I'm proud to tell you that my ENT said I have "an impressive case of ES". My bilateral stylohyoid calcifications are almost touching my hyoid bone. It was interesting seeing my CT scans today. It looks like a knob/bump formed at the tip of each of my styloid processes & the calicifications proceeded from there. Is this what you all have seen on your scans?
Mine looked like bony fingers. It had what looked like joints or knuckles. My doctor said they were like elephant tusks.
Yes, it does sound classic. It also sounds as if you have a good ENT with experience; you are fortunate to have found someone so quickly! I agree with him regarding the external approach being the safer option. Best of luck on your recovery after surgery.
Have you had surgery? If so what was your outcome?
If you click on my name it will take you to my page and you can read what I've posted there. there are answers to your questions about my surgical experience and a bit more. Right now, I am 3 mos. post op and I know that nerves can take up to 180 days (6 mos.) to fully heal. I am much better today than pre-surgery and looking forward to further improvement over the next couple of months. Although recovery has been arduous in a way (it is not a minor surgery) I don't regret it for a minute! Think positive.
I tried sending a message to you but I guess you got off. My styloid process was actually calcified on each side. I got those surgeries and have not had then re calcify. But after my accident my hyoid started. So I had the left side done and now right is completely calcified going around throat and left is starting again...
what symptoms do you have?
WOW! I'm sorry to hear you're getting a recurrence! I did ask my doctor if he's heard of the problem coming back after surgery & he said no since the stylohyoid ligament is the base on which the calcification occurs, & it gets removed during surgery. He did say that he thought maybe the scar tissue that forms because of the surgery could calcify & cause problems but he thought that would be rare.
My symptoms are all over the map. First I had neck pain down the front left side of my neck. I found a hard lump under my jaw & when I poked it, it gave me worse neck pain, so I assumed that was the cause. A couple months later I started getting neck pain & pain in my jaw on the right side & I thought, uh oh…My CT scan confirmed bilateral ES. Now the pain ranges around - ear, throat, jaw, neck front & back, & the gums in my upper jaw. I get low grade headaches, popping/plugged feeling ears (especially left side), heart irregularity (especially when I exercise hard). None of this is debilitating pain & it does come & go. I have days that are virtually pain free & days that are more uncomfy.
What symptoms are you experiencing? How long have you had ES? You said something about an accident. I haven't read your history yet, but what kind of accident did you have? I was in a car accident in college & got whiplash & also fell off my bike in 8th grade & fractured my skull. I keep wondering if these 2 things together have caused the ES.
I hope you have a good, pain-free day today & are able to find a solution to your new problems soon!
Hi Tina,
I'm seeing Dr. Samji this Fri. for a second opinion. My mother-in-law is insistent even though I feel very comfortable w/ my ENT doing the surgery as he's done it before & gave me a detailed explanation of how it's done, what the possible side effects/complications are, etc. Did you get more than one opinion before having Dr. Samji do your surgery?
Just thinking about all the symptoms we have/had wears me out. Sometimes I just wanted to moan and sway to and fro and give people dirty looks.
Isaiah - who is your ENT that gave you the first opinion?
Hey! Sorry it took so long for me to respond.
What symptoms are you experiencing? I am currently having major neck/shoulder muscle spasms. Pain to the right side of my neck. When I eat my neck gets soooo fat, face swells and it feels the blood is being restricted from my head... Under my jaw has weird lumps too... Everyday is different with discomfort. Was getting headaches... Then in between chhek bones and teeth i get odd pressure... my symptoms always change...
How long have you had ES? I started having horrid Headaches in 2004.2005, had my wisdom teeth, got braces, and then was put in PT. I was in so much pain... Kinda how my shoulders are feeling with the spasms is how I was originally... I got so bad my throat hurt but I never had strep... but calcium deposits forming and choking me... it was odd... then I was at the dentist complaining... telling him everything I was going through. Then in 2005/2006 my dentist diagnosed me with Eagles. I went through 8 Ent's... No one listened or cared about my situation... I was hurting bad! So then I found Dr. Milligan and he has done three surgeries so far... two on ligament and third on tonsils..
You said something about an accident. I haven't read your history yet, but what kind of accident did you have? I was in a hit and run May of 2008. Was hit as a pedestrian, guy was going 65mph and tossed us 40ft left 2 hours.
I was in a car accident in college & got whiplash & also fell off my bike in 8th grade & fractured my skull. I keep wondering if these 2 things together have caused the ES. I had es prior to this accident and did have whiplash in one other accident but I always wondered if mine was "Trimspa"
Isaiah 40:31 said:
WOW! I'm sorry to hear you're getting a recurrence! I did ask my doctor if he's heard of the problem coming back after surgery & he said no since the stylohyoid ligament is the base on which the calcification occurs, & it gets removed during surgery. He did say that he thought maybe the scar tissue that forms because of the surgery could calcify & cause problems but he thought that would be rare.
My symptoms are all over the map. First I had neck pain down the front left side of my neck. I found a hard lump under my jaw & when I poked it, it gave me worse neck pain, so I assumed that was the cause. A couple months later I started getting neck pain & pain in my jaw on the right side & I thought, uh oh…My CT scan confirmed bilateral ES. Now the pain ranges around - ear, throat, jaw, neck front & back, & the gums in my upper jaw. I get low grade headaches, popping/plugged feeling ears (especially left side), heart irregularity (especially when I exercise hard). None of this is debilitating pain & it does come & go. I have days that are virtually pain free & days that are more uncomfy.
What symptoms are you experiencing? How long have you had ES? You said something about an accident. I haven't read your history yet, but what kind of accident did you have? I was in a car accident in college & got whiplash & also fell off my bike in 8th grade & fractured my skull. I keep wondering if these 2 things together have caused the ES.
I hope you have a good, pain-free day today & are able to find a solution to your new problems soon!