Pleomorphic Adenomas

I'm sure your wondering what in the world is a pleomorphic adenoma? Well that is the name of the tumors they have been taking out of my parotid gland, a.k.a saliva gland, since I was 14. Thankfully they have always been benign, but having the surgery hasn't been a walk in the park. This surgery was supposed to be as simple as the other two I've had, my doctor was going to pick go "cherry picking" as he lightly put it but it didn't end up like that. The surgery was supposed to take 30 minutes max, but Jared and my mom got a little worried in the waiting room when an 1 1/2 passed by. The doctors came out and said that was the most aggressive tumors they have seen in the 30 years they've been in practice. My facial nerves we wrapped around it and they had to go deep into my face and got very close to my jaw bone. Thankfully none of my facial nerves were destroyed. So for the time line.... Thursday: Surgery Friday -Monday: Monday I had the drain taken out Tuesday-Wednesday: I had my stitches taken out So everything looked O.K. so Thursday I left for New York. I had planned on going with my brother and his show choir group since January as a chaperon, so since I seemed to be healing well I left for the 14 hour bus ride to New York for the weekend. Well to make a longer story short my gland did not health and drain the way it should so that left me with a swollen cheek the size a tennis ball....me in the E.R. in New York and coming home early...doctor visits everyday the next week...doctors putting another drain in....me wrapping my head in gauze. A month later I'm fully functioning again and I'm very grateful that didn't get any worse. PICTURES BELOW.