Newest update

So has been quite a while since i posted, as there wasnt really any change as after I saw the new surgeon Dr. Psutka I was basically in a holding pattern.

So i was on a 2 year waiting list for the complete joint replacement surgery. Now i was on this list however was 99% sure i wasnt going to go through with it due to the complications and lack of research pas 13 years. I stayed on the list in case i changed my mind.

So in April I had my 1 year follow up appointment. Nothing had really changed too much, still the same pain, jaw was still shifting to the right, etc etc.

So Dr. Psutka heard my cries for help with wanting a "fix" of some sort but not wanting the major surgery, and he was able to give me an answer.......ARTHROSCOPIC JAW SURGERY

So again there was another wait i was told, and i would have the surgery in the fall. I could deal with that! Then i got a call early May and was told there was a cancellation and I could go on May 20th!!!!

So what exactly is Arthroscopic jaw surgery.......well its basically a knee scope to the jaw joints.

Heres a clip from a website to describe it:
For arthroscopic jaw surgery, the surgeon inserts a pencil-thin, lighted tube (arthroscope) into the jaw joint through a small incision in the skin. The arthroscope is connected to a small camera outside the body that transmits a close-up image of the joint to a TV monitor.
The surgeon can insert surgical instruments through the arthroscope to perform surgery on the joint, preventing the need for more surgical incisions. This technique is used to diagnose and treat temporomandibular (TM) disorders
During arthroscopic surgery, the surgeon may:
Remove scar tissue and thickened cartilage.
Reshape parts of the jawbone.
Reposition the disc.
Tighten the joint to limit movement.
Flush (lavage) the joint.
Insert an anti-inflammatory medicine.
Procedures are done under general anesthesia and usually take 30 minutes or longer depending upon the type of procedure.

So i went in to have this done, and what was supposed to be a 30 minute surgery, and only an hour was booked in the OR, turned into 1.5 hours of surgery and a lot more work being done. Dr. Psutka did the right side no problem, 2 little incisions, cleaning up of the scar tissue, inserting some anti-inflammatory medicine, 2 little stitches and done.

Then goes the left side, 2 incisions, turned into 4 incisions as there was so much scar tissue where he first went in, he had to re-go in another location. This is where most of the 1.5 hours was spent.

So turns out there was way more joint deterioration that he thought, and hes never seen it this bad in someone of my ripe age of 30 lol.

Recovery wasnt too bad, however when i woke up, WOW, my eyelids were paralyzed and numb, couldnt close them or blink or anything. I had to physically close them myself. Heres me thinking, there was a slight change of paralysis, and of course it happened to me, haha. Thankfully it was just temporary and lasted 24 hours. It was probably from the pain medication, anti inflammatory and freezing that was injected into my joint during surgery.

So i left with a huge mummy bandage around my face and mesh around my head. It was nice because it was padding by my joints and made sleeping much more comfortable in case my face hit the pillow. Also it made inserting the ice packs easy instead of having to hold them up.

The stitches were removed a week later, and really theres a teeny weeny scar left from the incisions, cant really complain.

Food intake is difficult as you cant chew, so its soups, liquids and very squishy foods. Makes it hard to keep up your energy :(

Its been exactly 2 weeks today and im feeling good. Back at work, however having some achiness in the joints and tenderness around the incisions. But i do say this surgery was a success for what it was supposed to accomplish.

My opening has gone from 28 mm to a woping 35 mm and thats only 1 week post surgery. A usual opening is 42 mm i believe, so im definitely happy. And although achy when opening wide, i can tell its just from the surgery and once healed will be good when opening. I dont get the stiffness or pain when trying to open and i dont get lock jaw so far.

No having said it was a success is one thing, however i still have "crap" joints. I WILL require the complete joint replacement surgery at some point, but seems since the pain is way more manageable now, i will be able to wait.

I will try to upload pics soon of the recovery, and will update with any new changes.

I see Dr Psutka again in 5 weeks time!

worse worse and worse news

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO its been wuite a while, and most would figure that at 2 years 1 month post op from jaw surgery that i would be on here with good news.

WRONG.......

So where to begin....well about a year ago i started having problems with the plate to the left of my nose, i could feel it raised and it was giving me sharp sharp pains...so FINALLY i had it removed a month ago....Surgeon said good thing cuz it was moving around for some reason and it was very irritated.


So u would think thats all, WRONG AGAIN

My bite has been shifting for the past year too, my teeth are perfect and so would my bite if my lower jaw werent moving to the right....my whole bite/face is now crooked.....and the pain is BRUTAL, worse than when i had the last surgery.

So through special xrays, etc etc they have discovered that the real underlying problem is my jaw joint itself.....

So i saw another jaw specialist, there are only 2 in Canada or Ontario i believe that can perform JAW JOINT replacement.....and that unfornately is what im looking at.....a HUGE contraption going into my face.....

I will post more info later about the procedure itself, just thought id get myself back on the map here.....and if anyone has had this procedure please let me know...ive been searching and searching and cant find anything.

Heres some sites in the meantime
www.tmjconcepts.com
www.biometmicrofixation.com

oops, forgot

yes, yes ive forgotten to write in 4 months:( been very busy as we all have, and not too much new things, just a tad here and there.

