Thank you Isaiah_40_31 
All prayers are good and welcomed. I concur with your feeling, the removal of the styloids will DEFINITELY open the IJVs fully. I expect my hearing to improve dramatically. I have a “knowing” about this. And I’ll definitely be praying too! I plan to marker my favorite Saint quote to my chest: “Act and God will Act!” – St. Joan of Arc. Something to remind me of the importance of ones actions when coming out of anesthesia.
Some background info I didn’t include: I’d visited Caring Medical (Dr. Hauser) back in June 2023 for cervical treatment. Like others, because of him following up a neck CT Cone Beam scan with an MRI, the styloids were uncovered. They are the direct, long term result of being rear ended at 40MPH back in April of 2012 near the White House in DC. Prior to meeting Hauser, I had NO IDEA what ES was. I sought Hauser’s help after finding his clinic online, as I had been suffering incredible pain from what I now understand to be “typical” ES symptomology; in short, living hell. Add to that, NO DATING, NO SOCIAL LIFE, and no one in my circle including doctors who understood what ES is. The aggravation, pain and suffering had gotten so bad, that at one point I considered suicide and that had the affect of compelling me deeper into my faith, a life of prayer; and developing a deeper understanding of the reality of humanity’s enemy; that which the demonic.
Then, September 11, 2023 while sitting in traffic in my car at a stop, when I was rear-ended by an 50-70 ton 18-wheeler. Fortunately I had the 4th visit with Hauser set up later that week so I was able to receive prolotherapy treatment fairly quickly (more on that below).
Hauser initially referred me to Dr. Ray Osborne in LA and I did visit with him 10/2023. However he does not do bilateral styloid removal, does not accept Medicare, and wanted about $53,000 for both styloids to be removed. Plus the requirement to hire a nurse for (and I don’t remember exactly) either 24 or 48 hour around the clock care. Of greater concern is that I didn’t feel a “connect” with the guy as he immediately went into all the bad things that can happen because of the high risk surgery.
This is in stark contrast to Dr. Hackman who was highly communicative. Yes, it did not help that I’d had food poisoning 15 hours earlier. Despite that he was very compassionate and accommodating. I WAS FLOORED. He asked poignant questions about my symptoms, while his staffer took notes. In contrast, Dr. Osborne did not have a staffer taking notes (just he and I, that’s it).
At the end of the meeting with Dr. Hackman, he formally accepted me as a candidate for surgery, then he left the room, and I sat alone in a state of blissful shock. His assistant Brittany entered, and at that point I began to cry being overwhelmed with emotion. Now I’m a big guy…6’ tall, and have been described as the man you don’t want to meet in a dark alley. None of that matters…emotionally it was a relief to be formally accepted as a patient; to have my concerns, experiences and history validated by a man who clearly knows what he is talking about, and knows what he is doing. Keep in mind that I’ve done all of this alone as I have not been able to have a family, and ALL the doctors I’ve had before Dr. Hauser had no idea what ES was. One of my doctors I vividly recall, simply looked at me during a consultation (don’t remember if 2021 or 2022), and while shaking her head, said in a sad voice “how sad…and you’re soo young too” and showed me the door.
Blessings to Dr. Hackman 
Moving on…I should arrive in NC March 20th or 21st to do quick shopping at costco (2 of them, about 30 minute drive, the one north of the hospital is a FAR safer road trip as the trip does not involve single lane, 55MPH highways through the woods—
i.e. ensure, peanut butter, stool softener, ice packs). The plan is to remain at SECU house until April 2nd to allow a follow up meeting with Dr. Hackman on April 1st. His scheduling assistant Marcela is the one who must pre-approve the SEC stay. SECU does have a shuttle from it to the hospital, which is a HUGE positive. When I stayed at the Hyatt Hotel 8 minutes away, I did have to make my way to public parking on Manning across the street from the Oncology Department location. The parking structure itself is fine, but you’ll have to walk a considerable distance over a sky bridge to get to his location; this was an issue for me because of the 9/11/23 rear impact by that 18-wheeler that left me with a torn right hip, left shoulder, and another TBI (NOT FUN). The timing of my visit coincided with EXTREME cold weather so prepare accordingly.