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#1
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12-17-2022, 12:43 AM
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Mump Lump
Story time! Before Science had invented the MMR (Measles, Mumps, & Rubella) vaccine, I got the mumps on the left side of my jaw. I remember being quarentined so that the rest of my family and my school didn't get sick. It was a pretty lonely time for seven year old me. Because of the infection, I ended up with a lump on my left jaw that I referred to as my "Mumps Lump." It lived on my face for 52 years. Occasionally, a doctor would check it to see if it hurt or grew. It didn't. I thought it was just under my skin, since I was able to move it back and forth with no pain or problems. I had to have a necessary, non-related surgery in 2020, and the surgeon was worried that the Mumps Lump might be cancerous. So he sent me in for a needle biopsy and sonograms to make sure it wouldn't give me any problems during the needed surgery. Welp, after 52 years of the Mumps Lump causing me no problems apparently it didn't like being poked and prodded. I ended up needing two biopsies, which made it grow. It went from the size of a golfball to the size of half of a baseball in the matter of a few months, and was finally noticable despite my dreadlocks that were nearly down to my butt that used to hide it. After it was determined to be a salivary gland tumor, I had the first needed, non-related surgery. While I healed, I was recommended to a surgeon at the local cancer center. The cancer surgeon actually had to have a nerve specialist and a plastic surgeon examine me as well, since the Mumps Lump was wrapped around a major facial nerve. If they nicked it even a little, chances are, I would lose control of the entire left side of my face, which means it would droop pretty badly. Not to mention it was my face they needed to operate on. Needless to say, I didn't mind the extra two surgeons having to examine me! So a few months after I healed from the first surgery, I had a "Left total parotidectomy with facial nerve dissection, left mastiodectomy with facial nerve dissection." I needed a "left pre-auricular approach to skull base, removal of tumor via parotidectomy (left) muscle, and a myocutaneous/fasciocutaneous flap. I know the cancer surgeon had to remove my ear |
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#3
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12-17-2022, 04:01 PM
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Re: Mump Lump
I worked with an African-American fellow named Jeff when I was in the Air Force. He had a lump almost the same size on his right-side jaw. His wasn't cancerous, though - turns out he had an ingrown hair. He also had Folliculitis Barbae, so he was prone to having ingrown hairs. That particular one was festering for ten months. This guy here with the mump bump - whoa. Must be nice to have it all gone. |