So the bites still amazing, eating is fabulous. Range of motion still sucks, but im dealing with it...i still do my exercises but i dont seem to be able to open more than 3 fingers. Its quite annoying with hamburgers, and suchi (my fav recently) but i manage!

Feeling is still coming back, its the worst in my chin and lower lip which doesnt seem to be going anywhere at 13 months post op, im still hoping it will come back magically though!

I had a scare there when i got sick...the left plate beside my nose was doing something funky. My tooth directly under(eye tooth) was being affected and going crazy, so painful. I was quite swollen and it hurt like hell. Turns out it was related to the cold and sinus, but still to this day to touch beside my nose doesnt feel right...im hoping its just nerves growing back, but again i have another cold and its going all weird. I MIGHT have to get the plates out, it was an option before because of this, but im starting a new jb and training, so it will have to wait. It only annoys me when im sick, but to have it do this every time im sick just wont cut it for me.

Ive heard gettint he plates out is easy, quick recovery so if we get to that im not really concerned.

As for everything else, fantastic, love it! And im still happy i did it! Ill try to post some new pics soon, just crazy with with my new job starting soon, and the wedding is 4 MONTHS AWAY!!!!!!!!!! yipee!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to all the supporters out there who have continuously been checkin in on me!

its that time

wow its been a while! So nothing really new. Saw the surgeon again, he doesnt know what to do with me and my lack of jaw movement...still not comin along, so ill see him in another 3 months then well decide, but im thinking physio is in my near future!!!

I also lost the glue on my top wire on the front 2 teeth, so i live 1.5 hrs away from my ortho and of course the day i was gona be in town, he was on vacation, lol...so im dealing with it...its cuttin my tongue, but im getting used to it...so well try to get it donw next week or so,

Other than that, just pluggin away!!! Hope everyones summer is going fantastic!!!!

finally getting there

PROGRESS!!!!!!!!!! NO MORE PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now having said that i hope i didnt just jinx myself.

So i have finished my anti-inflammatory med's and gotten my night mouth guard and i am doing great...no pain!!!

I have 2 different night guards...the place thought since i had a strange case that they would give me 2 to see which one i like better in a study...i have to get back to them next week...

I will take pics of the 2 but to describe theres the one and new one...the old i prefer...tis more plastic that sits under the teeth and hooks on at the side with 2 hooks...so its small in the mouth, great for my nitetime clenching...takes all the stress off my jaw. I LOVE IT

The other u have to put in warm water before and its like a hard sports mouth guard...i personally HATE it...its way too big and my teeth dont hit right, so it actually hurts my jaw....again with pics it will help...i will try to post them early next week

But for now, all i care about is NO PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

when will this all end..????

I SHOULDN'T be saying this at this point in the game, 7 .5 months post op...u'd think id be in the clear....anyways heres an update on my pain situation.
Last week if became unbearable, the stabbing feeling in my ear drum that i called the surgeon after I passed out from the pain, yes it was that bad...and luckily i was at home near my couch. I have never felt anything like it in my life. So what do they say...oh well call you in some anti-inflammatory...WHAT thats it.....oh and u should call your dentist to get a night guard made because it sounds like you might be grinding or crunching during the night...GREAT, MIGHT BE....they have no clue....but i don't really blame them, how are they supposed to know whats going on when everyone heals differently....

So ive been on those...pains still there, but nothing like that one day last week.

Yesterday i went to the dentist...600$ later, lol. Anyways i got the tooth that the surgeon chipped fixed finally, which of course had a cavity in it cuz it was chipped anyways, also got my eye tooth on the left fixed as it was a funny shape after the bracket and glue came off.....got my impressions made for my night guard....and lastly i had this lazer treatment done to my joints...more on the right where its giving me a problem. It lasted all of 5 mins, didn't feel anything, but once i was done i could open wider, A MIRACLE...I went from 15 mm to 22 mm....isn't that bizarre.

So my dentist says to leave it another 2 months like the surgeon said, and then if the surgeon wont offer me help with finding a physio or someone who can do this lazer or ultrasound treatment, he will do it or pass me on to physios he knows.

So at least theres some hope...NO ANSWERS, but hope...lets hope the tylenol 3's don't run out before the next 2 months....

Yet another surgeon visit

So I saw Dr. Tocchio, the surgeon again yesterday. It had been 2 months since the last appt, and first seeing him since my braces came off. Again he is very happy with my bite and says it is holding nicely.

I explained to him that my range of motion is a problem and im having quite a lot of pain on the right side...way more so than before the surgery...to the point that ive been to the dr's 2 times now thinking i had an ear infection because of a sharp pain in ear drum. Turns out theres nothing and its just from my joint. So i told Dr. T and he said to STILL give it some more time and that because its my 2nd surgery it IS going to take longer to heal...and it will definitely be 1 year before im even close to a normal range of motion. He wants to keep an eye on my situation so im back to see him in 2 months to re-assess. He said to continue doing my exercises, and see if it helps.

So no good news again...I just wish i wasnt in pain, cuz that was the point in going in for the 2nd surgery...yes my bite is perfect and its easier when chewing, but still painful i d say 4 times MORE painful...even more:(

So guess well stick out 2 more months and see!