You’ve been given good info from @MGORNEAU and @RobotEagle , so I hope that this is helpful…
I had bilateral compression just from the styloids though, no C1 involvement, but I was still feeling rough before my surgery. I had nerve pain which was bearable for a while so I put off having surgery, but when the vascular symptoms ramped up I decided the risks of surgery were necessary to try and get my quality of life back. I was very lucky and my symptoms eased pretty quickly after surgery, but over the years I’ve realised this is unusual, most people with VES find that their recovery is much longer as the others have said. But overdoing things is really common & we all come to regret it! Also having a bit more pain on the second side is common too, and first bite syndrome (where you get a pain in your cheek/ jaw area when you first eat), but this for me was a small price to pay for how good I felt after surgery, and keeping hydrated helps.
If you’re not sleeping propped up that can help, and some members have taken anticoagulant medication to alleviate symptoms before surgery.
It is unusual to feel worse after surgery, make sure you keep up with painkillers, and ice regularly. There’s lots of info about recovery here:
ES Information- Treatment: Surgery - Welcome / Newbies Guide to Eagle Syndrome - Living with Eagle
I hope that you find the forum reassuring, will you let us know when you have a surgery date so we can pray for you? 
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