Hi redfaery,
In a nutshell, it sounds like your styloids are elongated & your stylohyoid ligaments also have calcification on them though on your right side it’s spotty. The left side is calcified from styloid to w/in 14 mm of the hyoid bone.
Getting those nasty things out of your neck will go far toward helping you feel better!!
I’m glad your CT gave you solid diagnostic information. 
Yes, I agree with Isaiah!
red faery,
I cant remember where dr bumpous is re: in US? 1-2 weeks after intra-oral is a stretch in my opinion. I had external and my doc said 2 weeks and I ended up taking an extended leave after 1 month. Not from the surgery but because of covid concerns at my job. I felt I really needed a month and was lucky enough to have 12 weeks paid family medical leave in our state. My employer also has a short term disability policy for up to 60 days that pays my wages at 100%. I know I am super lucky to have such good benefits.
I tried going back early from another surgery 2 years ago and regretted it. I work part-time as well and didn’t want to put my employer out or short on staff.
Im scheduled for my 2nd surgery in early Dec. My employer advised me that if my doc requires me to quarantine 2 weeks prior to surgery, there are COVID $$$ to pay me for those 2 weeks. Given your autoimmune status, its a thought. Doc doesn’t need to sign anything either. So glad you got this scheduled. Its coming up fast!
Dr. Bumpous is in Louisville, KY. I am really hoping he is right on recovery, if not I hope my company does FMLA, I just started in January of this year.
The federal requirement to meet FMLA qualification is to have worked 1250 hours in the last 12 calendar months. The clock starts as of the date of the start of leave. FMLA gives you job protection and a heavy hammer if they don’t abide by it if you need to take more time off. If you have other benefits such as health insurance, most companies (depending on size) will have some sort of a disability insurance which would kick in with a surgery or health condition. Sometimes it doesnt kick in until after use of PTO hours. If you have an employee handbook, it should state in writing how they administer these kind of benefits. I honestly didn’t know when I had my fist surgery while employed at this job. It was the benefits coordinator in HR that told me how it all works. I was surprised to find I had this benefit.
Surgery went very well. I was not violently sick like every other time, I woke up with pain less than 5, though it’s climbed throughout the day afterwards. My mother and husband are present today getting me anything I need, which has been awesome. Bad bad sore throat on the one side, but that’s really it. That and took forever it seemed to get me to wake up post surgery. Everyone at the hospital was fantastic and explained everything beforehand. All in all, other than post op pain in my right side of throat not bad!
Woo Hoo, so glad you made it thru and it hasnt been too bad. Ice , ice and more ice! Dotn be afraid to use those pain killers if you need them. 
That’s good, sounds like you’re being looked after! 
