ENT doctor visit

I’m not sure what to do next. I have a very large stone in one, the bottom, of the glands on the left side of my neck and the upper gland on the left has a small stone. There is also a tiny stone on the right side in the lower gland. He wants me to work on massaging and putting warm packs on the smaller glands to move the stone up and out. But the large stone on the left bottom gland will need to be surgically removed because it is so large.

Now the surgery is not what I want. The gland has to be taken out, and the stone removed and the gland put back in. The risks are minor, bleeding, infection which to me is normal with any surgery. But the one risk that is a possibility, not too likely, would be a nerve damaged and that side of my mouth (bottom lip) would be in a permanent smile. NOT what I want to have. So I’m not sure what to do. Maybe put up with the off and on swelling and  pain or have the surgery. He recommended the surgery, of course. He didn’t seem too pleased when I asked about scope surgery, which is what I would prefer. He doesn’t want to do surgery on the upper gland because of the risks involved. He has done both surgeries. Surgery on the bottom larger gland is pretty common and he has done many of them. He just did an upper gland surgery and didn’t look to pleased. I still have a good chance of the little stones passing through my saliva if I increase sour foods and warm packs. But the big stone will not pass due to its size.

For right now I’m thinking of putting up with the issue for as long as I can take it. After all I’ve had the problem for the last three years. Sometimes it quite painful and sometimes just a nuisance pain or discomfort. Sometimes it lasts a very short time and sometimes it can last for days, even a week.

He is not a spine guy, he said, but thought the degenerative area in my neck was arthritis. I’ll see my primary after the holidays and see what he says about it all. I will also get the pneumonia shot and check on the shingles shot as well.

That’s it in a nutshell. At least I know that it’s not cancer.  I'll pray for guidance on making a decision of what to do.