Happy 3rd birthday to my Bilateral Temporomandibular Joints (TMJ) Total Joint Replacement (TJR)!

Happy 3^rd birthday to my Bilateral Temporomandibular Joints (TMJ)  Total Joint Replacement (TJR)!

Pics from surgery:

My memory of the actual surgery is hazy, yet I can look back at the blog and see how painful it was.  Luckily, I had a fabulous support network of family, friends, coworkers, church, and TMJ support groups to get me through it.  I was prepared ahead of time for how long and miserable recovery would be. I was cognizant that this was an extremely risky procedure and that the risk for complications was great.   I also understood that there was no such thing as a completely being healed, as most patients post bilateral TMJ TJR are NEVER completely healed…at best our quality of life has improved. 

Here is my blog post about why I had surgery and the actual surgery:

https://positivelytmjtmd.blogspot.com/2017/04/detailed-explanation-of-my-upcomng-tjr.html

https://positivelytmjtmd.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-actual-surgerys.html

Here is my blog about Post Operation appointments & Expectations vs Reality:

https://positivelytmjtmd.blogspot.com/2017/06/post-surgery-appointments.html

https://positivelytmjtmd.blogspot.com/2017/06/tjr-expectation-vs-reality.html

Symptom/changes	3 years post op
Function-Opening	Pre surgery, I opened anywhere from a 5mm to 15 (on a good day).  Now I can easily open to a 35-38.  Besides my new joints and surgeon, I give a lot of credit to my physical therapist who played a pivotal role in my recovery.
Food/diet	Technically, I can eat “whatever is comfortable for my jaw.”  The truth is not much is “comfortable,” so I am on a soft food diet.  At times, I move myself to a liquid diet but only when I am in severe pain.  Of course, there are times I cheat on my soft diet (and usually regret it).
Migraines	My migraines are consistent and EVERY day.  Some days are better than others.  For instance , if I do something where I am laughing or smiling more than usual, I usually end up in major pain the next day.  It sucks because I often end up in bed (or wishing I were in bed) the day after I have fun…sometimes the same day.
Tinnitus	I still have pulsating tinnitus in my left ear.  The definition of this is the sensation of hearing a rhythmic noise, such as a heartbeat, swooshing or whooshing, from no external source, is, at best, a little unsettling; for many, the near constant sound exceeds annoyance and becomes completely debilitating.  At times it is so loud I can almost feel my ear pulsating.  I also have a lot of pressure in that left ear.
Muscle spasm/twitches	My left eye droops and often twitches. This is extremely annoying and affects my eyesight, but Botox often freezes the muscle.  My cheeks can also twitch, though I don’t feel them twitch, other people notice it.
Sleep apnea	I have this off and on because of the position of my jaw.  If it gets worse, I will seek a doctor.
Dry mouth	This still occurs, but not as frequently.  When it does occur, I use a dry mouth rinse.
Sleeping	Besides the tinnitus, sleeping can be difficult because I can sleep the wrong way.  Or I can sleep on one side too long and it feels like that side of my face is on fire when I wake up.
Weather	I’m still a human barometer.  I can accurately tell when it’s going to rain approximately 30 minutes before it does.  I can also feel when there is a drop-in air pressure.  These changes increase my migraines.
Flying	Before surgery, I thought I was going to have to give up air travel all together.  Landing was often extremely painful.  It felt like my eardrums where going to burst.  I tried everything to get this symptom to go away, but nothing worked.  Now, I can fly.  On occasion, it’s painful.  Now I am back to traveling and trying to see as much of the world as I possibly can!  It’s a passion of mine.
Allergy	Right as the COVID-19 craziness really began in Florida, I developed a scaly spot right where my left jaw joint is.  I’m not going to lie, it scared the crap out of me as I understood that worst case scenario was that I was having an allergic reaction to my joints (and we all know what that means).  Luckily, I was able to get into a dermatologist before everything shut down and she said it was cells that were just growing out of control and it was NOT an allergic reaction.  I was put on a steroid cream, and it’s gone.  Thank goodness.
Dentist	I will have to take antibiotics two hours prior to any dentist visit for the rest of my life.
Exercise	I walk (almost) every day.  I have also started practicing yoga again.  When it comes to exercising, I just monitor and modify what I am doing to make sure I do not aggravate my jaw.  I do not participate in any sports or exercises that are high impact.

Covid-19

I can't write this blog post without mentioning the pandemic, as it is devastating much of the country.  South Florida is going on it's 9th week of lock down, with cases rising every single day.  How does this affect TMJ?  Well, those who have to wear a mask for long hours say it causes migraines and pain in general.  Since I teach, I'm waiting to see if we will return to traditional schools next year, and if we will have to wear a mask.

 Changes

Old Job

New Job

I was an English teacher for over 19 years.  For a little over 6 years, I taught at a local high School.  Because of my surgery, and not being able to give direct instruction for hours on end without being in severe pain, I became certified in Exceptional Student Education.  When I requested to change my position at the end of last year, my principal was extremely unsympathetic.  I tried to explain my disability, but to no avail. Because of many circumstances that were a direct result of my request to change positions,  in the middle of October 2019 I left the district and my job as an English teacher.

