I have a chat with my sisters. Two are not convinced that I need the surgery. But my eldest want me have the procedure. Maybe time will tell. Just need to get my life back.
With respect to your family, many donât understand ES, & the symptoms, so try not to let family influence you too much if theyâre not supportive. Itâs hard for people to understand a rare condition.
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Hi Jules,
Iâm still gonna push through with the surgery wether they agree or not. I only need to check my finances and some funds raised by my friends. Most of my expenses was for my therapy and meds for my stroke for the last 9 months. Stroke is not an issue for me now. Most of itâs symptoms improved. I can now walk and do biking but not pushing too much. Still dizzy when Iâm out of the house for 10 minutes. I trust God will show me the way. He always does. By the way my doctor is also a head and neck surgeon. A bit young but sheâs the only one who did not stop to find the answer. Is that ok?
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A head and neck surgeon is ideal! She should be used to operating in the area as the styloids; some surgeons who operate in this are have to remove the styloids to access other structures so it can be routine for them. Will pray that the right path opens up for you 
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Bongty1,
When the topic of surgery does come up with your doctor, please discuss with her the need to remove your styloid as close to your skull base as possible as that will give you the best long term results. If this is a new surgery for her to do, she may not realize the importance of that as many ES surgeons in the past have only shortened the styloid but sometimes that isnât enough to stop the symptoms.
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Will do Isaiah thanks.
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Palpitation sucks. Hard time breathing too.
I had heart palpitations but only had breathing issues when my blood pressure would plummet during exercise. Itâs all connected & makes for some scary symptoms. I do sympathize. Getting my styloids removed stopped all that for me. There is hope for your situation, Bongty1.
Hi @Bongty1,
I am sorry when I read that you have bad symptoms and even had a stroke.
I can only agree with the others when they say that your right SP is pointing forward from the angle more steeply than normal.
In this context, I think I have read that shallower angles are more likely to affect the internal jugular vein, while steeper angles may affect the internal carotid artery.
Now I wonder if the stroke affected the left side of your body� - Then you could possibly establish a causal connection to the SP on the right, since the hemispheres of the brain control the opposite half of the body.
I wish you all the best and take care of yourself.
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Hi Bongty1,
ES symptoms can be caused by a styloid process or processes that are extra thick, curved or angled, twisted or pointed EVEN IF they are of normal length. I still think itâs possible that the angle in your right styloid could be causing some vascular compression to your carotid artery. I am not a doctor, but your symptoms dictate that something is going on w/ your cranial nerves & possibly vascular tissues that needs to be further explored. Additionally, your left styloid does look a bit long to me.
I read your report & am wondering how the radiologist measured your styloids. He didnât make any comment about the degree of the angle of the right styloid which might be important to note. Styloid measuring is not a refined art, & some doctors prefer to measure them from the CT scan themselves as opposed to trusting a radiologistâs measurements. You might ask your ENT doctor if she can re-measure them & see if she agrees w/ the radiologist.
Please donât get me wrong. Iâm not trying to force an ES diagnosis on you. I just feel concerned that maybe things arenât as they seem from the scan results because of the symptoms youâve got & especially because of the stroke.
Hi Isaiah,
Doctors assessment is my right styloid was angled on a different direction compared to the left. Suspected that it might be causing irritation/compression on the vessels.
And itâs ok Isaiah, I really appreciate all your help and concerns. Just want to get this fix and move on to a better life. Thank you 3000.
Hi Isaiah,
Doctors assessment is my right styloid was angled on a different direction compared to the left. Suspected that it might be causing irritation/compression on the vessels.
And itâs ok Isaiah, I really appreciate all your help and concerns. Just want to get this fix and move on to a better life. Thank you 3000⌠by the way my doctor said the right one is anteriorly projected. Possible candidate for surgery.
Iâm so glad your doctor is still considering surgery. I think having the right styloid removed will make a big difference for you. Just basing my opinion on my experience. 
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Itâs good that your doctor is considering the angles of the styloid processes too, they do look wider than the âaverageâ tooâŚhas your doctor mentioned anything about the calcifications the report comments on in the neck & intracranial arteries?
Hi Jules. We havenât discussed yet the calcifications in the neck and arteries. She just gave me some requests for laboratory tests. I just had a chest x-ray with apicolordotic view,
all clear. Sputum test tomorrow and CBC. Just to make sure I donât have TB. By the way Jules is it ok if I wear this back braces? I noticed in my 3d scan and saw my bones seem uneven at the back of my neck.
Thatâs interesting, the wonky spine- I could potentially shift the styloids to compressing nerves/ blood vessels; equally if you wear a brace that could shift them the other way? If the brace helps & doesnât aggravate symptoms then I canât see the harm?
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Hello peeps,
Been awhile. Too many tests. My doctor said itâs not ES. But the protrusion of my right styloid is quite unique thought itâs around 2cm only. Sheâs still in for surgery. I was telling her about my right tonsil. Not swelling but hard as a rubber ball. Bigger than the left one. When I palpate it can be felt bulging at the anterior arc and like pulling itâs muscle down to the base of my tounge. I asked her to take off that tonsil too upon operation. I just donât want to miss those opportunities that it might help me too if taken out.
Bongty1,
It sounds like youâve made a good decision & Iâm so glad to know your doctor is willing to help you. I suspect you will feel much better with that angled styloid & the enlarged, hard tonsil removed. It will take some months after surgery for you to notice the full effect of surgery because nerves are very slow to heal. If your carotid artery is being compressed by the styloid, it will hopefully spring back quickly.
Please continue to keep us informed about how things go for you. 
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Glad that sheâs willing to operate, hopefully itâll resolve your symptomsâŚlet us know when you get a date!