Christensen Fossa Prosthesis

Author	Comment
buffyjo	Re: Appointment	#41	[-]
Posts: 681 (02/11/07 10:37:17) Senior Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thank you all for your prayers they are much appreciated Elaine i really appreciate you too always making me feel cared about i did have my appt on Thurs the arch bars came off wow was that painful it ripped apart my gums pulling the wires out it was "excuse me "(a bloody mess) The past few days i've had some set back i'm having trouble swallowing my own saliva due to pain and some pretty aweful stabbing ear pain some of the numbness is wearing off (maybe it was swelling) anyways i will place a call tomorrow to Dr i have never bothered him after hours but i spent yesterday in bed . Thank you again for all your kind words . I'M NOT GIVING UP !!!! lOVE BUFF
Elaine2004	Appointment	#42	[-]
Posts: 2738 (02/12/07 00:42:05) Senior Member * Moderator * Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Buff, It sounds terrible. A canker sore hurts, I can't imagine what it must feel like with your gums being torn like that. I can deal with a headache but that ear stabbing, ice pick pain, is something else. I must have been having sympathy pains for you , because that is what I woke up with this morning. I have been having headaches somewhat, but has been awhile since I have had that ear pain. I hope it is not the beginning of "trouble brewing". Take it easy and let us know what the doctor says. You should have called, even if it was after hours. They usually have a doctor on call for surgery cases. Do you use ice when the pain is bad like that? That is the only thing I get any sort of relief with. Take it easy and rest!!!(Easy to say with kids,huh?) Elaine
Elaine2004	Re: Appointment	#43	[-]
Posts: 2738 (02/27/07 17:05:46) Senior Member * Moderator * Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ok Buff.....Where are you? I was hoping you would keep checking in and let us know how you are doing. No way does anyone think you are whining. You have been through the ringer and I definitely sympathize with you. I hope things get better and you are not in so much pain. By the way, if you don't mind me asking. How much was the doctor and hospital??? Also, how many days were you in the hospital. Please keep us posted....Progress or no progress, we do care! No one is going to say, "I told you so" regardless of the outcome. I know that sounds negative but it is not meant that way. Elaine
buffyjo	Re: Appointment	#44	[-]
Posts: 681 (03/03/07 10:06:37) Senior Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'm ok Elaine, Thanks for thinking of me Things have not gone exactly as planned . My opening wasn't budging past 13-15 my Doc was afraid after a month that scar tissue was building .He sent me to what I'm gonna say is the worlds BEST Physical therapist she has been studying tmj for 20 +years traveled all around the world learning from the best even . in two visits my opening got to 25 however again she says i have a few things going on that she's never seen before . One is these MASSIVE and i mean MASSIVE uncontrollable muscle spasms the other day i got one in my lip it pulled the entire right side of my lip down as if i was stroking out this lasted 24 hrs NON stop and still comes and goes . Every day swelling comes back . my headache are coming back not as strong but they are there the stabbing ear pain is starting to lighten up a bit but still comes and goes . My PT says shes never seen anyone have so many muscle spasms she just watches them go off . Let me tell you all a little about this PT now that i have seen her i don't feel i ever REALLY had PT which makes me wonder if thats why i have had so many troubles with surgery She uses lasers YES lasers the same machine is used for non surgical face lifts with this laser she can hit the nerves attack the swelling and heres the cool part when the laser hit the spot you can watch the swelling just go away . AMAZING she says not many places have it cause it a 16 thousand $ machine and ins doesn't pay for use but she wants top of the line care for her TMJ pts also there is another machine they put on me for 20 min before i leave this machine takes down any extra swelling that occurs after she stretches me she gets right inside my mouth my main muscle in there doesn't want to lighten up she rubs the heck out of it i stick a special ultra sound stick inside my mouth to hit the exact spot . (small wand) i have to travel 2 hrs to get to her 2-3 times a week its a 4 hr trip which has proven very hard on me while trying to take care of my 3 kids they are in all kinds of sports too we have baseball 5 times a week UGH My current fear is these spasems they can be painful and the ones around my lip are like having your eye twitch for 24 hrs NOT FUN we are hoping this is nerve regeneration he didn't cut any she says she doubts but the signals are getting scrambled from the pockets of swelling . I hope everyone is hanging in there if anyone has any questions they would like to ask about this extreme PT please let me know i will give you my e-mail . I hope you all have a beautiful weekend Love Buff
feelines	PT	#45	[-]
Posts: 1878 (03/03/07 17:07:36) Senior Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi Buffy, Your physical therapist sounds pretty cool, as do the laser and ultrasound treatments. I talked on the phone yesterday to a doctor who specializes in heavy metal detox, and he said that when toxics leave a specific area or receptor site in the body such as the TMJ, the nerves will spasm. Maybe this happening with your mouth as well. Hang in there!
