Steady improvements, that’s what we like! 
Yup, absolutely. We want to keep things positive, but it also has to be real.
Glad to hear that you are moving forward, even if it is by baby steps. Heck, no, discontinuing narcotics and going to ibuprofen PRN is a giant leap!
Take very good care: better days ahead, SewMomma!
Seenie from ModSupport (I sew too, LOL)
Thank you for the encouragement. Things have to get better, I keep telling myself. Today’s swallows started off terrible but then got better as the day went on. Right now I’m sitting here swallowing with a click though. Sometimes I want to hide under my blanket all day and just not swallow ever! I’m doing ok though. Great support and staying in “survival mode” and not making life too complicated. I had trouble making some decisions today on which school books to purchase for next year so I just pushed it to the side for later.
Lots of deep breaths for sure. And I like what you said @Isaiah_40_31. Ignore the iffy ones. They are definitely iffy for sure! How I can have the same problem I had at the beginning of this whole journey that ceased after the first surgery but now came back after the second surgery is yet another twisty turn with this crazy condition. I’m still believing it will all settle with time.
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Good job! Positive mindset goes far in assisting with successful healing. When you feel/hear the click…put your mind in a happy click-free place & move on. Before you know it, those swallows will all be “click-less”!!
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Popping in to say today has been really good. It’s mid-day and I’ve had 7 clicks today. I know it seems like a bad idea to count but compared to every single swallow having a click last Wednesday, I’m thrilled there have been so few today! Progress
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Definitely progress! Hope those kiddies are being good for you?!
Vacuuming and bringing Mommy oatmeal, indeed! 
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SewMomma ~ You are indeed blessed! 
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Today was my best day yet. I felt like my outlook turned a corner. 
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Hello everyone. Well I haven’t written these past few days but they were really really good. But don’t get too excited, today has not been good 
. The morning was fine and I don’t know why but, since this afternoon I’ve had a pretty intense pop/click on my right with every swallow. I’ve noticed that my swelling is moving around the front of my neck over to the right. Just a reminder my recent surgery was on the left. Now, the good thing is that if I strain really hard when I swallow and tell my muscles what I want them to do then I can make the click stay away. So all of this is still part of the healing right? I can’t help being a little freaked out by the recent post about hyoid bone syndrome. The first doctor at Emory shrugged to his shoulders ay my original click and said maybe the hyoid is snagging on your spine. But my surgeon said in an email to me “your hyoid looks fine we need to take the ligaments out” and the click was gone after the first surgery. Lots of deep breathes and trust. Going to get out of the house tomorrow for the first time. Please pray for me. Having the click back is very stressful because I’m at the end of my Eagle syndrome journey and really need things to fall in place, literally LOL. I can rationalize that the swelling is pushing the hyoid into things like before the first surgery but it’s still causing me anxiety. 
Praying for you! Patience patience patience. You are going to be great!!
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SewMomma,
I am still waiting for my surgery so cant give authentic advice here but take comfort in knowing that “standard tissue healing time” for all humans is 6-8 weeks and it looks like you are not there yet from your prior messages. Keep doing all of the right things, I will pray for a deep sense of quiet to calm your anxieties…breathing with you 
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Thank you @JustBreathe! 2 weeks and a day, barely a third of what you mentioned.
We’ll be here for you when you need us. You forget all your own good advice when you’re the patient 
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We expect surgery to be an instant, miracle cure, but I’ll repeat what the others have said: healing takes time! It’s still possible to be healing from your first surgery, & now you’ve had the 2nd…everything will have shifted after round 1, then again after round 2, & if you still have swelling that doesn’t help. Stay strong & keep positive, sending you a big hug & hope you have a good day out!
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SewMomma -
I love your wisdom - so profound! It is easy to preach from a healed place & forget the anxiety of recurrent symptoms during the healing process. You’re doing AWESOME! Prior to the last few days you didn’t have great days so use those recent wonderful days as a portent of good things to come. Jules, sjlash & Just Breathe all offered you great advice - patience, time & reduction of swelling will all make the difference between today & the future. You’ll get there!!
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Thank you for all your prayers and supportive thoughts and comments. It is very helpful.
Had my breakdown cry this weekend. Hadn’t had that yet this time around. Just tired of the waiting, you know? And still feeling kind of weak and puny. Walmart was giving out free samples of detergent this weekend. I took one and for the life of me I don’t know why I didn’t read the label more clearly before putting it in my dishwasher. It was laundry detergent. On my third cycle of trying to get the smell off my my precious food processor I’ve used to puree things. I did have a good laugh about it though so that’s good. 
I woke up with a wonderful swallow this morning. Halfway through my oatmeal, the bone-crunching click jumped out at me. It’s upsetting. I’m ok. I’ll be ok. Everything is going to be ok.
Go for my check up in Atlanta tomorrow at 3:00 pm.
You did something I’d be likely to do w/ the soap! You made me laugh! I needed a good laugh this morning. I cut my husband’s hair last night (for the second time). His barber had knee replacement surgery & is out of commission till the end of July. He won’t go anywhere else so I became the designated barber 
. Never did anything like this before. The first time - a month ago went well. I’ll call it beginner’s luck. The second time, he’s a bit uneven on the sideburns part of his hair i.e. I shaved one side back closer to his ear than the other. 
He wouldn’t let me even it out. He was a good sport about it though. I laughed till I cried. It was very sad. I think even he was entertained. Considering he doesn’t have much hair left to cut, it’s not too obvious but still…
The good swallows will “swallow up” the bad. You just wait & see!! One day you’ll have a fully awesome day w/ no clicks or swallowing hitches then more & more will follow.
Your follow-up tomorrow will confirm that!
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Thank you friend, I am smiling. I am the entrusted barber for the men in the house and that clipper really can have a mind of its own sometimes! Funny I did my husband’s hair this weekend and endorsed myself that I did something “normal”.
Love the “swallow up” thing. Nicely done - going to think about that when I have a hard time. I forgot to share my new phrase too…totally opposite of my nature, personality, temperament and my inner core. “Just go with it”.
Just going with it!!!
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Yes, the waiting is sooooo hard. I read somewhere that patience is another word for long suffering. Keep breathing through it and tears are so very cleansing 
I am glad you have a FU tomorrow, best of all for that! Hilarious about the detergent and barber stories…I cut my husbands hair ONCE, then had to give a complete buzz cut to “fix” the problem…never again Good luck with the food processer, God has a great sense of humor and is holding you tight
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Thank you I honestly would be a basket case without this group.
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