Had my surgery with Dr. Nakaji yesterday and it went well. Had to stay in the hospital overnight. On top of the styloid and part of C1 transverse process he also had to remove a large lymph node, which is probably nothing but always concerning. Honor Health in Scottsdale is where he does his surgeries and he seems to have a great support staff there. Everyone involved whether they were his staff or hospital were very good to include the nurses that helped me while I stayed over night. The food was even good, which was a surprise. Not feeling bad at the moment but not feeling super great either. *Feel pretty weak even though I’ve been eating although that is probably normal after a surgical procedure such as this. I have a good set up for the rest of the week before going home, and I’m hoping the post surgery inflammation and swelling doesn’t get too bad. I have lots of ice packs so we’ll see I guess.
Thank you for your update, @pauld1635. I’m glad you’re not too uncomfy right now. Fatigue/tiredness is definitely part of having surgery & it can last for a number of weeks. It can also be a side effect of the anesthesia which will be out of your system probably by tomorrow. Remember that tomorrow through Fri or Sat. will be when your swelling peaks so keep those ice packs coming & that pain medication on board. Head elevation during rest/sleep is also vital to help keep swelling reduced.
I look forward to hear how your healing journey unfolds. I’m glad you have surgery #1 behind you & hope it helps you feel better.
So pleased that you’ve had surgery, @Isaiah_40_31 reminded us you were having surgery too so was praying for a successful surgery. Good that you’ve been able to eat; I hope that you start to feel stronger soon, and that you don’t suffer to much with the swelling…take care of yourself & keep us posted
It can take a while for the swelling to go down before you’ll know if the IJV has re-opened, and also it can take a while for the brain to re-adjust to the change in pressure…
Just wanted to give a follow-on update. Its been about seven weeks since the surgery. During this time, each day was up and down, with even times of day being different. The incisions has healed very nicely and the different between the right and left side is noticeable. I don’t have neck pain, but I still deal with jaw/masseter soreness, my sinuses still feel inflamed, and I tend to still have that fullness/loopy feeling in my head. I knew going in that the left side was worse and I’m sure that I will have to have the left side done to get the most out of my results. I’m sure things will continue to improve from the right side surgery as the weeks go on but yeah the left side will be next I suppose. I also feel like the area of C1, and the nerves are still healing so maybe that will make a difference as well.
Good to hear from you @pauld1635. Thank you for the update. I’m glad you’re feeling some better & your incision is healing well. My less bad side was also done first due to the angle the styloid was growing and getting the second side taken care of made a HUGE difference in how I felt overall though it did take 9-12 months post op for the results to be optimal.
It’s so great that you’re being patient & staying positive during your healing. I have hope & expectation for your body to heal well.
I’m glad that the incision is healing well, and hopefully when you get the second side done then you’ll really see the benefits! Have you been given an idea of when you can have the next surgery? 3 months seems to be the minimal time between surgeries, but it does vary…
I spoke with Dr. Hepworth today and reviewed my pre-surgery venogram with him. He said he could schedule the next surgery for September. Based on the venogram, the first thing he asked was how the left side is feeling. Normally, he’d recommend waiting 12 weeks between procedures, but given how the venogram looks—and considering how well I’ve recovered on the right side—he’s comfortable moving forward with the left side sooner.
I’m leaning toward having him do it, especially since he also wants to address and evaluate my transverse sinus, which may not be something Dr. Nakaji would explore. That said, I still want to talk to Dr. Nakaji before making a final decision..
