Hi all.
I have scheduled my ES surgery with Dr. Hackman for Dec. 27. This will only be on the right side and will be external (2 incisions). I have been reading threads about post op and while I am eager and hopeful that this will get rid of my pain, I am very much dreading the post surgery swelling and healing process.
Can anyone think of anything I can do to prepare? I have heard people say to sleep upright. How long typically will I have to eat soft/liquid foods? I realize each person heals differently I’m just nervous about this and just looking for some insight and suggestions.
There’s some info in the Newbies Guide Section about surgery; here’s a link: ES Information- Treatment: Surgery - Welcome / Newbies Guide to Eagle Syndrome - Living with Eagle
Sleeping propped up will definitely help with swelling- a wedge pillow is a good idea, and/ or a V shaped orthopaedic pillow. Icing your neck with a pack wrapped in a towel on & off will help, and some members have found popsicles are good. Some doctors do prescribe steroids routinely but not sure that Dr Hackman does.
I couldn’t open my mouth wide & it was really uncomfortable to chew, so I had smoothies etc for about 10 days I think after my first surgery, but had no problems at all with my second surgery, with the same doctor! So difficult to tell!
Good advice is to keep up with the pain meds as if you leave a longer gap then it can be difficult to get under control again, and to have something ready in case you get constipated as some of the pain meds can cause this…
Expect to feel tired for a while, & be prepared for ups and downs, recovery isn’t always smooth & sometimes symptoms can come back for a bit. Sometimes the nerves can be stretched/ irritated during surgery, so some members have had a droopy smile or eyelid, occasionally tongue weakness or arm/ shoulder weakness. This generally comes back quickly. You might be temporarily a bit numb around your ear & jaw too, that seems to be quite common.
I hope this helps & that others who’ve seen Dr Hackman chip in too!
I am scheduled for surgery with him on Dec. 27 as well. Finding somewhere that can perform a PCR Covid test within 72 hours during the Christmas weekend was challenging but I did find somewhere. I will send you positive and speedy healing vibes!
I second Jules’ sentiment. We just had two UK members end up w/ surgery on the same day w/ the same surgeon & two of our members just had surgery w/ Dr. Samji this past Monday. It’s encouraging to see surgery happening at such a great rate here at the end of the year. I’ll get you both on my calendar so I can be praying for you especially that day.
I have been extremely nervous for the last couple of days with my surgery approaching. Were nerves and nervousness ever an issue with you two prior to your surgeries? I am jittery all the time and have been kind of ill and in a bad mood lately.
I was nervous, yes, it’s only natural. But I was feeling so ill that I knew there wasn’t really a choice. I was worried that swallowing would be affected, & was so chuffed when I came round that it was fine! As well as normal pre-surgery nervousness, it may be that the Vagus nerve is being irritated which can cause anxiety. Dr Hackman is very experienced, so you should be in good hands, will pray that Christmas takes your mind off things a bit. Praying all goes well & sending you a hug
Honestly, my symptoms were so awful that I was counting the days till my first surgery. I felt that anything I came away w/ after surgery would have to be better than what I went in with. I did end up w/ a half paralyzed tongue for a few months because my glossopharyngeal nerve was wrapped around my styloid process & had to be unwrapped so the styloid could be shortened. The result was the tongue issue, but that was no fault of my surgeon’s. It was just how I was constructed. The nerve did heal & my tongue is back to normal.
I was a bit more apprehensive before my second surgery which turned out to be a “textbook” surgery so there were no surprises when I woke up. I was able to go home & eat normally & felt pretty good. My surgeon doesn’t do bilateral surgery like Dr. Hackman so I had two surgeries.
I agree w/ what Jules said about the vagus nerve. You’re already feeling pretty awful which causes anxiety, & I expect your vagus nerve is irritated by your styloid(s) so is adding to the natural anxiety making it all seem worse. As Jules suggested, allow Christmas to be a positive distraction to help keep your mind off of surgery. You’ll be through it with flying colors & healing soon! I’ll be praying for you, too.
Thank you so much for the update. I was going to check in on you via PM if you didn’t post something today or tomorrow. I’m so glad your surgery went well. Post op pain is common & is generally at its worst during the first week post op. You will feel better next week & going forward, however, please remember that nerve recovery can take months & can be a 3 steps forward 2 steps back situation. That means you’ll have some very good days followed by some less good days off & on over the next 2-6 months & even up to 12 months in some cases. The key is to not overdo when you’re feeling good (so hard!!) & to lay a bit low on the days you don’t feel so great rather than pushing through the pain (also hard!!).