Elaine2004	Re: Appointment	#46	[-]
Posts: 2738 (03/05/07 17:30:01) Senior Member * Moderator * Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Buff, I bumped the "picture thread up for you to look at. I keep thinking of what you went through and it makes me hurt. I remember how bad it hurt when the nerves and etc. were regenerating. I don't know how they could do any open surgery, without cutting nerves? Did they tell you there was no nerves cut or am I reading the post wrong? It amazes me how you manage with three kids. Then the long drive to appointments. I am to the point, I don't even want to drive 35 miles to town. I had a doctor appointment last Friday and cancelled. For me, I don't think anything is going to change. Why bother? That is not a good attitude to have but I guess I get there every once in awhile. What is your opinion of the new joint? Do you feel any better? Maybe once you get past the postop part, it will be ok. Are you on liquids or can you eat soft foods? I wonder if accupuncture would be of any help? Anyway, hang in there and keep us posted. I think of you often, Elaine
buffyjo	Re:scary night	#47	[-]
Posts: 681 (06/05/07 07:04:05) Senior Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hello everyone, It's been awhile since i updated this thread mainly because i really wanted to see if things improved . This surgery has been very hard on me the only thing that improved is my opening i went from 7-10mm to 20-25mm pain wise I'm miserable some days are far worse then others . My right side swells daily almost to a disfiguring point my deviation is bad however if i understand right thats my muscles that have retrained themselves to open in a way to cause me the least amount of pain . Anyway what brings me to this thread Last night was an EXTREMELY SCARY NIGHT . Last night i woke up about midnight my ENTIRE right side of my neck felt as if there was a metal plate down through it was Super hard and VERY painful i couldn't move my head (ONLY RIGHT SIDE) this lasted almost ALL night it let up somewhere around 5 am i haven't slept much. My question for all of you is has this happened to anyone else? Or is this some side effect from my TJR .At my last appt my Dr told me again that 50% MAYBE are helped pain wise after tjr MOST He has seen aren't but we did it because i was to the point of liquid only diet . Now personally i would rather NOT eat then go through what i did last night my husband was flipping out my entire right side of neck was bulged out and like i said HARD AS METAL nothing helped i took a soma every 4 hrs I used asper cream, ice and heat i finally fell back to sleep at around 4 am and woke up now very sore . If this has happened to anyone else i beg you to please let me know i really hope this isn't ANOTHER side effect from my TJR . God Bless Buff
feelines	Scary night	#48	[-]
Posts: 1878 (06/05/07 10:51:13) Senior Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Buffy, sorry for the all the pain. It sounds serious. Wild guess: How is your thyroid? I hardly slept last night either, but for different reasons. My neck hurts me on a fairly regular basis, and I keep a frozen bag of peas handy (which usually brings some relief) along with the exercises I don't do regularly enough....
Elaine2004	Scary Night	#49	[-]
Posts: 2738 (06/05/07 11:29:41) Senior Member * Moderator * Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Buff, I have never heard of that happening but that isn't saying it couldn't happen. I was hoping the TJR was going to be the answer for you. I am interested in hearing what the doctor has to say about it. I don't know what to tell you or even suggest. I am sorry to hear you are still having so many problems. Keep us posted as to what happens. PLEASE!!! Take care, Elaine
buffyjo	Re: Scary Night	#50	[-]
Posts: 681 (06/05/07 14:21:47) Senior Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Feelines that is a very good point thank you for bringing that to my attention . I am going to monitor it if it happens again its a sure bet my butt is going to the ER for now I'm feeling a little better Thank goodness .I did drink lots of water today and took a potassium pill i hope its just muscular . Elaine its hard every time i have a good day i hope its the start to a new beginning then BAM i really try and just get through it and live life the best i can . However i would much prefer a Less Bumpy road Many thanks to u both for taking the time to respond I Think the world of you all Buff
ginnic	Re: Scary Night	#51	[-]
Posts: 455 (06/05/07 19:35:45) Member I Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Buff, OUCH! Just from my personal experience and what I have seen of postop patients with muscle spasms - and you name it, they can have them ANYWHERE - extremities, abdomen/stomach, bladder spasms (the latter you can actually tell when it is happening if they have a catheter in!), etc. So, I am wondering if you had the mother of all muscle spasms in your jaw area? OUCH to just think about it! Have you/do you take anti inflammatories on a regular basis these days (sometimes they tell you not to take them after certain surgeries)? If not, wondering if a good dose of Toradol wouldn't help calm things down - I have gone to Urgent Care myself and asked for it - heck, I have narcotics at home <G> I think they are always a bit surprised when I say I have jaw pain and then ask for that <G> they are probably expecting "drug seeking behavior" when they hear the word "pain" and then I throw them for a loop haha! But anyway, if you haven't had anything like that recently it may be worth a try assuming you do not have known kidney problems (it is excreted through kidneys). By the way, I have had PT like described. Unfortunately, it did not help me preop (trying to avoid surgery) at all, but I think the bone on bone was just something I had to deal with surgically at that point.......for me.........thank goodness it helped is all I can say! I really feel for you! Either way, good luck! Ginni
