Monday, August 8, 2011

Tooth-ache and other jawing motions

There is but one success -- to be able to spend your life in your own way. Christopher Morley
I have been nursing, or unnursing, however you look at it, a sore jaw for the past month. Okay, not just sore, attention riveting pain that casts a black outlook on my outlook!

It has gotten so bad that on Friday night, while sitting with Liseanne, my youngest daughter, watching a movie at home, I finally said, "Honey, I think you need to drive me to the emergency." I'd taken an anti-inflammatory an hour before, and then another and nothing seemed to be working. The pain had me in tears. We quickly got in the car, got to the parking lot outside emergency and as we walked in I declared, "Honey, We don't have to go in. The pain is abating."

She looked at me in consternation, not quite believing me (she knows how doctor adverse I am).

"No, seriously," I insisted. "It's abating. I just waited too long to take a pill so it had to work harder to make the pain go away."

We drove back home and all was 'well', though she did insist on not going on later as planned.

Now, it's not that I haven't sought medical attention for this pain. I went to the dentist and the verdict was, "Look Ma! No cavities." There also doesn't appear to be any infection or abscess or any other signs of where the distress that would make one believe the pain is tooth related.

My doctor says, if it's not your teeth, it must be... and names some nerve disorder I'm positive it isn't. The cure for this condition is a very harsh drug with not so nice side-effects. It's not a remedy I want to experience.

What I do want to experience is a pain-free jaw. It has definitely shadowed my outlook for the past month. Anti-inflammatories work -- but in the quantity needed to keep the pain at bay, they too have undesirable side-effects. I am on strict medical orders to not go over the limit which is laughable if it didn't hurt so much at times!

I returned to the dentist last week and he thinks it could be a molar that was crowned several years ago. When he taps on it, it is sensitive to touch. And so, in an effort to alleviate the pain, and hopefully solve the problem, I will get a root canal on the tooth he thinks might be the problem, even though it doesn't appear on the x-ray.

Wish me luck.

In the meantime, precious sleep is being lost -- and I am scrounging it where ever I can. Which means, I may or may not be posting tomorrow since I never know when the pain will awaken to steal me away from dreamland!

It's not all bad. It's definitely helped put me on the path to losing weight as eating seems to be a big contributor to the onset of pain in my jaw! :)

and, I've gained an appreciation of people with chronic pain. It is not nice!


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

LG,

Have you tried this remedy:

- make love all night long and half the next day

then sleep

- then do it again

and again

if, after a week this does not give you relief fomr pain, c'mon over here and I'll try it with you

Mark

p.s. I hate dental experiences too ... my thoughts are with you!

Joyce Wycoff said...

Since you're in a "try things" mode, have you tried a chiropractor? Wishing you pain free ... the diet isn't worth it. Many hugs.

Anonymous said...

And seriously, there is nothing worse than tooth pain. Ouch! Several years ago, I had an achy tooth, the problem was an old crown with an infected root which was not picked up in the x rays, but as soon as the tooth was removed you could see the infection.

Hope the dentist is right, he fixes that tooth, you heal quickly and no more pain!

Big hug,
BA

Maureen said...

Oh, you do have all my sympathy. And I say that as one who has given a small fortune to dentists. Here's hoping you feel much better very soon.

Claudia said...

oh no - hope you're already feeling better...hugs your way..

S. Etole said...

I hope the pain will soon be resolved for you.

Anonymous said...

i have had this too,
almost my whole face hurt at one point. and certain foods would start it up more than others.

i even had an c scan of the lower part of my head.

the dentist was useless.

the pain went away eventually, except for a place by my nose that if i touch it, i can feel there and in my tooth right below it.

i have been putting off having that cap take off to have a look at that tooth.

odd stuff.

i certainly would like it to be the tooth in your case, just so you can be without the pain.

Anonymous said...

LG

it's 9AM on the 9th and - as I am sure many of your readers to - I went to your blog to read your wisdom-du-jour and found nothing posted, and wonder why?

Are you:
- still in pain
- deep in thought
- going about your day oblivious to having forgotten to hit 'publish'
- is something holding you back, or keeping you down somewhere
- or is it technology stopping you?

inquiring minds want to know???

and wish you to get well soon

Cheers,

Mark

S. Etole said...

I, too, am visiting and noticing your absence. I hope your pain is lessened.

Jennifer Richardson said...

aching for you....
(had a gnarly wrestle with TMJ years ago and the pain was jarring)
...hope you feel the love
and grace and prayers
whooshing your way
from here:)
-Jennifer