Hi all! Hope everyone is doing well (at least relatively). So, I did it. I scheduled surgery with Dr. Cognetti for September. Since the scarier symptoms are on the right we’ll do that one first. He really doesn’t feel that this is a big surgery at all so I guess that’s a good thing. Since I’m flying up for it, he’s having me come in the day before for preop testing, surgery on Friday, then head home on Tuesday. Might be an interesting 3 hr flight home! We’re planning for soft foods, ice packs ,and no lifting. I’ll also ask for extra pillows where we’re staying. We actually found a short term apartment rental almost next door to the hospital so we will actually have a full kitchen. Yay for jello! Any other helpful thoughts are welcome, especially as far as traveling go. Thanks!!!
Apple sauce, rice and pulled chicken are really good for keeping your proteins up.
I’m a big fan of smoothies for vitamin A and E.
Taking biotin and collogen help the incision heal well and an increase of vitamin C.
Increased magnesium intake is good for healing.
Good luck with everything! I’m healing from my second surgery 10 days ago and am hoping to go back to work in 7 days.
Seamom did a ‘shopping list’ for surgery: Surgery shopping list
If you have a smoothie maker/ juicer in the kitchen then they’re great post-surgery. I had lots of yoghurt too. A wedge pillow to keep you propped up is good, and I found a V-shaped orthopaedic pillow (like you have for breastfeeding) was really comfy as it eases the pressure from the sides of your neck.
B group vitamins are supposed to help with nerve healing.
Obviously you won’t be able to take everything with you, but just a heads up so that you can get stuff in for home too. Also some sort of massage oil for the scar for later is good too.
Good luck, and hopefully the wait won’t seem too long…
Hi,
Wish you the best. First time I’ve been on this site - do you mind if I ask where your surgery is; what city? I was recently diagnosed (in New york City) and going to see a specialist soon. Good luck with this.
Debra
CONGRATULATIONS on taking this giant step!! You should have no trouble traveling as long as you keep with the schedules for your pain meds & anti-inflammatories either in the form of ice or prescription meds (or both). The flight attendants can provide you w/ ice during the flight. Make sure to get a wedge pillow before you leave so you have it to use when you come home. Bed Bath & Beyond sells one that works well. I stacked more pillows on mine as Dr. Samji recommended 30º head elevation for the first couple of weeks post op to keep throat & neck swelling down while sleeping. I found I needed to sleep w/ my head elevated for about 6 weeks post op. Your experience will likely be different.
So glad that close housing away from home has worked out for you! That will prove to be invaluable as you won’t feel like going much of anywhere post op. In addition to jello, you might try things like frozen yogurt, ice cream (or non-dairy subs. if you need them) as the cold will feel good on your throat. I also got some fruit/veggie juice so I could keep some greens in my diet when I couldn’t eat them.
Please let us know your surgery date at some point as I will put it on my calendar & pray for you especially during that time.
Congratulations on your surgery date being so soon. I hope you found my shopping list helpful. Best advice I can give is go into surgery with positive thoughts and then take it easy and let other people do for you! Also, please stay in touch with this site post-surgery since we will all be looking forward to hearing about how well you are doing:hugs:
Hi goatgirl! Welcome to our site. Please ask questions & read posts. There is also information under the home tab for “Newbies” which you will find helpful.
The 2 most experienced US ES surgeons are Dr. Cognetti in Philadelphia, PA, & Dr. Samji in San Jose, CA. If you click on the HOME tab at the top of this page & type in Updated Doctors’ List, several will pop-up. The most current one is 12/16. The doctors on that list have all been named by people on this site who have either been diagnosed by them or had surgery done by them. There are several in NY - mostly Manhattan area but one in another area I’m not familiar with. I hope you’re able to find help closer to home.
You guys are awesome! Thank you! Barring any unforeseen changes, surgery for the right side is Sept. 8 with Dr. Cognetti. Already making lists of what to bring and where to shop if we need anything while up there. I’m allergic to most pain meds and NSAIDS so we’ll work around that. As long as I’m not puking that will be an improvement over my last surgeries.
Hey, thanks so much for getting back to me. Have already reviewed the
doctors lists and now reviewing whole site.
All best,
Debra
Debra Schwartz
Project Director
StudioEIS Inc.
68 33rd Street, 5th Floor Unit 13
Brooklyn, NY 11232
t. 718.797.4561
c. 917.541.3554
f. 718.797.4562
■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ www.StudioEIS.com http://www.studioeis.com/
Allergies to pain meds seems to be quite common- hopefully some of the other will be able to chip in with advice.
Wonderful…
One of my favourite things after surgery was frozen fruit juice pops.
Good luck.
Hey jessfl, Be very forward about letting Dr. Cognetti & the surgery center know you get terribly nauseous from pain meds & anesthesia. Tell EVERYONE, even multiple times if necessary so they can be prepared to give you what you need to be as comfy as possible post op.
Goatgirl - Good for you! Information is your best ally. Take everything you find on this site that is relevant to your situation with you when you go to a doctor appointment. Having documented evidence that supports your symptoms & diagnosis will help you fight your case even if when seeing doctors who claim to be familiar with ES.
Though there are certain common ES symptoms, there seems to be a subset of “uncommon” symptoms that may be unique to a given individual. I had some symptoms that no one else on this site has had & others have had symptoms I never experienced. There are doctors (even those in the know about ES) who will be dismissive of symptoms that seem, in their estimation, to “be outside of the box”. Don’t be discouraged by this.
hi, honestly if I were you I won’t have that surgery , I had it 2 years ago and believe me I regret almost every day, I just realized there is not such thing as eagle syndrome , if I have lived with that bone for 50 + years … . The only think I can tell you take time , get second, third opinion. Be smart , for me that’s just business. My pain is worse every day.
I’m sorry that you’ve had a bad experience with surgery. It does happen occasionally, and surgery isn’t necessarily something everyone wants to go for, but for the most part people have found that surgery helps with a lot of their symptoms; there’s lots of stories shared on here. I can assure you that there is such a thing as Eagle Syndrome. I completely agree though that it pays to take time looking for the right surgeon, and to see someone experienced like Dr Cognetti if possible.
I hope that you can get some help for the pain you’re still having.
I have been waiting 18months for surgery in the uk, only to be told I will have to wait a further 18months. Not eaten any food since March 2016. I feel for you.
That is discouraging news! Hopefully you’re waiting to see one of the surgeons that has been recommended in the UK. It’s unfortunate that your inability to eat normally hasn’t expedited the process for you.
Sorry to hear that you’re waiting so long- even by NHS standards, that seems to be ridiculous! Like Isaiah says, are you waiting to have surgery with someone experienced? If not, maybe have a look at the list in the doctors info section?
Waiting to see Mr Attard at the Birmingham QE hospital, they have military
surgeons so should hopefully get the right result.
I know there’s lots of rules and regulations with how long you have to wait in England, but I guess if you want to see a specific surgeon for something like this rather than any old bod then they can perhaps get away with it. Is your GP at all sympathetic, could they write to the consultant to ask if you can be seen more urgently as you’re struggling to eat? Also not sure if you’ve seen the consultant at all for a preliminary appt.? If not, and if your budget allows, sometimes it’s worth paying privately for a consultation only, and you jump a bit of the queue that way, and sometimes they bump you up the NHS list a bit. (My husband did that when he had a heart condition that he was going to have to wait for 9 months for just an initial specialist appt. The private consultant cost about £200, and the doctor he saw put a word in for him with another hospital so he got his op 8 weeks after that on the NHS- saved probably an 18 month wait altogether!)