Such a happy update, SusieQ. I’m so glad to read how well your recovery is going! I laughed at your “scar envy” comment. Seriously! That was a funny comment the guy made!!
Your remaining symptoms could absolutely be coming from an irritated (or still irritated) vagus nerve. It’s impact in our bodies is incredibly wide ranging. It took me a full two months to begin feeling normal after my first surgery. After my second surgery, it only took 6 weeks. I had my worst pain on the side that was done second & it was much reduced when I awoke from surgery. My second surgery was much more straight forward than the first, & I was even able to eat solid food the day I came home from surgery. It was 3 weeks or more before that great event occurred after my first surgery.
I totally empathize w/ the injury to your tori. Sorry that happened. I have that same bony growth in my lower jaw. Have to stay away from bread w/ hard crusts (sourdough…) & things that are hard to bite/chew, or they get all skinned up & sore. I hope yours recovery quickly.
Really glad that you were able to go out & feel normal! That’s a brilliant update!! Scar envy- I was gutted to start with that mine didn’t show much- I wanted people to ask so that I could spread the word about ES!
I had to wait a year for my 2nd side to be done- partly because I wasn’t sure & then the UK waiting lists! But I found my 2nd surgery much easier & recovery was quicker, so I felt good soon after. I get a little bit of the vascular symptoms back if I’m very stressed, I think that the veins didn’t spring back fully, but am so pleased with the results of surgery- I have my life back! Good that you have a date for side 2! Hope you do get to do zumba!
Thanks SusieQ! Glad that you are making excellent progress. Thanks for the prayers. I sure have felt all the prayers calming me…I will continue to pray for you as you heal from this surgery and prepare for your next one. The post-op period is a roller-coaster so we just have to hang on and ease over the bumps. Today is much better than yesterday…guess it was a wake up call yesterday to not be quite so ambitious. Have a lovely day!
I just want to say that healing will be a roller coaster ride for awhile. Healing from ES surgery seems to give us a few really good days followed by some more discouraging days followed by some really good days, etc. Eventually the good days win! That’s the happy news!!!
Glad to hear from you Suzie Q and Kay. You sound really good so soon after surgery. I liked the reference to scar jealousy. Thinking about Zumba, sounds positive. My mind is on pilates and Tai Chi, but some dancing might be in order in the future .
DAY 12- Hello everyone just a quick update. I am actually having more issues with my mouth healing from the breathing tube being jammed in me then any other issues outside of digestive issues I previously mentioned. I am so grateful that I embarked on the journey to have the surgery. I would like everyone to see day 12 Caterpillar is turning into a butterfly! Thank you for the advice on the the silicone patches I’ve purchased them through Amazon. Right side is so angry! Bring on 14 October please!
Anyone hear from maui?
Question for you all on nerve pain medications. Has anyone tried Cymbalta? I have read people using gabapentin and amitriptyline but was also wondering if anyone had experience with that one.
I have become more aware after this first surgery that I wear my shoulders as earrings. Does anyone else do this? I am happy I am aware of this but I think I have developed this habit of being clinched from all the pain.
Any ideas on how to relax more shoulders/neck or does that come with getting both sides done? Botox in shoulders? Just wondering if this will happen naturally or if i have to get a plan to have those muscles or nerves relax?
Yes, it i could be crunched, sternocleidiomastoid muscles are tight among others. PT helps will help more after next surgery, but if you are not having shoulder pain, it could go away on its own
Cymbalta is for pain. I cannot answer about it. I cannot take any of them
About a week prior to my surgery I had a PT do trigger point dry needling (also know as functional dry needling) to my upper trapezius muscles which helped tremendously! Then I followed it with some light postural strengthening exercises for head and shoulders to retrain the muscles in the new length. It was very helpful. I am pretty sure PT’s in Arizona can do this technique. Would not recommend Botox, not sure anyone would do it for you given the surgery you are walking into - super aggressive treatment.
Since the surgery I have found that keeping my spine long with good head posture has been super helpful, takes the stress off of the surgical site as well as the suboccipital muscles that are typically chronically short.
Great advice, JustBreathe. Sounds like the orthopedic Pilates exercises I do weekly to keep my shoulders away from my ears & my spine from shrinking.
I am a great proponent of dry needling. I was introduced to it by a chiropractor in Wyoming. I first had it done on my shoulders & in my rib area. It quickly helped resolve shoulder & rib pain I had from being yanked by my daughter’s aggressive dog when I was walking him. Dry needling is not permitted in some states (California ).
