Thanks, I meant hard for Ireland people to find help. I wish I had somebody in my town. Nobody with lots of experience here.
Not too far for you to travel though is it, say to see Dr DeLacure? Or is it difficult to get there for you?
I find going to NYC very stressful and expensive. Just driving into Ma hat tan sends me into anxiety and itās further away. We will be how Dr Burkey works out. I
Hope that he can helpā¦
I feel they exact same way!
eastmas1 -
Thereās also a very good ES doc in Massachusetts - Dr Donald Annino, Brigham and Womens, Boston (surgeries on several members) https://physiciandirectory.brighamandwomens.org/details/1975/donald-annino-jr-otolaryngology_ears_nose_and_throat-boston
Hereās the link to posts about him: https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/search?q=Dr.%20Annino
āCarry on living ā has been the thought thatās getting me out of bed every morning and some days it takes a lot of effort ,that said I was invited for a five hour enduro ride with five others, one being my son who is the only one in the group who knows about my condition.
How could I refuse?
Iām the oldest and I would use that as an excuse for under performing and coming last.
So despite no appointment with professor Too busy in Limerick I take a bit of Valium and a few beers to relax and sleep well and do the best I can with what I can and keep slogging away, like us all ! fatigue being the biggest obstacle followed by the styloid pushing into the hyoid ligament under the jaw, and voice loss plus other problems but I donāt want to go on too long
Adrenaline is the best drug for this complaint for me so off I went first up the mountains.
But I crashed heavy landing on my right side hard and hit the head off a rock
(We wear motocross body armour so we are well protected)
Seems now the violence of the head jolt has moved the styloid away from the hyoid ligament back towards the tonsil fossa but not at its original point of pushing through the mouth
Fatigue is reduced slightly ( I would get to lunchtime and be seriously tired) hyoid pain is lessened, headaches are worse, face pain is worse and I wake up and look like a man who has been crying all night,
red puffy eyes and a look of a drunken man
Voice has returned
Sinus trouble is also bad now and that isnāt a complaint to be sniffed at
And I have constipation which is a pain in ass
I didnāt believe there was a strong relationship between the styloid process and the nervous system, but I know now there is.
I do fell more optimistic then I ever did
Thanks again for the wealth of knowledge and to all the sufferers who share their experiences
good grief 
Thanks as usual for the grin. Take it easy on yourself!
Hmm, your efforts at treating yourself as certainly unusual! Trying to break your own styloid, crashingā¦glad that itās improved some symptoms for you! Iām sorry, I canāt remember, but have you tried the medications which help with nerve pain- Gabapentin, Amitriptyline etc? I sure you probably have. Your sense of humour is very welcome, that & your strength are keeping you going Iām sure! Keep on trying the consultant too, hope you hear something soon.
Thanks!
I shattered my femur five years ago, the photos of x-ray, scar and bruises are horrendous, nail from knee to hip and from hip through tracantor, had to learn to walk again, and lost a year off work, had highs and lows and I could write a book and I am still recovering. But my Doctor said donāt give up anything, live with it!
Three months in I threw a leg over a motorcycle and yes it took guts, it was a challenge,could I ride again? but I have been road and off road 40 years, Iām not quitting yet, of course I can
I was lowered into a kayak and did a 30 mile paddle, at that point I still couldnāt walk.
So Iām not giving up what I love for no breaks and no ES
Rode a motorcycle from Ireland to the Pyrenees last summer with my partner
Iām living with every pain and ailment my body throws at me so
My Dr said Donāt quit nothing, and he was right
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Hey optimistic!
Thank you for being so optimistic & gutsy! Iāve had two bad bicycling accidents with head injuries both times. I got on my bike & kept riding after the first one. Iām still questioning whether or not my second was caused by ES. I have no memory of what happened, but it occurred a week before my second ES surgery. Iāve had a major struggle wanting to ride my bike again since then (I have ridden, BTW). Iām getting older & know some of the long-term problems that can arise from multiple head injuries, & even with great bike helmets now, concussions can still occur. The helmets mostly help reduce the risk of skull fracture. I really canāt afford another head injury. These days Iām sticking w/ LONG hikes (10-20+ miles) though even w/ being lower to the ground, I still occasionally trip over partially submerged rocks & scrape up my hands & knees. 
