Before I made my next appointment, I decided to do research
and discuss my options with family and friends.
At this point I had only read negative reviews about Total Joint
Replacement (TJR). I wasn’t very
optimistic about the future of my jaw, and didn’t know how it would affect my
teaching career.
Luckily for me, that’s when things began to change. I found an online youtube video diary. This diary starts when Shae is 17 years old, and
follows her through her TJR surgery. She
updates the diary at least once a year.
This was the first optimist piece of information I have heard about this
surgery. This is her very first video ,
but this will not only explain the surgery, but also show you what the recovery
will be like.
I then found the Facebook support group, TMJ Hope. This support group gives a lot of information
about TMJ. It explains the good, the
bad, and the ugly of this disorder.
After I found those resources, I was more open to the idea
of TJR surgery, but wanted to know what my friends & family thought.
My friend Karen had some very funny, yet off the wall
questions that she felt were valid and needed answered:
1)
Will you ever be able to eat a hard shell taco?
2)
Will you be able to go on roller coasters?
3)
Will you be able to go on jet skis?
4)
Will you be able to snorkel?
My other friends/family just wanted to know if this surgery
would increase the quality of my life?
If the answer is yes, they thought I should go for it.
Armed with many questions, I drove to Miami to get the
results of my bite impressions.
My model looked very similar to this :)
They brought out the model, and gave me the good news. I would not need braces for the
third time in
my life as long as I continued to wear my retainers. That was the best news I had received about
my jaw in awhile!
I have condylar resorption, which is when one or both
mandibular condyles break down the bone resorption process. This is nine times more likely to be present
in females, and usually occurs during the teenage years. What does this big, and rather strange
sounding word mean to me? My jaw is
messed up and causing a great deal of pain.
I told my doctor that I had read that this surgery doesn’t
always help with pain, and he believes that in my case it will. I am the perfect candidate for this surgery
because my only problem is the actual joints.
He also believes that I will only miss 2-3 weeks of work.
At the end of the consultation, I decided to begin the TJR
process. I said yes to the surgery, and
really I said yes to hope for a brighter and less painful future. I have heard the recovery for this surgery is
horrendous, but as much as I hate clichés, ‘no pain no gain.’
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