Hi!
It can be a difficult journey, & a hard diagnosis to deal with as there can be misinformation out there, but is treatable, so I hope that reassures you a bit. It was good that your ENT picked up that the styloids were elongated on the CT scan; many doctors and radiologists are unaware of ES or skeptical about it, so it’s not commented on.
The styloid processes can also irritate the vagus nerve, which can cause anxiety, so that may be why you’re feeling like this if it’s unusual for you. If you search the site for anxiety & the vagus nerve, you’ll find several discussions where it’s mentioned, here’s one which might be helpful:
Dr Patel isn’t on the list of doctors that we know are familiar with ES, but that’s not to say he’s not a good surgeon, but unfortunately we can’t give you any info on him. Here’s a link to our list if you do want another opinion:
https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/t/us-doctors-familiar-with-es-2019/4752/2
We suggest that when you see Dr Patel, you ask him whether he does intra-oral surgery or external surgery (External is felt to be better as the doctor can see more of the styloid to see & therefore remove more, plus there’s less risk of infection, although members have had successful surgery with intra-oral), ask how much of the styloid process they remove- as far back to the skull base is best, & anything left should be smoothed off. Also ask if your stylo-hyoid ligaments are calcified too, & if so if they’ll be removed.
Hope this helps!