Calcification & ossification are two words for the same thing. they both describe the process a ligament or other soft tissue undergoes to become like bone. First thing you need to do is get your own copy of the CT scan on a CD. It’s important for you to have 1-2 copies in case you need to send one off to a doctors office.
Your next step would be asking your PCP for a referral to
•Dr Marshall Smith, Salt Lake City (Successful thyroid cartilage surgery on ramblinman) - Marshall E. Smith [u0030448]
Dr. Smith is listed as a pediatric ENT, but he did surgery for one of our adult members, @ramblinman, as noted. If he doesn’t do adult ES surgeries at this time, he may be able to refer you to someone who does.
OR
Because your symptoms indicate you may have vascular ES i.e. headaches, tinnitus, visual changes…it would be smart to make an appt. w/ Dr. Hepworth in Denver, CO. Unfortunately, Dr. Hepworth is booked out quite far so if you plan to see him, you should get an appt. ASAP & ask to be put on his cancellation list. His office does require a referral from your PCP or another doctor.
•Dr. Edward Hepworth, IMMUNOe, 3150 E 3rd Ave, Denver, CO 80206 (303) 224-4711 http://www.immunoe.com
TMJ diagnoses are common for people w/ ES so I wouldn’t pursue anything w/ that until your calcified ligament is removed as any related symptoms will likely go away. It sounds like your vagus, trigeminal, maybe facial, glossopharyngeal & accessory nerves are all being irritated by the calcified ligament so I believe you do have ES. I’ve included links to 2 extensive posts made by Jules which list symptoms & their causes. You may want to read them a bit at a time because they are long but will answer many of your questions about symptoms.