So glad it’s gone well & that the staff were good…make sure you get lots of rest & hope that you soon feel the benefits of surgery! Praying for you…
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@Kasha,
I am 6 weeks post op for the external removal of my left styloid. Healing will take time but you are on your way! Listen to your body, ease back slowly and rest when you need to. Ice packs became my new constant companion and helped tremendously with the pain.
Thinking of you and sending hugs.
Peace,
BG
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Thank you for your advice! I knew the swallowing was bad with the styloid removal but I didn’t realize how bad it is with the hyoid bone as well. I guess I’ll be living on apple juice and popsicles for a while. It doesn’t help that I got a cold right before my surgery so my throat is just raw. The doctor makes it sound like it’s a week recovery and I can eat a normal diet the next day so it’s good to have this forum with people going through it and I don’t freak out a week from now. anyways thank you very much and I hope you’re better and are back to normal soon!
Hi Kaska!
Thank you for the update! That’s an impressive chunk of bone that was removed. I can’t imagine you won’t feel a reduction or complete recovery from your symptoms with that gone! You’ve gotten great advice from Jules & BrooklynGirl. I would only add that you may want to include some smoothies w/ protein powder in your “liquid diet” as you’re going to be starving if you truly stick to fruit juice & popsicles. You can add ice cream, whole fat yogurt (a bit of fat helps you feel full longer & helps a meal or smoothie be more appetite satisfying), milk or nut milk, veggies, fruit, or whatever sounds good to you to a blender & whirl up a delicious, nutritious meal that will help your body heal (maybe I need to write jingles for commercials?! 
).
Ice is AWESOME (15 min. on & at least 45 min. off - 3-5x/day or as needed), & rest is mandatory in the early days post op & can be reduced gradually as healing gets going.
We will look forward to your updated. Hoping & praying for quick healing for you.
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Thank you Isaiah! I will do all that. Were driving home right now. I got a cold right before the surgery so on top of all the pain in my neck I also have a cough that’s adding to the fun . Also the glands in my jaw are on fire and I can barely open my mouth. But I am staying positive. Thanks to this forum I know what to expect 
Hi Kaska,
Keep those ice packs handy. Ice will help everything calm down. I’m guessing that hyoid bone surgery has a similar healing course to ES surgery so it’s possible you’ll get a bit more sore (days 3-6 post op) before you start to feel better. Just stick w/ your pain med regimen & ice & rest.
We’re here for you every step of your healing journey.
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Poor you…big hugs for you 
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Little update 4 days post op. Pain in my neck is very intense today. All the glands in my neck and jaw keep taking turns kicking my butt. My ear is on fire. Pain by my carotid is extra. Pain in my upper abdomen is also on and off throughout the day. Also when I swallow feels like I’m being stabbed where the bone has been cut. Pain shooting up to my temple. Maybe my glands and nerves reacting? I’m just trying not to panic and keep it together. Pain meds dont work, ice makes it worse. Praying it’s a little better tomorrow 
Couple things ~ try ice pack on back of neck, warm wash cloth or rice sock around ear. Hemp oil on jaw line. magnesium before bed. In am vitamin D3. Sleep at least 45 degree angle when in this much pain.
I am sorry you are in so much pain. These are a couple things that help me. Sometimes just a little relief helps! Tomorrow will be a new day!
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Thank you I will try all that !
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Hope things improve soon, days 3-5 do seem to be the worst, so hang in there…big hugs
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Hi Kaska,
I’m also sorry for your misery. As Jules said, You’re in the thick of the worst period of post op pain. By next week some or all of what you’re feeling now will start to settle down. It WILL take a couple of months before you see more major changes i.e. disappearnce of symptoms, less fatigue, etc.
sjlash offered some interesting ideas. Glad you’re game to try them. Sometimes experimentation is necessary to find what works best.
I am also sending you a hug & a prayer for this time to pass quickly so you start feeling good.
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sjlash ~ Speaking of which…how are you doing? You’ve been kind of quiet since you had your second surgery.
I hope you’re recovering well!
Praying for you, too!
Thank you for that. You guys keep me sane through this time. I got 11 hours of sleep last night! Crazy! So at least I’m sleeping good. Pain about the same today. Can’t wait for next week! Thank you guys and hugs for you!
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Glad you had a good sleep at least! Helpscyou cope a little bit better…keep strong! We’ll keep praying for you & keep sending you hugs!
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Kaska ~
Sleep is great for healing! So glad you slept well. I promise next week will be better. Look for little improvements. Sometime you have to really pay attention, but there will be some.
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Just a little 2 week update since my hyoid bone surgery. Well the swallowing and chewing is back to normal, but I didn’t have a problem with this before surgery. But my neck pain before the surgery is still there. The pain is moving around as before. In my neck, jaw, ear, upper spine , down to stomach, choking feeling and my lymph nodes are still hitting me up. The swelling is almost gone so it makes me nervous because the dr said once the swelling is gone I should see improvements but there haven’t been any. I’m just trying to take it day by day. Just tired of sitting on my butt all day. I’ll probably start to take short walks tomorrow. At least I’m sleeping good. Seems the pain is so much less when I’m still for a while but as soon as I wake up and start moving…boom…back to misery. I just hope I made the right decision and something else isn’t causing this. I just don’t know what else it could be.
Thank you for the support 
Hi Kaska,
You are still very early in your post op recovery. Your visible external swelling may be almost gone but internally there is still BIG work going on. You’ll have inflammation where you can’t see or feel it for a couple of months post op. It’s your body’s way of protecting the area injured by surgery while it heals. (Think of it as a protective cushion around those healing tissues). It will take from several months to a year for the affected nerves to heal.
It’s good for you to start moving now even if you don’t feel great when you do. Listen to your body & keep your activity low & slow for another month. I know this isn’t ideal when you’re an active person, but trust me when I say that alone will help you recover faster. I jumped back into exercising 2 weeks post op after my first ES surgery. BIG MISTAKE! I ended up having to take my Rx pain meds for close to 6 weeks post op & feel certain it’s because I wasn’t willing to moderate my activity during that time. Hindsight is always 20/20 isn’t it!
Your pain & current symptoms should disappear over time, but it’s a gradual process.
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Thank you Isaiah. I will take it easy and keep that in mind. I keep having to tell myself to be patient, it’s so hard when your in so much pain. But I know so many of us are going through the same thing. Thank you
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Unfortunately we’ve got quite a few members going through tough recoveries at the moment, so you’re not alone. I’m sure that if you read Sewmomma’s recovery story you’ll see how up & down it can be- she had calcified ligaments removed from the hyoid bone upwards. So maybe not unlike your surgery in recovery terms?
I don’t want to dismiss what doctors say, but many do seem to think that it’s a simple couple of weeks recovery, where from our experience it doesn’t seem to be the case! So try not to worry because of what your doctor told you!
Patience is definitely needed! Lots of prayers & hugs coming your way…
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