Here’s something you can try for your shoulders. You can do this standing or sitting. Visualize your scapulas (shoulder blades) on each side of your spine
Without using your arms, lift your scaps up as close to your ears as you can.
Next, allow them to slide as far down your back as you can
Then, spread them as wide apart as you can (still NO arms helping!)
Finally, squeeze them together then repeat.
You can do this process in a “box” shape i.e. lift the scaps & then spread them wide in the lifted position; from the wide & lifted position allow them to slide down your back & then pull them together toward your spine; from there lift them up & repeat. Reverse direction after you’ve done 3-4 boxes in one direction. You just need to do a few. This should NOT hurt. If you have pain when doing this, reduce your range of motion to a place where there is no pain.
Another thing that might help is to open up your sternum (breast bone). You can do this easily by standing in corner far enough from the 2 walls so you can place one hand on each wall then lean your body gently into the corner. You should feel a gentle stretch across your chest as it moves closer to the corner as you lean in. Pay attention to your shoulders & try not to let them elevate i.e. keep your shoulder blades in a lowered position while doing this or you won’t get much of a stretch.
I think that some members have tried Cymbalta, not personally though. Lots have tried Baclofen too, that might help? Before surgery I had a disc problem C5-C6, & lots of really tight knotted muscles, I saw a physio who gave me a few simple stretches to do which made a massive difference within days- I wa gutted that I’d suffered for so long & the solution was simple! The exercises I did were all laying down with my head on a pillow, very 5 gentle, slow chin tucks, & 10 gentle slow turning my head to the side, each side. Plus gentle shoulder shrugs, about 20, I did the exercises 3 times a day. Might help you, but I would definitely think about seeing a pt as long as they understand about ES & the surgery you’ve had.
@SusieQ
Shoulder earrings - I like the visual but I know its not pleasant. I have been doing PT since the 2 month post-op mark for my tight shoulders and agree with JustBreathe and Isaiah that it is very helpful. If nothing else I get a 20 min massage on my shoulders, back and neck.
Also @JustBreathe suggestion to keep your spine long with head up and straight is key to limiting nerve/muscle issues. I do notice if I spend to long looking down through the day (on my phone of course, but only when I am not busy of course ) it get muscle spasms and tightness in my neck and shoulders with buzzing and burning in my head.
I dont know if my issues are related to the moderate stenosis in my cervical spine, though the neck surgeon thought not; that I sit at a desk all day and affected by repetitive motion; or maybe related to the remaining styloid to come out - or maybe all three. I am not relying on the surgery to relieve the pain but it would be a big bonus if the surgery helped.
I also think my occiptal nerve is affected by the ES right side. I have had issues from this for years but never related the two. That would be another HUGE bonus if this was relieved from surgery on the right side.
Hang in there. Time will heal these issues.
Sending hugs.
BG
Thank you all for such wonderful responses!!!. I have my first physical therapy appointment today and ensured this therapist does dry needling! Great advice. I also appreciate that this healing journey changes daily and I am hoping like many of you that at the two month marker the nerves feel more healed and safe and no one is coming to poke them.
One more… this is a creepy question. Am I allowed to ask to keep my styloid bone for the second surgery? Or is that illegal? I would like to keep as a memento of not to give up hope…thoughts?
Thank you all for such great input. I was really hoping the answer was going to be a dirty martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives instead of months of therapy, watch my posture, consider elimination diet , dry needling, pilates, stretching and remaining calm…
You can ask for your styloid (I did) but our wonderful country has set up laws against such things. It has to be sent to a lab to make sure there’s nothing else going on w/ it…I wasn’t even allowed pics of mine, but after my second surgery, my nurse snitched the bottle w/ the styloid & brought it to me, & my sister took a quick pic before the nurse returned it. SHEESH! It is a part of our bodies. Doesn’t that make us entitled to continue to own it!?! This has not always been the protocol. My sister came home w/ her tonsils in a jar after her tonsillectomy in the 1960s.
) & things that are hard to bite/chew, or they get all skinned up & sore. I hope yours recovery quickly.
My mind is on pilates and Tai Chi, but some dancing might be in order in the future .
).
) it get muscle spasms and tightness in my neck and shoulders with buzzing and burning in my head.
