Feels like 1 step forward, 2 steps back

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Hi All,

Today I had an appointment with the ENT speciality surgeon who is local to me.

Encouraging things about this appointment:

  • the surgeon I saw has done and actually super interested in Eagles & treating Eagles and even has a surgery for one next week.
  • he is very kind, methodical and wants to do right by the patient.
  • he has a zero nerve injury rate and answered all the questions you guys gave me here, thank you so much (@Jules and @Isaiah_40_31).
  • he does extraoral surgery only

We discussed Eagles and he showed me how a case study and very good friend of his had nearly the same styloids as me (kinda uncanny), and the solution was removal of both styloids with complete resolution of symptoms.

Now for the mental and emotional toll of Eagles… he did want me to see a GI doctor to rule out anything else & do a swallow study before he agrees to remove my styloids. This is probably normal and a sign of a good surgeon but it made me feel like this will never end.

I kinda hate that the previous ENT put LPR in my chart, its like every doctor sees’ that and just assumes that is it. I reminded him that with the previous ENT I did do allllll the treatments with zero improvement. I just don’t have LPR and never have. I have been scoped (awake, 3 times) and they just tell me “oh a little irritation”.

I made a GI appointment but I don’t want to spend money and time doing all these extra tests for nothing… Would love to hear your thoughts and how to navigate this….

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I’m glad that your doctor was helpful and sounds like he’s done some successful surgeries… so frustrating that he wants you to try seeing a GI doctor when you’ve already had investigations, we’ve had other members who’ve had to ‘jump through hoops’ of unnecessary treatments before being able to get surgery…
Maybe it’s worth seeing the GI doctor on the chance that you can show them the testing & treatments you’ve already had & that more really aren’t needed. Perhaps you’ll be able to get them on your side & they could report back to your ENT that you don’t need any more investigations? If they still want you to go ahead with the swallow study etc then I guess you have a choice to do that or try another doctor on our list?