Michelle Denise	Re: Scary Night	#52	[-]
Posts: 6316 (06/05/07 20:19:37) Senior Member * Moderator * Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi Buffy, I thought you were doing really good with your TJR that is why I never saw you on here anymore. I was thinking you got the TMJ Concepts on that one side where you had the Christensen taken out. I am really sorry to hear that you are having problems. Somewhere in my ultimate dream of how my story ends in TMJ is that the USA will get National Healthcare and I would end up possibly getting the Concepts and be pain free. I guess I was really dreaming, Hey? I think I would call your OS and run what happened by him and ask what to do in the future if it happens again. Us TMJ people need all the sleep we can get. It is really good to hear from you. Your friend, Michelle
ginnic	Re: Scary Night	#53	[-]
Posts: 455 (06/05/07 22:35:59) Member I Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Re: statement about "us TMJ people need all the sleep we can get" You aren't kidding! Anyone else have the experience where their TMJ problem has improved but the period of time where it was bad that (probably, for most of us?) affected your sleep patterns - well, my sleep patterns are STILL bad! I used to sleep SO well, sigh. A few times on call, I would even call back and say to the OR "Did you just call me to come in?" cos I would have been sleeping so soundly I wasn't sure if I dreamed the phone call or not! Now, I sleep poorly, and even with meds sleep poorly. Of course lack of real exercise (i.e. the knee problem means I do not play soccer any longer) and the reality of menopause (though I just gave up after 9 months off hormones and am going back on the patch) affecting my sleep........ Well, man, I would PAY for a good night's sleep without medications........sigh. I know my job doesn't help - I take call roughly one night every week (at least through summer) and one weekend night a month. I have looked at alternative jobs, ones without call, and I just cannot afford to take that kind of cut in pay. Ginni
buffyjo	Re: Scary Night	#54	[-]
Posts: 681 (06/06/07 08:44:28) Senior Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ginnic you said " I have gone to Urgent Care myself and asked for it - heck, I have narcotics at home <G> I think they are always a bit surprised when I say I have jaw pain and then ask for that " That cracked me up i go through that all the time I tell them right off "I Don't need narcotics " and the look on their face is worth a million $$ they are baffled LOL I do take anti inflammatoires Relafen(sp?) I've had stomach issues in the past i spent a few years taking so much Ibuprofen . I really think it was a monster muscle spasm the inside of my right cheek is like i have two golf balls in there. I went to PT till my New ins would no longer cover TMJ however, even when going she was Never able to get the muscles to release (i really think it frustrated her she even said she has never seen anything like it (meaning that DIDN'T respond to treatment ) Thank you for you input having such an experienced RN on the board is really wonderful Michelle , I so wish things were great but from what i understand they will NEVER be great and making the most out of the worst situation is all thats left .Don't get me wrong there are times i think I'm dying but most of the time things are controlled by meds I too am now dealing with the Great Ins mess . Lucky for me My dr works with me however Other treatment options are out like PT , Injections etc i now pay cash to see my dr Here is the real Kicker since surgery My left side (good side) Pops all the way out feels like its dislocating with EVERY bite or movement VERY painful i never had any trouble with that side till recently my dr thinks it may be that it has always been that way i just could never open enough to notice (could be very true) However We will not DO ANYTHING EVER to that side At one visit i said " its bad but i don't want to touch it " his response was "Yea well I'm not ever going to" LOL Michelle i do love your ultimate dream . I'm wishing with you Thanks for caring Love and prayers Buff P.S sorry about the Long post
Michelle Denise	Re: Scary Night	#55	[-]
Posts: 6316 (06/06/07 09:43:32) Senior Member * Moderator * Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ginni. I feel awful when I wake up like I really didn't sleep. Do you feel that way as well? I have taken to some days taking a nap in the afternoon. I am afforded that luxery due to the fact that my husband can make enough for us to get by on at this time. We do not have a luxurious lifestyle by any means. I know how lucky I am and I do not take it for granted. Honestly I would trade TMJ for a job! When my daughter started high school I had planned on going back to college and tried, but meds, memory and all I just was struggling hard with two classes. Now I see I shouldn't of put my dream off I saw it as choosing my daughter. She wanted me to stay home with her. I worked since she was born until 7th grade and then she point blank asked me to stay home with her after school and in summers. Ginni I worked as an LPN for many years in the nursing home. I was the youngest LPN in my class at 19. I had only held one job, so everything was new in life to me. I hate to say this but some of the most unkind people I have met are nurses, doctors and other health professionals. I can also say some of the nicest people I have met are nurses. I feel so bad for you when you talk about having to work with with a hot pack
