Dr Samji removed my left SP and ligament on Monday. Post op pain has not been very bad. I spent Monday afternoon and Tuesday hanging around the hotel room keeping ice on the incision. Wednesday and Thursday my wife and I were able to get out and see some sites in the area. Friday, Dr Samji gave me the all clear to go home and I’m waiting to board a plane now. I still have some swelling and pain but it is manageable. Thanks to Isaiah_40_31 for loaning me a wedge pillow. 5 days after surgery I’m doing good. Time will tell how much it helps but I am optimistic that it will be worth it. I’ll update my progress later. Thanks to everyone for the support.
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eaglesnest - So glad you’re doing well! Safe travels home! May the healing only progress in a forward direction. Remember to listen to your body & TAKE IT EASY for the next 2-4 weeks. Start back into your usual activities slowly & make time to rest daily. In a couple of months you should be “racing around” again (comparatively!). 
So glad to hear things went well. It won’t be long before I have my surgery with Dr. Samji. I am so ready to get this thing out of my neck.
Most of us can relate to that. Good luck and God’s blessings on your surgery.
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He said he removed it all. The parts that were along the nerves he said he crushed and removed. That part of California is beautiful and the weather is amazing. The heat and humidity of Southeast Louisiana is going to hit me like a brick when I get home. I’m still looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight.
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I live in the Central California. After a record streak of triple digit temperatures, we are finally headed into the best part of the year. October is awesome but only seems to last for two weeks. San Jose is much more temperate.
I’m glad that the surgery went well & that you’re not in too much pain! Hope that the flight home is good & you can rest better at home, take it easy for a bit!
Hey there eaglesnest!
Hope things are still on a positive progression…wondering how you are feeling on this fabulous Wednesday afternoon!
Sorry for the late reply. I am still improving. My headaches are much better. Though not completely gone they are less severe and my concentration has improved. After so many years of having this SP aggravating my nerves I can’t expect an instant complete recovery. I’m hoping for continued improvement as I continue to heal. I will say that after I finished the steroids there was an increase in pain but that’s to be expected. No more bone stabbing me in my throat on that side.
Great news that you’re still improving- you’re really sensible to expect it to take time for nerves to heal- a you say, they’ve probably been irritated for years. Ir’s so helpful for people to read about post- surgery experience, so keep updating when you can! Best wishes! 
eaglesnest -
So glad to hear you’re continuing to heal & that you’re willing to be patient w/ your body & let some more time pass. Just an FYI - if you start feeling symptomatic again, it’s most likely coming from your remaining styloid & doesn’t mean your first surgery didn’t work. In bilateral cases, too many people make the mistake of thinking the first surgery was useless when their symptoms don’t fully disappear. Remember you still have an elongated bone in there wreaking havoc. Often the remaining styloid’s symptoms will amplify after one styloid is removed.
Wishing you well & keeping you in my prayers.
Hi EaglesNest. I have been following your journey and have found your updates extremely helpful. When you have a moment, it would be terrific and so appreciated to hear how your last couple of weeks have gone. I am trying to gain a realistic picture of what it looks like to get this procedure — from the day of procedure, to the weeks of recovery that follow. Anymore that you would be willing to share would be enormously helpful and appreciated!
I’m sorry I have not been posting more of my post operative journey. My wife & I have been dealing with care for elderly parents quite a bit since my surgery. Since my surgery I have to say overall I am glad I had the styloid process removed. My symptoms are improved and seem to be continuing to improve (except for a few setbacks which I think are just part of the healing process). My headaches used to be constant but though not completely gone are not constant and are less severe. I am not miserable all the time like I was. I still have what I would describe as phantom pain in my throat at times. Sometimes I still feel pressure and/or slight pain where my SP used to poke me all the time. It could be from the scar tissue or it could be like someone who loses a leg or arm and still feels it itching. It was there for so long my mind or body still thinks it’s there. I expect this to completely go away over time. I also am noticing the pain from the other SP more now though it’s not near as bad as what I was feeling on the other side. I have several bad cervical discs that cause me neck pain on both sides and pain up the back of my head. My neuro surgeon wants to do a 3 level fusion but I put this surgery off till I’ve completely healed from my ES surgery since the operation will be in the same general area. I understand from this forum that it’s not unusual for ES patients to also have cervical disc problems. I’ll try to keep my progress updated as much as I can. Good luck MNmom on your journey navigating the world of ES and thanks so much to this forum for being there for people like us.
I also wanted to add that after the surgery, Dr Samji had me on steroids that were gradually reduced in dose. Steroids are a great anti-inflammatory and can make you feel better than you actually are. As the dose was decreased the pain was increased so it seemed like I was getting worse. Ice helped a lot. Don’t get discouraged with the ups and downs in the first several weeks after surgery and don’t push yourself too hard.
Glad that you can see improvements, it sounds like you’re being patient & realistic about healing! Good idea to put the neck surgery off until you’ve healed more. Thinking of you, not easy recovering & caring for elderly relatives…