Join now

Already a member? Sign in

Welcome to Inspire!

What - Inspire is a place where you can connect with people who share your health concerns and find information and advice in groups sponsored by organizations you know and trust.

Why - As a member you can use Inspire to let friends and family know how you're doing, contact others who share your health concerns, receive personalized updates and information about participating in surveys and clinical trials, and more.

How - Joining Inspire is completely free and usually takes less than a minute. Join now!

corner corner corner

Great News!

south127
0 Recommendations

I met with the ENT doctor at Shands (Gainesville, FL) this morning. The mass in my throat turned out to be the Teflon they injected into my paralyzed vocal cord in 1983. He said it had been over-injected and shows up as a mass on CT scans. It also showed up behind my thyroid which made it to appear to have nodules also. I'm so happy and thankful - I'm floating on air.

I will be meeting with my Cardiologist on 2/11 to determine if the intracranial arterial calcifications are a normal variant or something else to worry about.

Thanks for your support and prayers.

Explore topics in this discussion:

Heart disease Surgery Pain Prednisone Heart attack Bypass surgery Paralysis

16 replies

heart39

That IS great news! I'm so happy for you. Thanks for sharing.

- Peg

martzj

Oh my, the things we learn here!! Teflon....THAT is very interesting. And so happy for you!! Did you feel like laughing (from relief) when you heard that one?

Jaynie

south127

I've been giggling all day. Teflon is no longer used to strengthen paralyzed vocal cords, but it has given me a normal speaking voice - for which I'm so grateful.

nanamo

i'm so happy for you shands in gainesville is where i had my heart attack and bypass surgery done back in 1999 ...............small world...........


god bless
surviving heart disease one day at a time
nana mo

Ecksunbeam

Great news, South!

You hang in there, ya' here?

May the Blessings Be!

Sherrie

south127

Thanks Ladies! You're the BEST!!!

south127

Were you pleased with the services at Shands? It has a great reputation here in Florida. It is a small world - I lived in Sandy Springs, Ga (suburb of Atlanta). It's so beautiful there. Loved the area...hated the traffic :( Ocala is now our home and we are absolutely in love with the area; but, the medical care is substandard, that is why I go to Shands.

nanamo

i had great care there i will say. we lived in ocala and built state road 200 there way back moved here in ga from keystone heights very small world what cardiologist do you see in gville? i will say this about shands unless they have changed in 10 years stay on their butts about your heart care.............but yes they rae one of the best other then mayo clinics

god bless
surviving heart disease one day at a time
nana mo

south127

So far I have only seen an electrophysiologist there. (Dr Jami Conti) and she's great!..When you say stay on their butts, what do you mean..pushing for testing, follow-up??? I had friends that owned a lake house at Keystone until the lakes all started drying up. I also lived on Amelia Island for almost 20 years (I was the officer in charge of the VA Office in Jacksonville). I miss Fernandina; but it has gotten so expensive! If you haven't been to Ocala in a while, you'll be surprized how it's grown. The 55+ communities are really pushing the growth in this area. If you ever visit in this area, I'd love to meet for lunch.

Carm

Hi,
I just found your messages. i've been looking for someone, anyone, else who has had Teflon Injected for vocal cord paralysis. In 1986 I was involved in a near fatal auto accident and suffered a paralyzed vocal cord, among other injuries. In 1981 The ENT injected Teflon and it was wonderful for 18 years. Now i am experiencing some complications and none of the ENT's I've seen over the past 4 months have dealt with or seen vocal cords treated with Teflon. Have you experienced any complications?

south127

I am thankful to report I have had no complications with the Teflon injection. It is permanent from what I understand and cannot be removed. What kind of complications are you experiencing?

Best wishes to you...
Sue

nanamo

when i say stay on their butts unless they have come a long way in 10 years they are dumbfounded in my book to women and heart disease i hope and pray seeing me and what happened to me at teh age of 32 will open thier eyes and women are seen to have heart attacks and all
anothe rnote i live on white sands lake in keystone and i worked at johnnys bbq for many mnay years till i had my heart attack loved my job what a small world

live life love life
god bless
surviving heart disease one day at a time
with trigger 04/08
for 10 years
nanamo

south127

You are truly blessed. Happy anniversary!

Asurvivor

Great news for you! I hope you continue to get more great news!

Carm

Hi South127, I am so glad to be corresponding with you. I've never known anyone who also had Teflon injected for any reason.
In late May, early June 2009 I began to feel something was not right in my throat. It felt like something was there which should not be and when I swallowed I could feel it. On July 15, 2009 I first saw an ENT, Dr L, who could/can not determine if it is Teflon related but thought it might be a Teflon granuloma. He first treated me with 60mg of Prednisone for 3 weeks - very little effect after which he had a second ENT, Dr B, take a look to see what he thought. Dr B thought it might be a cyst. On Aug 5, 2009 Dr L did a Triendoscopy during which he lanced and drained a cyst he found on the vocal cord. He told me that the lungs, larnyx and esophagus looked fine. On Aug 18th a CT Scan was done which did not show the cause of my problem. On Sept 2nd Dr L took me back to the OR and did a biopsy which had a good result as well. When I saw Dr L again on Sept. 17th he referred me to another ENT, Dr S, for another opinion. This Dr took a long look into my throat area and thinks that the "wall" or tissue to the left of my paralyzed vocal cord is prolapsing! He thinks an MRI may tell more and will consult with Dr L about my case. I have been described as "interesting" and a challenge to the medical field! I know Teflon is no longer used in treating vocal fold paralysis because of the high percentage of reactions to it. Dr L told me that most people who had Teflon injections for this condition are dead! He went on to say that it was mainly used with terminally ill patients, and that I "came in on" the last few years of its use, that I was young enough and in such good health at that time to still be alive - living with teflon in the vocal fold.
It is really confusing. There is no pain or discomfort - only a feeling of something "more" in my throat.
I am honestly beginning to wonder if there really is anything major wrong!
I am thinking positively.

south127

Please keep me informed of your findings. I feel very optimistic that it is a benign granuloma.

Sue

Add to the discussion

Don't have an Inspire account? Join now!

Forgot password?

Group leaders

You