I currently work at McArthur High School as an Exceptional Student Education Support Facilitator.  I monitor and help students who have learning disabilities.  I enjoy my new job and appreciate the fact that I do not have to talk as much, which helps me immensely.  This opportunity also means that I did not have to apply for disability, so I am incredibly grateful that the school took a chance and hired someone (midyear) who had never held this position before.

Like so many of us with fake joints, whenever I do something, I always have to think about how it’s going to affect them.   Will this hurt me?  Am I going to do any long term damage to the joint?  

I never regret my decision to have my old joints removed and replaced with new, titanium ones.  I understood that the surgery was lengthy and was going to be the most painful experience of my life (thus far, and hopefully ever).  I also knew the recovery was going to be long and arduous.  Even though I am still not 100%, I am happy with the progress I have made.

Soft Food Recipes #2

Post surgery everyone ends up being hungry, and at times...HANGRY.

Here are a few more soft food recipes that are quick and not too labor intensive to make:

1) Chicken Salad:

Ingredients:
1 Chicken breast cooked
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayo
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Instructions:
Place chicken breast into food processor (I don't have one so I just chop it or put it into my blender)
Grind chicken until it's a fine consistency
Stir in all the other ingredients

2) Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
Ziti noodles (2 cups)
1 container ricotta cheese
marinara sauce
1 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese
Italian seasoning to taste

Directions:
1)Boil the ziti noodles according to the package
2)Mix noodles,  a bit of the marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, seasoning, and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese in a bowl
3)preheat the oven to 350
4) put a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish
5) next, put the ziti mixture into the dish
6) Add the rest of the marinara sauce to the top
7) put the remaining mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce
8) bake for 45 minutes.

 3) Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 box stove top stuffing (any kind)
1 pound ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water

Instructions:
1) preheat the oven to 350 and grease a bread pan
2) In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, but set aside 1/2 of the ketchup for later.
3) fill the pan with your ingredients.
4) Top it with the remaining ketchup (or you can you bbq sauce)
5) bake for 44-60 minutes
6) helpful tip: add onions, garlic, spices, herbs, or anything you want

4) Chicken or turkey soup

1) 1 carrot (chopped)
2) 1 onion chopped
3) 1 1/2 cup noodles (your choice)
4) 1 pound cooked chicken or turkey
5) 1-2 cups chicken broth
6) garlic to taste
7) salt and pepper to taste

Boil the noodles in the broth according to package
Add all other ingredients and simmer until soft

5) Crockpot Tortellini


Ingredients:
1)1 bag of frozen torelinni
2)1 small bag of fresh spinach
3)2 cans of Italian diced tomatoes
4)1 box or 4 cups vegetable broth
5)1 block of cream cheese

Put all ingredients in the crockpot.  Cut up the cream cheese.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Post Surgery-Sex

Love is in the air, but physical acts of love can be extremely different post TMJ/TMD surgery or TMJ TJR.  

Many patients appear before middle aged and aging male surgeons.  Most of us come prepared with a litany of questions and concerns, yet blush when it comes to the more personal aspects of our recovery.  As I’m writing this, I’ll honestly tell you that I did not heed my own advice which is: Don’t be embarrassed, ask your surgeons. They have heard it all (& probably thousands of times).  Always consult your doctor!

The truth is, after most jaw surgeries you don’t feel well, your jaw is swollen shut, and you have a bobble head.  In fact, most of us are tired and lack energy post op.  You probably won’t even care about kissing or sex or anything physical for quite some time.

Now if you’re having TJR, all those symptoms are amplified by a million.  I left the hospital with a giant pumpkin 🎃 head and in pain.  Most people are banded shut, but I was not. Nevertheless, when I came home post op I was in pain and didn’t  feel even the slightest bit pretty, but I did feel like a survivor  👍 ; therefore, anything other that healing was out of the question for me.  

Here are the questions many of us have:

1.  how long after surgery should you wait to kiss? 😘 💋 
2. How long after surgery should you wait to have sex?
3. How long after surgery should you wait to have oral sex?

These are such intimate questions, but a healthy sexual relationship is a natural part of life. With that being said, most people said they resumed sexual activity when they felt like it or when their doctors told them they could (and that length of time varied depending on surgery and/or doctor-several months for more minor surgeries and six months-one year for TJR).

Most people post TJR wish that kissing were easier. For whatever reason, the post TJR jaw just doesn’t work like it use to. In addition, many patients are wearing braces  which can be painful and make kissing more difficult. As for oral sex, most women said they waited quite a bit of time and don’t perform it on a regular basis because it hurts.  Sex resumed when the patient felt better.  Men seem to not have as many aches and pains in regards to sex, kissing, and oral sex.

Post TJR I was more focused on my new normal than any type of physical/carnal activity.  My face was so sensitive that my cat 🐱 walked by me and his tail brushed (not even hit) up against my face and caused pain.  That’s how sensitive my face was