Great advice, JustBreathe! I don’t even have anything to add! You sound like you’re doing well considering how soon post op you are. I applaud your efforts at both being patient w/ your body & at doing what you can to aid it in recovery.
Hi SusieQ,
Glad you’ve read those posts. Knowing what others have gone through can make such a difference for you in understanding what you are & may yet face. As JustBreathe noted - ICE - 15 min. on & at least 45 min. off several times/day. In the absence of an oral anti-inflammatory, this is your best “medicine”.
Your incision continues to look amazing. I love your caterpillar image!
Hi! Float down a river right now. Let the current just take you along. Do not touch the incision. I got the heebie jeebies 
when I touched either of my surgical sites before 4 weeks! I only felt like I could rub with any kind of pressure at 6 weeks. I rub nightly now for an hour while watching tv. I’m just under 3 months post op. Do not rush that part of the process.
I took a steroid at week 2 to speed up the swelling. It did give me a boost but I’m still, STILL at 3 months feeling a bit swollen. It is what it is. I’ve told myself I’ll be so much better by Christmas. That’s 6 months post op!
You’re still in baby step territory! Don’t expect too much. That’s my personal downfall! 
Isaiah- ha ha ha 
that would be my extremely hard head and having been the patient waaaay too many times, having made all of the mistakes many times over…slow learner here 
I had trouble opening my mouth wide after the 1st surgery, couldn’t even clean my teeth for a week or so, but it soon went.
The styloid processes are attachments for muscles in the floor of the mouth too so it may all feel a little different & be weak, you’ve had something which shouldn’t even be there irritating structures, now it’s gone everything needs to adjust. I asked my surgeon if removing the styloid & detaching the ligaments would affect swallowing, or if I’d feel any different, he said no, it’s strange as structures are attached to the styloids but I never felt any different!
Hope that it settles soon…
Hi @SusieQ, who did your surgery?
How are you feeling?
Your first message really hit close to home for me. I have been crying so hard the past few nights feeling so hopeless as I had surgery in February to remove my stylohyoid ligament, but am still feeling a bone in my throat and my doctor doesn’t have any idea what’s going on. But I have a 4.5 year old son and I keep thinking of him and want to be here and be healthy to watch him grow. I just want my life back and I’m so sick of no one being able to help me. It has been almost 4 years and I thought I was in the clear after my surgery but I’m not. And now I am waiting to get a second opinion but my hope is dwindling and I don’t know how much longer I can take of this.
Please let me know who saved you!
So sorry that surgery hasn’t helped you…was your styloid process long before surgery? Or angled or wide? Just wondering why it wasn’t shortened at the time? If you could get more up to date imaging that would be helpful to see what’s going on, is that possible? I feel for you, especially with a youngster to care for…hugs for you.
Hi Courtney!
Thank you for your message. I am 5 days post op and I had my surgery by a wonderful doctor here in Phoenix. Dr. Milligan.
I am still very much in the healing process but I felt immediate relief on left side of my head. It is hard to describe but literally feels like I have more oxygen in my brain and as if a fog has been lifted.
I had the left side done first and on Thursday is my post OP where we will hopefully get a firm.date for the right side.
What I am.feeling right now that is weird:
Reflux- could be from all the drugs. BG sent me some great ideas to help mitigate this as it has been rough
Other side- super angry and I can feel.in my throat. That side is 4.6 cm and I really really want it removed.
I have not cried myself to sleep in pain since I have had the surgery. I really had no choice as my quality of life had detoriated so much. I was very dark.
Honestly I was very scared about the surgery but I felt that finding this website and the people on it have been like guardian angels.
You have a wealth of knowledge here from people that want to help.
I really believe God is healing me and I feel once I get this right side done I will regain my strength again.
I really like my doctor. Dont lose faith please. You found this website and people will be here for you. I really understand.
I am not taking for granted the immediate relief I feel. I do have weird nervy things occurring but since I have read every blog on this website I realize it is par for the course with healing.
I know how hard it is when you have a little one and you participate less and less. I can only share my experience 5 days in that I dont regret the surgery one bit and I am anxious to get to the second one out!!!
Sending love love love your way. I will say a special prayer tonight for you. Do not lose hope. You found this group for a reason.
Susie Q
I think you can find dr Milligans info under the doctor section.
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Susie you are very kind to be sharing your experience & encouraging others while still going through a tricky recovery. You, @Sewmomma, @BrooklynGirl, @sjlash, @Justbreathe are all amazing & lovely, this is peer support at it’s best…sorry if I’ve forgotten anyone!
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Writing, sharing and connecting with others is therapeutic 
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Amen to that!
Update day 5- I still feel better then prior to surgery so i am grateful for that. My stomach has been giving me issues and just feels like I need to burp/ pain like my body is trying to figure out how to digest again. I am having back of throat pain not sure if that is the remaining styloid. I did take coffee today and BG has helped me with a list of things to avoid. Oh but coffee calls my name… also I get dizzy if I stand too much. Not sure if all this is just the healing process. The positive part is I am not in excruciating pain. Also just weird throat pains that come and go more like nerve pain in front of neck on both sides…anyone? Have that?
