Hi, I am having surgery with dr. Hackman in a few days and I’m nervous. I have been suffering from bilateral facial nerve pain, stabbing in the throat, a voice that goes in and out, and a neck that gets caught in a 90-degree angle. I have pressure in my face at the sinus area and nerve pain in my teeth and tongue. He believes my calcified ligament (4.6 l, 4.4r) is hopefully to blame. This has been almost 2 years in searching, diagnosing, and finding a surgeon that I felt comfortable with that also took my insurance. I trust him but it doesn’t change my fear. has anyone else had just ligament calcifications with nerve pain?
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@Spedula - We’ve had several members w/ just ligament calcification & all had nerve pain & some had vocal weakness/loss. All your symptoms are those seen w/ ES. I’m betting that getting those calcified ligaments removed will help reduce your symptoms significantly over time.
Remember that ES surgery isn’t a quick fix. Nerves are slow to heal & the first couple of months after surgery you may feel tired & have low energy as your body is trying to keep you down so it can recover.
After surgery, ice your neck for 15 min every couple of hours w/ a thin cloth between skin & ice pack. Sleep w/ your head elevated to about 30º to help reduce swelling in your neck & throat. A wedge pillow helps a lot w/ that. It’s not super comfy but really helps reduce post op swelling. Days 3-5 after surgery are when swelling peaks so that’s a good time to keep on schedule w/ ice & pain med. Remember that if you take opioid pain meds, they are constipating so you’ll need to take a laxative/stool softener alongside them. Having plugged “plumbing” post op only adds to the discomfort.
What date is your surgery? I don’t have it on my calendar. I’m sorry if you already mentioned it.
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Hi. It’s this upcoming Monday
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Best wishes for a successful surgery, will pray for good results! When you’re able to , let us know how you are 
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Hi Jules I saw a post were you linked a food shopping list but can’t find it now. Hackman told me because my jaw is so bad right now with limited ability open that , that will be my worst side effect and I will more than likely need to be on a soft food diet. (Yay weight loss) can you post it for me.
@Spedula - The shopping list basically contains suggestions for soft foods you can eat easily post op like
yogurt
smoothies (protein powder added helps them be more filling)
scrambled eggs
mashed potatoes
soup
ice cream
Mac & cheese w/ the noodles well cooked
cottage cheese
pudding
canned or well cooked veggies (so they’re very soft)
fruit sauces ie apple, pear, etc.
Basically things you like but don’t need to chew
My husband helped me out after my surgeries by making a meal then putting it in the blender w/ some broth or almond milk (depending on what the food was) & blending it. The result looked awful but usually tasted great.
I’m glad your surgery is coming up soon!
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Good that Dr Hackman has prepared you for this, maybe it will improve with the surgery
There’s a surgery shopping list one of our members wrote with everything suggested for surgery, not just food, here’s a link:
Surgery shopping list - General - Living with Eagle
I think we might’ve had a few discussions about our favourite recipes for after surgery, but they’re dotted about. My favourite was pineapple juice, and then made into a smoothie with raw spinach, banana & yoghurt. As @Isaiah_40_31 says, protein powders are great to add in to smoothies too. I presume in the US you can get meal replacement drinks the same as we can in the UK, these weren’t about when I had my surgery, products like Huel or yFood?
I was looking forward to the weight loss after my second surgery but I found I could eat food fine after that!
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@Spedula - Dr. Hackman did my bilateral styloid revision surgery. He is an exceptionally good surgeon and diagnostician, and will take good care of you.
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Hi @Isaiah_40_31 . I am doing well, thanks! Not all issues have resolved - still have some IJV compression from C1, I think. Will push my neurologist for the right imaging at the end of the month.
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I’m sorry IJV compression may still be a problem. Please keep us posted as to what you find out. You know we’re always here for you.
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