears and cheeks, a droopy left eyelid, and a lazy lip on the right side.  I was assured that my nerves would regenerate, and I would return to normal in four to six months.   My left eye returned to normal in about two weeks.  I believe this issue had a minor temporary effect on my vision. 

The lazy lip affected my speech but that gradually improved.  It is my estimation that I was nearly back to normal on February 4, 2024. On February, 14, 2024, I gave a speech without any noticeable impact on my speech and my face is normal. I can hardly find the scar tissue from the incisions. The incisions in front of my ears were never noticeable without scrutiny.  I notice a very small depression in my upper cheeks where the glands were located but no one else, including my wife, has ever commented on this. I believe this will become minimal in time.

I am gradually regaining feeling in my ears although I seldom notice this except when in the cold.  I do not have any of the side effects that I was warned about by the surgeon.  I had difficulty eating for some time and bit my lazy lip often when not paying attention to the problem. Food collected in my cheeks while eating for some time but as feeling returned to my cheeks the problem dissipated to a point that I do not notice this anymore. Brushing my teeth and using my water pic was a challenge for a little over three months.

A really nice support person gave me a list of exercises to do that would speed nerve regeneration.  I did those when commuting to work.  In addition, I whistled while in the car to exercise my face.  At first, this was a challenge but I got better over time, and it provided me encouragement that I was recovering.  I read someplace that nerves regenerate at a rate of about one inch per month.  This is a reminder to be patient, it takes time for our bodies to repair themselves.  I share this information as encouragement to others. Our bodies have interesting abilities to repair themselves but it takes time. Please let me add that I shared my surgery with those at work and I would recommend it.  The surgeon and resident doctors at Mayo were noticeably empathetic.

The surgery went quick.  3 months before, I felt a lump in the back of my right ear lower lobe snuck in the corner. Thought it was a zit with a clogged pore.  A dermatologist did a biopsy, and the biopsy report wasn't good. The dermatologist referred me to an oncologist at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, Ca. I was booked for a few more consultations to take MRI, dental x-ray, and pre-op prep. Initially, the consultation was set for 2 months out. The dermatologist seeing the schedule informed Stanford of the gravity of the situation, so my consultation schedule was moved up by three weeks. Surgery followed right after the last consultation on June 12, 2024. I'm happy that the doctors involved seemed to be proactive and were making decisions based on the gravity of the patience health situation. 

Every step of the way, they would test me to squint my eyes, make googlely mouth movements and cheek expressions. Finally post operation recovery, my facial nerves were spared. I do feel a little numbness below my jaw and my lower ear lobes. I can feel the numbness below the jaw would heal over time. I'd like to give thanks to all the wonderful doctors and support staff for this surgery and recovery.  Am I out of the woods yet?  Not quite. A pathological report would come out soon regarding cell sample taken near the surgery site to determine if area is cancer cells free. The report will determine whether I will need radiological treatment. 

I'm resting at home and upbeat as to the following weeks ahead.  I've beaten type 2 diabetes into remission through dieting and am sure to beat this latest health situation on the parotidectomy.  Best wishes to all who read this article and are in the same situation. The best is yet to come.