ginnic	Re: Scary Night	#56	[-]
Posts: 455 (06/06/07 19:27:14) Member I Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Did I say I used a hot pack at work?! I probably meant hot flashes I never felt that heat helped my TM problem. It actually seemed to make it worse? I know sometimes it seemed if I rested my hand on my L jaw area it felt warmer than the R side, I figured it was probably from inflammation/swelling? I did, however, walk around with an ice pack on my jaw all the time prior to my surgery.....it just seemed to calm it down/numb the jaw so I didn't feel the hurt as much. I really couldn't take drugs at work other than aspirin/ES Tylenol (I have tried all the NSAIDs incl ibuprofen and eventually they all seemed to cause problems, incl with my BP), so I resorted to ice. I would take my Vicodin dose as I walked out the door from work and I often would leave work early cos I couldn't stand the pain and needed to get out of there and take drugs. Once or twice one of the MDs would take pity on me and give me a shot of Toradol - the "perks" of being a nurse in a hospital, eh? Ha! Naps are good <G>, though I know the sleep specialist people always say you shouldn't cos it wrecks your "normal sleep pattern" - well, they have no idea? what it is like to have an abnormal sleep pattern and try to carry on a normal life!!!!! As for nurses and other medical people - I have to say, I guess we are probably like any other group? Some nice people, some not nice, some in between. Yeah, I've met some really UNPLEASANT people in my job over the years. I have also met some incredibly wonderful caring people in all aspects of the health care profession. I probably wouldn't be here writing this if the latter hadn't been true. I was seriously depressed and not sure how much longer I could have hung in there with no one believing me about something was wrong/the pain, etc. It was VERY helpful to find this board and know I wasn't alone! Ginni
lu jones	Re: Scary Night	#57	[-]
Posts: 2863 (06/06/07 19:33:28) Senior Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Michelle, Have you ever been tested for sleep apnea?? That is the way I felt when I woke up before I got the cpap. Dr. Austin reminded me again today to ask you all to be checked for sleep apnea. TMJ and apnea go hand in hand he says. Talk to you later.Lu
Michelle Denise	Re: Scary Night	#58	[-]
Posts: 6316 (06/06/07 21:21:37) Senior Member * Moderator * Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ginni, You are right it was ice pack not hot pack. I hit some key and it posted the reply early for me, but I thought it lost my post! I didn't have time to double check though as the phone rang, and hubby told me his car was going to be in the shop overnight leaking radiator and air needs charged. I had to get up and around to go into town to pick him up as we live about 40 minutes from town. It is very nice to have the group I believe it saved my life along with God. I was on a downward spiral. I am glad you are doing better Ginni. Lu I do need to get tested for sleep apnea. We just changed insurances to BC/BS. We did have Principal, which I liked better but they said our group was too small to insure any longer. They always give you a bigger copay, deductible and etc. Thanks for reminding me Lu. Buffy thanks for sharing my dream! Love, Michelle
ginnic	Re: Scary Night	#59	[-]
Posts: 455 (06/06/07 21:38:21) Member I Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	THANK you for being glad I am doing better! ME too!!!!! I wish we ALL could be done with this damned problem! Ginni
Michelle Denise	Re: Research Funds	#60	[-]
Posts: 6316 (06/08/07 10:31:09) Senior Member * Moderator * Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ginni, I wish we could all be done with this nightmare. It is a nightmare for several reasons one is lack of education, two is the insurance situation, three is the lack of proper training in the medical and dental field, and that is just the tip of the ice. I have really been thinking about something seriously. Although I am only 43 I have been thinking when I die of having something like this in the paper "It was Michelle's wish in lieu of flowers to contribute to the National TMJ Association for the study and research of this awful disorder that afflicted her life so greatly." I would provide an address, phone number and contact person. Does that sound stupid? I just see people ask for donations for their churches, or their church building fund, or to Hospice. I haven't been going to church too much lately. I sort of had a spiritual crisis within myself. Long story. Anyway, I have looked at some local charities after the Katrina. I happened to give my money to the Salvation Army not that I have much to give at all. I was impressed at how much of each dollar is actually spent on the person and not administration cost. It goes for food and clothing right then. It is over 90 percent, so that is who has been getting my charity dollar.

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Christensen Fossa Prosthesis