FINALLY I have a surgery date of March 21st. I will be having both sides done. I have more pain to the left but vascular involvement on the right. I’m so excited to finally have this on the books. I’ve had symptoms for 7 years with a final diagnosis October of last year. Any and all advice on recovery is welcome!
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CONGRATULATIONS!! I’m so glad your surgery date isn’t too far out! If you click on the magnifying glass icon in the upper right of this page & type in surgery recovery, many posts will pop up with helpful information.
Our basic routine is ICE, ICE, ICE post op - 15-20 min on & 45 min off as often as you feel like during the first 1-2 wks post op.
Stick with the pain med schedule the doctor recommends including setting your alarm to wake up during the night - don’t skip meds in the first week at least.
Have a soft diet ready to eat i.e. soup, yogurt, applesauce, mashed potatoes, protein smoothies, milkshakes, whatever you like along those lines, as you will like have a sore throat & possible a sore jaw which will make chewing difficult for a few days to a few weeks.
Sleep w/ your head elevated to 30º if possible. This will feel like sleeping sitting up but it will help reduce the swelling in your neck & throat.
Get a stool softener & laxative & start taking them soon after surgery so you don’t get “plugged” from the Rx pain meds.
If you’re seeing Dr. Hackman, ask him for a post op Rx for Prednisone as that will help reduce your surgical inflammation. I don’t think he routinely Rxes it.
Recovery can be a slow process taking a number of months w/ symptoms coming & going in a cycle over that time. Eventually they finally go or at least mostly.
I hope this helps!
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Good news! I think that Isaiah has pretty much covered everything to get ready, I’d just add that the more post op discussions you read the more prepared you’ll be! Don’t panic if symptoms don’t disappear straight after surgery, as Isaiah says it can take a while, rest up & take it easy for the first couple of weeks.
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I had a bilateral styloidectomy with Dr. Trevor Hackman last August 2021. The surgery went well. They removed my 5 cm styloids back to the skull. Recovery was a little difficult. Now, all of my symptoms are gone. I had my 6 month follow-up. He was pleased with my recovery. Amazing skilled and caring doctor. I received excellent care at the hospital and his office at UNCH.
Best wishes on a successful procedure and care with Dr. Hackman.
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Thank you so much for this testimonial, @Dcau. We need more of our members with good outcomes to come back & share as this is really helpful, encouraging news for our members who are awaiting diagnosis &/or surgery. 
@TeaMichelle , how have you been since the surgery?..
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