Visited the ENT Doctor Today - Neck CT Scheduled

I went back to Dr. S for a follow up visit after I saw Dr. Greene at the end of September due to my inflamed sub mandibular salivary glands. I let Dr. S know that I had my good days and bad days, but my left gland still swells up and gets painful on a regular basis. He felt the glands on either side of my neck and concurred that my left one felt firm, while my right one was definitely softer. While he told me that this can still resolve itself, which is what he prefers, he wanted to get a better look at my salivary glands to see what is causing the blockage (if anything). Therefore, he scheduled for me to get a CT of my neck. I am going to get it on 10/24/08 at 8:20AM at East River Medical Imaging (519 E 72nd Street, Suite 103 between York and FDR drive).







He told me to remain hydrated, massage the glands, and suck on sour candies/chew gum as often as I can. He let me know of the surgical options if there is a blockage or stone, but he doesn't prefer those options at this point.

UPDATE:

I spoke with Dr. F after my appointment at the ENT doctor and she said that if I am having a CT scan of my neck that includes a contrast, that could interfere with my total body scan in June. She said that she would discuss this with Dr. S and then come up with the best solution.

This was a good day regarding my neck. Although my glands were somewhat firm in the morning when I went to the ENT, they were not as large as the day before. I spent the entire day hydrating (and going to the bathroom) and chewing as much gum as possible. My left gland stayed small and felt good when eating. Also, my saliva production throughout the day was good (much more than usual). I took advantage of the points of the day when my mouth was not huring and chewed gum. This seemed to help alot. Hopefully, this is a sign that things are moving in the right direction. I will make sure to vigorously keep up the hydrating and gum chewing. I want this to go away as soon as possible.