Paraganglioma: Watchful waiting vs surgery?

Yes, it is! So many blessing acquaintances. Yesterday we went in for our flu shots, and Nurse Monica was there. Gave me a big hug. I watched her go thru breast cancer 3 yrs ago; told her I want to handle this as bravely as she did.

I'm realizing how blessed I am w various acquaintances. Went in for annual flu shot yesterday, and Nurse Monica asked how things are going. I watched her go thru breast cancer 3 yrs ago. She gave me a hug yesterday; I told her I'm trying to be as brave as she was, with the same great outcome, w my kidney surgery.

I was diagnosed w carotid body paraganglioma on right carotid neck artery, w too many symptoms for the size and likely being benign, so Mayo did full body CT w contrast and found culprit: 2 tumors on left kidney. Those have been 100% removed w good margins and I'm healing well, minus alot of those symptoms! But in Spring, carotid artery tumor will come off back burner. Anyone else have one of these, where they've done more than watchful waiting?

I have had a paraganglioma removed so this is reason for following..

I had pre op in hospital treatment and few years back in June supposed to have op in July but op didn't occur until around October..was just wondering if this delay was unusual?

...oops tried to edit above message to say op was for paraganglioma..

@meg17
The pre-op I had the day before was an embolisation through my femoral vein, and thru my wrist, one entry pushing a coil, the other entry to position the coil. This was inserted to divert blood supply away from carotid artery, and to make sure no effects on my brain. I was awake, w 'conscious gentle sedation', but wasn't gentle...felt like a chunk of skin was ripped out w vice grips when they injected numbing med, and no waiting at all fir it to kick in before it felt like a piece of rebar impaling me to the table when they went in with the coil in my groin area. Wrist pain was manageable. I confess, I screamed, groggily. I remember everything single thing about the procedure, and finally 10 mos later can say I haven't had recurrent nightmare of the incident for about a month and a half. But, I 100% trust my Mayo surgeons, ans I would do it again without hesitation. The only part that I'd change if I xould, would be to stay overnight instead of being released that evening to go to the hotel and return 0-Dark-30 for tumor removal. I was completely wiped out, and came back the next a.m. very dehydrated. The only thing I did back at the hotel beforehand was to take the evening shower and early, early a.m. shower to make sure I was as germ-free as possible. My husband had to wake me for both showers. I was an exhausted mess; would've made total sense to IV-hydrate me overnight and let me sleep. But "Medicare knows better"... and my secondary insurance goes w what Medicare dictates. In retrospect, I would have GLADLY written a check for when Medicare said No to the overnight stay. I did stay overnight the following night so they could make sure drainage and vitals were stabilized.
Where did you have your surgeries done? Interesting it would be months between procedures when mine was less than 24 hours apart.

@I am actually in UK and my hospital stay was certain oral meds..sorry I can't remember the name of them slmething to do with manipulating my blood pressure which was supposed to be a few days stay..for some reason I was in for 11 days pre op and while waiting on actual op date I had to take my own bp several times a day and relay to hospital the wait for the op was horrendous knowing something horrid was growing inside..gangcarotid1

@gangcarotid1 It is better out than in..had the same operation..

@meg17
How long afterward did you deal with the ongoing feeling that there's a big wad of gauze in your throat, along with intermittent quick ear pains (intense pangs of pain)?
And how is your thyroid?