Cysts in Earlobes

[pilotwannabe101]

Hi,

I'm in the selection process for CTC wings and I have a concern.

The past 3 years I've developed these weird cysts in each of my earlobes, they're completely benign and just sit between my earlobe and the side of my head with normally no problems at all.

However sometimes if I irritate them by accidently touching them a lot, or by wearing headphones a lot (not the small ones that fit inyour ear, the large ones like what a pilots needs to wear) then that normally starts to flare them up.

As always a week of antibiotics returns the slightly painful cyst back down to his calm little self, and no problems again for another year.

My obvious concern is that after 2 years of CTC and the best part of 100K an airline could use this medical condition to end my career before its started, have any pilots had any ear conditions that has risked ending your careers?

It seems the NHS won't cut these out as its classed as cosmetic surgery, but I could pay for the operation, this should completely stop the problem.


Any help, feedback or suggestions would be most welcome.

Thank you.

[rmcb]

Caveat - I am not medical!

However, I suggest you go back to your GP and suggest you cannot function properly while the flare-ups happen; this should demonstrate a clinical rather than cosmetic need.

[Mac the Knife]

"....airline could use this medical condition to end my career before its started..."

Hardly! And excising little sebaceous cysts (very common and excision is very simple) is'nt "cosmetic" but functional, especially considering your job.

If you're disposed to forming seb. cysts then you may well develop new ones and no, there really isn't any way to prevent it.

:ok: Mac

[DX Wombat]

Who has told you that the NHS won't sort out your problem for you? If it is your GP then go back, make it clear they are causing difficulties with your employment and, if necessary, ask for a second opinion. Surgery to enable you to continue your employment is not cosmetic, the reason is one of function.

[mad_jock]

I had the same problem with my GP with a pilinodal cyst. He opinion was leave it be and its not effecting your life etc etc.

Went in for a emergency GP consultation at another GP because I was sore so wanted something to calm it down and couldn't get to my practise, and that GP had me under the knife in 3 days. When at home my GP was pretty pissed off actually that I had got it cut out. But then again it went from seeing me once a year to visiting the surgery every two days and district nurse at the weekends for nearly a year. Had another tidy up op about 18months later and not had a problem for the last 12 years.

[Mac the Knife]

".....visiting the surgery every two days and district nurse at the weekends for nearly a year."

Whaaat? And that all for the lack of a 10 minute tuppenny-ha'penny cyst removal under local?

No wonder the NHS is in trouble!

Mac

[mad_jock]

No mate maybe I used the wrong term but my removal was done under general and it was an open wound down to the bone which was packed out for a year until it had healed up with various applications of silver nitrate when I annoyed the nurse and she thought it wasn't healing the way she wanted it to.

I had an ingrowing hair down the crack of my arse that went foostie in Scottish pilot terms. It was like having a plum at the top of my crack for three years until the second GP got me an emergency admission. The consultant was a bit pissed to be honest saying he wouldn't have had to be so brutal with what he removed if he had got his hands on me when I first noticed it.

[obgraham]

As I'm sure Mac is well aware, a Pilonidal Cyst/Sinus can be a tough problem requiring multiple procedures to finally resolve.
(Ask me how I know this!)

Not really the same as a Zit behind the ear.

[mad_jock]

Go on tell the war story.

There is a picture of me doing my APWT in the kneeling postion with a pool of blood behind me on the concrete. Luckily I had enough points to pass without doing the night shoot when the medic pulled me.

I was extremely lucky I hear with only two procedures. I am told this was due to the firey district nurse and the practise nurse having a very robust some would say cruel treatment managment program ( I think both of them were a bit annoyed with the GP as well). That silver nitate nips like hell.