Wednesday 15th May 2013
Well, where am I up to? Unfortunately I've not progressed much in the last few weeks with regards to this blasted nerve pain. I went to the hospital to see Mr D and he is confused by this pain. He has only seen this in one patient before. He doesn't know if its just coincidence but that patient had condylar hyperplasia on the left side the same as me. After my examination poor Mr D leant back in his chair with his hands on the back of his head and he said 'I'm not sure, I really don't know' Eek.... Very reassuring!
So he hatched a plan.... He is going to give it four more months on the tablets to manage the pain and to give the nerve a chance to heal. One explanation for this excruciating, unpleasant pain could be that a screw from the plate is actually touching the nerve. (That would explain the vileness of this pain) unfortunately there is now way to see if the screw is on the nerve without going back in.
If after four months things are still the same he will refer me to a neurologist. He said this would be more for a research thing but they may be able to view things from another point of view. If after that there is still no improvement then as a last resort and very reluctantly from me he will operate and remove the plate.
Brushing my teeth is still awful as is chewing, especially on the right side of my mouth. I'm still on the top dose of the Gabapentin, I tried reducing them but the pain intensified again within a few days so I upped them back up to the top dose. The tablets aren't very nice, they leave me anxious, nervous, forgetful, confused and drowsy at times so its a bit of a double edged sword... pain or a messed up head.
I've had some very exciting news on the brace front though.... THE BRACE WILL BE REMOVED ON MONDAY JULY 1st. I literally can't believe that in 6 weeks and 5 days I'll be braceless after 2 years and 4 months.
I've been looking through my progress pictures and you can
really see the difference in the shape of my jaw from before intervention to now. My friends and family say they never noticed what was wrong until they compare the pictures.
Obviously, this whole thing hasn't taken place for cosmetic reasons, it's been done to correct the damage caused by the Condylar Hyperplasia and to help correct the bite.... The new gorge jaw and uber straight teeth are just a massive bonus.
Hi Kirsty!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Tina, and I live in the very far north of Norway. I found your blog while googeling "jaw surgery", because I too is having a double jaw surgery sometime this year. I dont know the medical English word, but I have an "open bite", which means that I only bite with the teeths back in my mouth. I also have a gummy smile. I've had braces for 1,5 years, and now everything is ready for the operation. All I do now is just wait for my turn :)
Reading some of your experiences made me more nervous and more calm at the same time. Throwing up blood from the surgery, having dried blood on your tongue.. Well, it dont sound like the time of your life :p But I dont expect that either. It just sounded so.. horrible. Good to know that its only for a short period!
Sorry to hear you still have pain in your jaw, hope it goes away soon! Now its June, maybe you're feeling better now?
Anyway, just wanted to say hi, and thank you. Good to read about other people in the same situation!
Tina
Hi Tina,
ReplyDeleteLovely to hear from you. The first two weeks are horrendous, but stay strong and it'll all be worth it. The surgeon is going to remove the plate that's possibly near the nerve in two weeks so fingers crossed I get relief soon.
I wish you good luck and a speedy recovery.
KjS-T x