Sorry, this is likely to be long. I'm really hoping, though, that some of you can give me some good advice, and maybe keep my spirits up.
I have a lifelong joint and ligament problem, meaning that I live with multiple injuries and chronic pain. All OK so far. I've had TMJ (jaw joint) issues since I was 12 (now aged 47. This is partly down to genetics, partly my medical condition, and was exacerbated by having braces, headgear, extractions, elastic bands... the works, basically. The constant clicking in and out, dislocations etc led to pretty severe pain and problems with eating in my early 20s, so after a couple of years of investigations I had two very minor surgeries (arthrocentesis), from which I recovered quickly, and benefitted for decades.
15 days ago, I was biting into something, when the left side of my jaw dislocated, and for once I couldn't get it to go back in. After two hours, I made my way to A&E. I had x-rays to confirm, and the doctor tried three times to put it back in, by pushing as hard as he could on my lower teeth, without success. He then tried to ease my teeth closed, again unsuccessfully. I was prescribed diazepam for a few days, which helped the muscles relax enough for the jaw to go back into place and for me to be able to bite my teeth together. Had that not worked, the next step would have been to have the jaw reduced under general anaesthetic... something I'm now wishing they had done in the first place.
Unfortunately, I've been left with a huge amount of damage and pain on the opposite (right) side. My teeth will only meet fleetingly, I can't chew, it hurts to speak, and I'm getting bad earache because the joint is so close to my ear canal. The joint is agony to touch, it's cracking and snapping, won't move properly and I can't open my mouth more than a centimetre. It's clear that there's something very wrong. Given all my previous problems, I'd hazard a guess that some bits of cartilage have come away, and the rest (the disc?) is trapped/ squished somehow.
I've tried the whole resting/ painkillers/ soft food/ being careful thing for two weeks, with no further improvement. Yesterday, after playing phone tag for days and trying to be seen at outpatients, I did as I'd been told on discharge, and returned to A&E. I saw the same doctor, who was lovely, agreed with my assessment and confirmed that arthrocentesis is probably the way forward. He went to have a LONG chat with the max-fax consultant, who decided (without meeting me) that the problem is muscular, and prescribed a nightly diazepam tablet for two weeks.
Except, it isn't muscular. I get that there's an element of muscle spasm, but the joint feels like it's in a terrible state, and like any damage is getting worse. Tonight, I've been sobbing in pain, even when not using the jaw whatsoever. And having lived with pain all my life, I'm pretty tough. I've applied some ibuprofen gel to the outside, but can't even take any painkillers because I've had a random upset stomach and diarrhoea this evening (mostly likely due to food intolerance). I feel like I've been fobbed off, and really wanted to get this sorted before term starts, because I work in a school. The message from the consultant, via the registrar, was to finish the course of medication, then get GP to refer me to them at Outpatients. I know how this goes. I'll get an appointment in a couple of months, a scan in three or four months, then exercises to do, and so on and on.
I can't do this any more. The pain is horrendous. I'm fairly sure that a very simple operation will cure or improve the situation, but am probably looking at a 9-12 month wait.
Where on earth do I go from here? My best guess is GP tomorrow, but I don't want sympathy and heavy painkillers. I need this fixed, and feel that it could have been fixed two weeks ago.
If you've got this far, then thank you. x