I was supposed to do post OP tomorrow but my doctor was called on for surgery so it will be Friday now.
One more question. The surgery person called and said there could be an opening Monday Oct 13th I think she said but at the St Joe’s out patient which is next to hospital. Do you have any feelings about this? I am a worrier and prior had insisted on the hospital just because I thought well what if the doctor needs a flux capacitor or something… it was more to ease my anxiety and yet at the same time I really want this other one out… thoughts?
Here is my Caterpillar day 5
I would be willing to bet your stomach upset is from the change your vagus nerve has gone through, it has direct relations to your GI. I agree with BG to keep with low acid food/drink and as minimally processed as possible. It could also be related to the many drugs your system is processing and that takes a while, everyone is different. I have not had the throat pain you are referring to, hang in there! As far as the outpatient, i see your concerns. However, they would have full capability to care for you in any crisis situation, it just might be solo through the night. Do you know what the holding time is, some are 23 hours to qualify for outpatient so that might cover you there. Hope your post op visit goes well, 
is looking great!!!
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Hi SusieQ!
Your incision is healing BEAUTIFULLY! Very impressive. Your ongoing symptoms are pretty typical of ES recovery. Pain comes & goes, old & new symptoms come & go, but over time, they go for good. As you’ve noted, that remaining styloid can also be contributing.
I had both of my ES surgeries outpatient. The hospital was nearby but was not needed. I felt like the surgery center my surgeon used was like a mini-hospital. It was actually almost better than a hospital setting as I felt the personal care & attention I received was better than at a hospital. The nurses were amazing & “Johnny on the spot” any time I needed something once I woke up from anesthesia. I have now had several surgeries at that particular surgery center & have yet to have a bad or concerning experience. I would expect Dr. Milligan to work from a facility w/ the same level of quality & care.
Thank you for keeping us up to date!
It’s looking so neat! It’ll will just look like a natural crease in the neck once it’s properly healed…it does sound like usual ups & downs of healing, nerves will take their time to heal & settle, while they’re doing that they can set off weird sensations & pain different to before. Take it easy & praying for you…
Hi SusieQ,
How are you today? Hopefully your throat and neck pains are better. I am having both…feels like a golf ball in my throat sometimes so I think it is just swelling. I have swelling under my jaw too that seems to cause more pain. Ice is a constant companion and seems to be helping. Hopefully yours is improving and your dizziness is better…I blame the pain meds for that.
P.S. your incision looks GREAT!
Morning Kay and everyone!!
Post op went well and I have next surgery scheduled for Monday October 14th! The doctor was hoping the left side would relieve everything but I can really feel my right side now and I think it might be causing my reflux issues from the right side but I am not sure. I am not taking any medication now unless it’s a muscle relaxer for my right side as needed. He said i could start wearing silicone scar strips or creams now to help the scar. Plus I can shower. Yahooooo! Yesterday was the first day I did things. We had lunch at Houstons after the doctor. We split cajun trout, a filet mignon mango salad and had a bottle of malbec!!! It was delicious.I felt like a person!!!
I had a random guy tell me: Cool scar, I wish I had one like that!!" Oh brother scar envy?? Is that a thing?
I am just praising God that I am feeling better but I definitely want the right side out. I still feel dizzy but at least the vertigo is gone. I feel like whispering that because man vertigo is no joke.
I get anxiety when symptoms happen and I’m working on Maintaining calm and breathing through it. Easier said then done.
The anesthesiologist jammed my mouth under the tongue with the breathing tube so that is still not healed. I have extra bone in mouth called toriah so it has not been pleasant.
For everyone that had both sides out: how long did it take to feel like this was the answer on the second side? I can really tell that the side I had surgery is calm and healing but my right side is raging and full of inflammation!
Kay I’m praying for you. Those are a few rough days in that recovery process for sure. Ups and downs. I think I am on the other side of the worst part of it. All being said I would encourage anyone who is afraid about the surgery that my experience has been better than expected. From the moment I woke up I felt immediate relief of the excruciating head pain and vertigo. The recovery period is about healing where as the day to day pain that isn’t going to go away without surgery is just devastating. I’m not ready for zumba yet as I’m still dizzy but I have a Thanksgiving goal to be healed enough after second surgery to start shaking my booty again!
Best to all.
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Just breathe how are you feeling? How is your recovery going? Dark chocolate still helping?
Anyone here from maui? Maui was having both sides done through back of neck I think on the 22nd? Hopefully Maui is recovering well too.
Dark chocolate ALWAYS helps!!! So grateful to hear you are doing well and your FU appt was good, October 14th will be here in a blink and this will all be behind you YAY! Excellent celebration meal, sounds wonderful. I am doing very well, moving forward each day with baby steps. Enjoy the weekend 
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