Maybe weāre both a little crazy still trying to grab life by the horns & take a wild ride! 
As far as the constipation goes, valium can be constipating as well as other pain meds youāre taking. Things that can help reduce that problem are drinking lots of water &/or herb tea (70-100 oz/day). Caffeinated, carbonated & sugary drinks do not help this situation. If you want to stay away from chemical stool softeners & laxatives, magnesium citrate is a good natural laxative. A very inexpensive version of this is epsom salt which can also help to soothe any inflammation you have if you take a nice bath in it. Directions are usually on the box or bag for all of the above.
Your puffy red eyes could be a result of the head bonk you suffered when you hit your head on the rock. Red eyes can also be an ES symptom but usually w/o the puff. The sinus trouble could be sinus pain related to trigeminal nerve injury in your accident. The trigeminal nerve runs the route of most of the sinuses. Look it up on YouTube - Two Minute Neuroscience - trigeminal nerve. That may help you understand your sinus pain.
Youāre absolutely right about there being a strong relationship between the styloid process & nerves/the nervous system. Itās their tangling w/ nerves that give us so many crazy symptoms! Good sleuthing Sherlock!!
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Yes Jules I have , I take 10 mg of amitriptyline to aid sleep but never the other drug mentioned.Maybe I should try it.
Only Paracetamol tonight and for some reason itās all way too painful again
Isaiah my Gp ( now retired) was the one who said not to quit anything, he was airlifted off a mountain after a heavy fall, he too was back hiking once he had recovered
You know that feeling when you look back on how far you walked, how steep the paths were, over the obstacles, how good your pace was, the aches and pains you had on the way up , that feeling of completing a personal challenge
And the confidence you get back in your bodies ability to do something you have always done which is being threatened by illness old age and general wear and tear?
I love that feeling, I want to keep it forever, I know I canāt so I get as much of it now as I can
Hiking is a tough sport and hats of to you for continuing with injuries
Not crazy at all, you would be crazy not to do it
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10mg of amitriptyline is the minimum dose, it might be worth trying increasing that slowly first, checking with your doctor obvs- I take 20mg, any higher when Iāve had a flare up & I get side effects, but 20mg keeps the pain at bay now. I think up to 50mg has been prescribed for nerve pain. A pharmacist might be able to give you advice otherwise.
I can relate to that 20 years later and about 8 root canals. 
Well, after falling or fainting a couple weeks ago, which sent me on my 1st ambulance ride, none of what I can rememberā¦I have gotten past the embarrassment and moved on to the old āold ageā thing. I have had a pretty active life and at 64 cant get past that I am a senior now and need to use more caution and not push my body so hard. My son is always telling me to slow down and not overdo it.
I fell and hit my head on a hardwood floor and luckily only had a mild concussion. I now know why seniors put carpet in everywhere including the bathroom. I am remodeling a bathroom and adding a nice tub and will put in some grab bars now. geezā¦I just really dont feel that old.
My mother (age 83) fell and broke her hip on tile floors. She never really came out of it after surgery and the hospital really messed up given her other existing conditions. She had a horrible death. She had some other issues going on but I learned through autopsy she had an old injury - a skull fracture. My dad told me she had had a fall on the landing of the stairs a few months before. Knowing my mom, she just blew it off and it probably added to her instability. We soooo need to listen to our bodies and take better care of ourselves and come to term with our limitations as we age.
Easier said than done. My dad is 87 and stubborn as hell and he never stops. He racked his knee and uses a cane now after twisting it coming down from a ladder. I imagine Ill probably be the same.
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Iām so glad youāre recovering well from your fall! Sadly, the adage - āYouāre only as old as you feel.ā - can deceive us into believing we can do more than we should. Iām afraid Iām in your boat Snapple2020. May we row happily together!! That doesnāt mean quitting just cutting back a bit. 
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Isaiah, that was so eloquently written.
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