So Unattractive!

I apologize for the length between updates. It has been a difficult few weeks, with my pain increasing and work load growing. The arthrocentesis did help to alleviate some of the muscular pain; the downfall to this is I felt the jaw and nerve pain so much more. Since the procedure, I have had to be on much stronger pain killers daily. Thankfully though, I am slowly able to cut down on the narcotics and move back into muscle relaxants and high doses of motrin. I'm hopeful I can stay away from the "bad" drugs.

Today I went back to the surgeon and received my new 24/7 mouthpiece. It is much uglier and bulky than I had anticipated. It fits over my bottom teeth and causes a bit of a lisp. The only time I am supposed to take it out is for eating and preaching he said. Ughh...how I hate it. Even after the possible surgery I will have to wear this thing. I would love to just throw it in the trash but it is a spendy little bugger and he thinks it will help at least some. I find like every other splint i've had I am clenching more but i'll try to keep my mindset optimistic. It may very well help once I get use to it.

The news on the surgery front is both good and bad. While i'm completely ready to head in to the operating room at this point, the waiting game will continue. For insurance purposes as well as to allow us to see how the splint works, we'll have to wait another two months. The doctor said the insurance company requires this last wait before they will ever approve the surgery. The good news to this is it will give us the chance to really give the splint coupled with more physical therapy a chance to do its thing. The bad news is more waiting, more pain, and the surgery date possibly interfering with important work stuff.

I'm finding i'm not the most patient person when it comes to pain. I cannot stand my life being so debilitated with this. The thought of my life being in semi-hold for an even longer period of time is agonizing. I just want this over. I know the wait is a good thing for my body but for my state of mind I feel destroyed. It is amazing how the body effects the mind so much. With each day that passes, i'm feeling more down in the dumps and can't find the motivation for anything. My house is a total disaster, and work is so hard to focus on. All I can focus on is the pain and the hope of getting rid of it.

Please pray i'm able to get my energy, motivation,and zest for life back. I just want to feel normal again.

Thank you for continuing to check in. Each comment left really does make a difference. It is great to know someone out there is reading this. :) I promise to keep up more with this blog. I am finding it very therapeutic.