I’ve had better mornings than today. Woke up with the sparky/clicky sound when I swallow.
But, got out of bed. Have to just move and function as well as I possibly can. We have a fun weekend ahead with family. I pledge to stay distracted!
God bless you all - especially those of you that have to work after surgery. Your Labor can not be easy while recovering from this complicated surgery.
SewMomma - you are the primo example of fortitude at it’s best! I admire your tenacity and know you will have all of this behind you as a distant memory one day soon. Have a lovely weekend, enjoy family and all life has to offer 
praying for you
I second @JustBreathe 's sentiments! Sending hugs.
BG
Thank you both! Grading a high school French exam right now so let me say, “Merci beaucoup!!!” 
You are working too, homeschooling is work! Hope that you can have a great family weekend!
Hi @BrooklynGirl,
I was up last night a bit and thought of you. How is your breathing and sleeping going? I hope you are able to be up and work more, feeling better and sleeping blissfully!
@SewMomma - okay now you realllllly are my hero. My husband and i talked about homeschooling (18 years ago), our kids weren’t 6 months old yet and we realized there was NO way we could pull that off 
keep on raising good humans…our world thanks you!
@JustBreathe. Thank you for checking in. I am glad to see that you are recovering well from your surgery.
The difficult breathing episodes are thankfully fading. The central nervous system is fascinating. Before surgery I never connected anxiety to the actual nerves - it was something in my head. After surgery I could feel the anxiety flow in waves from my neck to my diaphragm. Once I started visualizing the vagus and the sympathetic/parasympathetic nerves as it runs through my body it helped to place the anxiety, breathing (and stomach) issues squarely as physical - ah, its not all in my head!
I have done a fair amount of research in this recently and discovered that in addition to deep diaphragmatic breathing, I read that cold helps: "It has been seen that exposure to cold activates the vagus nerve because it stimulates the cholinergic neurons crossing these innervations. In fact, an investigation conducted at the University of Oulu (Not a typo. This is in Finland) has revealed that regular exposure to cold helps to reduce the fight-flight response that launches the sympathetic nervous system." So before I go to bed I place my ice pack on my neck/chest for 15 mins and it seems to help with sleeping. A cold shower or a swim in the cold community pool is calming. What ever works, right?
I know that you are aware of vagal tone but its new to me. I am working on the deep breathing as a way to control and calm everything associated with the vagus nerve.
two interesting articles:
BG
I love what a smarty pants you are. Thanks for sharing this is right up my alley!! Too bad…if we could stop talking about Vagus and just go to Vegas!! Much more fun. This vagus nerve is really in control of many things!! Unbelievable! I will try your ice idea tonight and may call Oahu if they need people to research!
Aloha!
BG so great to hear your CNS is starting to normalize - YAY 
And so wonderful you have found a tangible connection that works for you! I just breaks my heart how our society has stigmatized and marginalized “anxiety”, etc. Thank you for the links, great references and explanations for the vagus nerve - awesome! My CNS went upside down 5 years ago and I have been tracking my hart rate variability and resting HR for a long time, hoping that I will see my vagal tone change and in turn resolve the neurally mediated POTS (postural orthstatic tachycardia syndrome). Interestingly since the ES surgery ~2 weeks ago my HR and BP have been running very low…I’m thinking too much vagal stimulus from the injury of the styloid compression and injury of the surgery. I have just started tracking my HR and BP before and after my Centering meditation and Om chant and so far BP & HR are much lower after both (too low actually). I also wrap my entire neck in ice prior to sleep which feels wonderful.
We all are a fascinating medical wilderness…love our bodies 
and it’s lessons.
Hope you had a great holiday and continue to heal! Peace and all good
I love your sense of humor, SusieQ. Oahu would be great! Finland might be a little chillier!!
Thank you for your input and sharing the information you’ve garnered over the years and what works, etc. You have been through enough and I hope that your ES surgery will help.
Another take on anxiety:
I know many women when they phase into peri and post menopause get high anxiety/panic attacks/heart palpitations after never having them before, my grandmother was one of them. I don’t get many, but when I do get a hot flash feels the same as a wave of anxiety running down my body, which is now very familiar post surgery. It all makes sense now - menopause effects the CNS. Its something that is never discussed.
Hot flashes interrupt sleep. Keeping cool helps us sleep. Maybe I will sleep with an ice pack from now on. 
Joking aside, I think there is something to this.
Sending hugs.
BG
So glad that you’re finding the episodes getting less, and that things are improving. And thanks for the info about the vagus nerve!
BG
Great articles! Thank you so much for posting the links. Your journey has been somewhat long & twisting but good is coming out of it. Thank you for all the great advice & sharing of your “adventure” which has helped others on this forum so much.
We should all meet in Vegas! An ES convention of sorts. 
I would definitely be down for a vegas trip!
BG, I’m still having this bizarre vomit feeling. It’s like in back of my neck then I feel in my throat and it cycles through. It doesnt feel food related but maybe more vagus nerve but im not sure. If I push a little in area I have scar it cycles more. Did you have anything like this? It doesn’t hurt but it feels crappy. I just dont want that stuff eroding my pipes. thoughts anyone? Tomorrow is two weeks!
BrooklynGirl, a few years ago a group of us from my home community got together and met in person. It was so much fun: quite an amazing thing to meet someone you know so well for the first time. Somehow, the fact that you’ve never set eyes on each other doesn’t matter a bit! I say go for it!
Seenie from ModSupport
I hear it’s an inexpensive place to stay (that is until you start gambling…).
Susie, I know the lump in the throat feeling people get with ES isn’t generally because the styloid is poking into the throat, but can be irritation of a nerve, glossopharyngeal or hypoglossal, & possibly the vagus nerve too, so this can take a while to settle…& some members have found their gag reflex affected. Maybe this is other nerve irriation causing your sensation, or as you say, the vagus nerve.
Thank you Jules. Also what I am not sure of is how much my right side is coming up with these symptoms too.
On the vegas idea…my family goes every year for March Madness basketball tournament. We will be there 4 nights. Its the week of St. Patrick’s day. We arrive that Wednesday March 18th thru the 22nd. We bring my 84 year old dad too and our son. It’s a family tradition. I went to Xavier university and normally they are in the tournament. We like watching the games as often they have big upsets in the first round. If anyone wants to meet up those days for a get together just let me know!!
Jules you could just hop over the pond! Piece of cake! :-)
SusieQ,
Vomit feeling is not pleasant at all. As Jules said, it could be down to the nerves. I did not have the vomit feeling but all of my crazy vagus nerve related issues were mostly gone at the two month post-op mark. Through it all time moves soooo slowly but on the other side its feels like forever ago already. Thank goodness for that! Hang in there.
I’ve been to Vegas several times, twice passing through to Utah and once with friends. I’ll keep the date open. Who knows?