Hey everyone,
So sorry i've been gone for a while. I just moved from PA to WA state and have been running around like a crazy person. A bit stressful but a really good move. I'm so happy to be with my family again!
Anyway, it is about 3.5 months post op from my bilateral arthroplasty. Things have been fairly good. I can move my eyebrows again, though still a bit weak on my left side. I can feel almost my entire face which is awesome! I still take daily motrin (800mg pills) and soma, though can limit it to once a day. This is more due to finances than anything else. I lost my health insurance with the move and don't have the finances to pay for anything (and I mean anything) until I get my first paycheck.
The big thing i've noticed is the pain. It is obvious that this surgery goes through your major facial nerves. Of course I knew this going in but didn't quite know what to expect. I get that horrible tingly/itchy sensation all the time, going up into my scalp. Many times I have these itching spells and look like I have lice or something! The other issue i've notice is I still have quite a bit of pain/discomfort. My jaw feels tense and is especially sore on the left side. I use my therabite several times a day, which helps some with the pain and helps me to maintain my awesome opening. The surgical sites are still very tender to the touch in terms of nerves. My neck has tensed up more since I stopped PT, though i'm trying my best to do home exercises to relieve it. I use heat a lot too to try and help.
What have others experienced at this stage in their recovery? At times, family and friends have a hard time understanding why I still am not "better". I've explained to them that i'll never be completely better though they have a difficult time grasping it. I think they thought this would be the miracle cure, no matter how often i've explained to them it isn't. I still think i'm better than prior to surgery, though definitely some days I don't feel it is enough. I think the stress of leaving my job, moving cross country, and the lack of finances has definitely added to my problems. I'm trying my best to work through the stress so I don't hurt myself much more. It wasn't a great time to move in terms of recovery, but the stress of my awful work situation was so much more. Gotta love the rollercoaster of life!
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So happy to see you posted again. I am glad you are amongst family. Did you make a job change; obviously? I understand this is a blog about your struggles with your illness but I am hoping you will update on your life. I wish you all the joys and prayers as you continue to recover and seek a financial stability.
ReplyDeleteSue Clark; clarkfamily89@gmail.com
I keep praying for you so hopefully things will continue to improve. Keep us up to date on how everything is going because there are a lot of us that do care about you!!!
ReplyDeletePrayers from South Dakota!
Dear Laura
ReplyDeleteI tried to post a comment but I don't know if it worked. I am from Canada and also have TMJD. I would definatley like to talk to you. I hope that this would be possible to talk to each other since it would be nice to talk to someone that really understands the pain associated with TMJD since my family doesn't really seem to truely understand it since they are not going through this. Maybe we could even share things that we have tried to help ease the pain. I have found a few things that seem to work, I currently open 14mm on good days, and on bad I figure 5mm?? (i am not to sure but I can't even put a finger in my mouth) my lower jaw does not move to the right at all and moves only 2mm to the left. I am scared and would really love someone to talk to. I have an appt with a Oral Surgeon on Dec 30, 2010. I have had to wait for a year and a half to even get in. when this all first happened I was 2mm opening and begging the oral surgeon to let me in but to no avail they wouldn't so I waited. I don't really know if surgery is the way I will go or not. I have been able to try to illeviate my pain quite a bit and I do not take any medications currently and even prior tried not to take anything even though my pain was so horrible, I thought that the end was seriously near. I found medications made my TMJ symptoms worse. Geeze I would really like to talk to you. I hope your are OKAY! and tonight I will pray for you to recover!! I have tears in my eyes since I am so hoping to actually meet someone that is like me. Please let me know how I can contact you if you would like to talk.
If you ever get sad this helps me:
MY PAIN DOES NOT DEFINE ME, OR WHAT I DO. I WILL DO WHAT I CAN DO WHEN I FEEL GOOD.