Make sure to keep ice on your incision (which looks amazing, BTW!) - 15 min on & 45 off - as often as you like during the day & keep your head elevated to about 30Âş for the first week post op or longer if necessary. Staying on the required pain med regimen for at least the first week is also helpful though recently, many of our members have been able to stop the Rx pain meds w/in a couple of days of surgery & begin using Extra Strength Tylenol. Sometimes it takes trial & error to find what works best for you.
Having a positive attitude & trusting your body to heal, even the process feels slow, will go far toward helping your recovery. We’re here for you all along the way.
I’ll be praying for you to heal completely & resume your former, pre-ES lifestyle. Sending you a gentle, get well soon hug.
Pleased that you’ve had surgery, I do feel for all of you who have to travel & aren’t near home after going through it…glad all the nerves are good after surgery & hope that in the time to come you notice big improvements with your ES symptoms. Make sure you take it easy & as Isaiah says it will be up & down, so don’t panic when you have worse days…
Take care, will keep praying for your healing
Thanks guys. Yeah the pain is pretty bad but I have actually had similar days to this (rare) dealing with ES/TMJ. Going to relax and try to get some sleep as it was very hard to get any sleep last night in the hospital and the night before surgery due to anxiety.
This is no fun for sure. I hope your pain is going down. I just got home on the 21st from California from surgery with Dr. Samji on the 13th. He also does an external approach. I’d say your scar looks pretty good. I have not seen mine yet as it is covered in steristrips that are to come off naturally with bathing etc. I didn’t get a drain and the area is quite swollen on me. I’m remaining optimistic that with time I’ll keep feeling better and better. The first thing I noticed was being able to swallow on that side without the bone blockage - fantastic feeling. But no doubt it is an emotional and traumatic experience having surgery and away from home with the travel home etc. Keep on being the warrior that you are and push through this last bit - at least that’s what I keep telling myself.
Atw,
Hang in there. I dont’ know what pain meds you were given an rx for, but if it is not effective DONT hesitate to ask for something stronger. Ie: oxycontin. Everyone reacts differently to pain meds. Keep ahead of the pain and take every 4-6 hours until you feel comfortable reducing dosage. I even set alarm to take it. I made good use of wedge pillow and icing for first week.
Many of us have had surgeon that give us RX for steroids to control swelling that in my opinion help with pain issues. I have TMJ also which reared its ugly head on 1st surgery and lasted for over 6 weeks.
Thanks everyone. Unfortunately for me I have grown a tolerance for pain meds over the years dealing with this. They do still help but just not as effective as someone who is not tolerant. I have been mixing in some Ibuprofen to try and manage it.
I would say last night and right now is the worst I have felt to date. My guess is the steroids they were giving me through IV have worn off and have been icing as much as I can. Thanks Snapple I may reach out to the Doctor and see if I can get an RX for prednisone as I have taken this in the past.
Did anyone else have a really stiff jaw after surgery? I know mine probably has something to do with my TMJ issues and I was hoping this surgery could potentially fix that but one thing at a time, plus I need to give it time to heal. After years of TMJ pain my ES really flared up back in the summer and it took about 2 months for the pain and swelling to really go down so I know I’m in it for the long haul.
Going to try to get some more rest. If I don’t respond all is good just hurting quite a bit.
Days 3-5 post op is when the swelling peaks & thus so does the pain. Prednisone will help a lot so pursue that. I don’t know why Dr. Hackman doesn’t routinely Rx it as many of our members have requested it from him post op. Otherwise, you’re doing all the right things - ice, elevation & rest are your best friends now.
A stiff jaw is very common after ES surgery. I wasn’t able to eat solid food for several weeks after my first surgery because my jaw was stiff & sore. I recently learned that the jaw is slightly dislocated during ES surgery so the styloid can be better accessed. For those of us w/ TMJ, that problem is exacerbated for awhile after surgery. Prednisone will help that, too. You can try icing your jaw as well as your neck.
I hope these harder days pass quickly. I was practically bed bound on days 4 & 5 after doing pretty well earlier in my first week so I sympathize w/ where you are today.
Sending a gentle & a promise that better days are ahead.
I was the same as Isaiah & had a stiff jaw/ couldn’t open my mouth wide for maybe 10 days after surgery- it wasn’t painful but just stiff…lots of members with TMJD have found similar after surgery I think from reading post-op stories on here.
I hope that things improve soon, & you can get the pain under control…
