Splint Time!
Today has been a really long day pain wise. When the first thing you think when you open your eyes is, "oh god, I need my meds." You know it isn't going to be a great day. Sleep has always been my saving grace for pain. My prescription pain killer can only do so much, Tylenol (Extra Strength) does nothing anymore. But the last few weeks, if not months, I have not found lasting relief from napping or sleeping. I also no longer find comfort in icing...so, I am glad tomorrow I am getting my new splint! Whoohooo!!! I got my first splint in January of '07 and had to wear it full time to stabilize my jaw. I actually had to get a new one a few months later because my grinding and clenching was so bad it wore down the regular material they are made out of so I had to upgrade to "the Rolls Royce" of splints. This was made out of a much tougher material. I had to stop using my splint in February '09 when I got my top braces on so both my top and bottom teeth could move in the braces at the same time.
The transition into my splint comes exactly 6 weeks before surgery!! There is going to be a painful transition process into the new splint. It is going to hold my jaw in a stable position and actually allow my jaw/neck/shoulder muscles to relax. However, first my jaw has to get used to being in this position. I wonder if this is what it's going to be like post surgery with my new jaw alignment...hmmm? If so I am well prepared for the feelings :) The one difference between this splint and my first one is that this one will be a lower splint, and my last one was an upper. I have a love/hate relationship with my splint, yes it gives me great comfort; however, it can make me talk with a lisp, and let's face it- it isn't the most aesthetically pleasing! Ha, oh well! I am so happy to be getting it, and am so excited to be so close to surgery!!!
To make sure the splint is going to fit properly I had to have molds taken of both the top and bottom, have wax molds taken of my bite, and measurements taken in the torture chamber, wait I mean facebow.....
The look on her face does not even begin to describe the pain this caused. I think if my TMJs were stable and I didn't have so much muscle strain it would have been OK, but it really, really, really is like torture. One might ask, "why, why do they need this torture chamber?" Well they put the molds onto the crossbow to see how the splint is going to fit.
That is the actually facebow pieces holding the teeth molds. It looks a lot less painful! Ha. In other medical news this week...At PT today Serena told me she thinks the pain in my hip is an active bursa. This was pretty devastating because in the last month of my senior year of high school I had an unresolved bursa removed from my hip resulting in a 6 inch long scar, and no real healing of the IT band. Hopefully with good PT this time round I can get my hip to get back into its capsule and resolve the t-ed off bursa. Dang. It's fun to be hyper-mobile.
Thanks to all of my friends and family for support! I'll post on the new splint in a couple days!
The transition into my splint comes exactly 6 weeks before surgery!! There is going to be a painful transition process into the new splint. It is going to hold my jaw in a stable position and actually allow my jaw/neck/shoulder muscles to relax. However, first my jaw has to get used to being in this position. I wonder if this is what it's going to be like post surgery with my new jaw alignment...hmmm? If so I am well prepared for the feelings :) The one difference between this splint and my first one is that this one will be a lower splint, and my last one was an upper. I have a love/hate relationship with my splint, yes it gives me great comfort; however, it can make me talk with a lisp, and let's face it- it isn't the most aesthetically pleasing! Ha, oh well! I am so happy to be getting it, and am so excited to be so close to surgery!!!
To make sure the splint is going to fit properly I had to have molds taken of both the top and bottom, have wax molds taken of my bite, and measurements taken in the torture chamber, wait I mean facebow.....
The look on her face does not even begin to describe the pain this caused. I think if my TMJs were stable and I didn't have so much muscle strain it would have been OK, but it really, really, really is like torture. One might ask, "why, why do they need this torture chamber?" Well they put the molds onto the crossbow to see how the splint is going to fit.
That is the actually facebow pieces holding the teeth molds. It looks a lot less painful! Ha. In other medical news this week...At PT today Serena told me she thinks the pain in my hip is an active bursa. This was pretty devastating because in the last month of my senior year of high school I had an unresolved bursa removed from my hip resulting in a 6 inch long scar, and no real healing of the IT band. Hopefully with good PT this time round I can get my hip to get back into its capsule and resolve the t-ed off bursa. Dang. It's fun to be hyper-mobile.
Thanks to all of my friends and family for support! I'll post on the new splint in a couple days!
Can't WAIT to see that new splint. Work it, Mary, work it!
ReplyDeleteHahah thanks Liz! I just got it and let me tell you, it looks Fabulous! I'll post pictures soon :)
ReplyDeleteMary, I think that your positive demeanor about all of it is what keeps me from feeling "pity" for you. I'm just happy that you're looking at the bright side and you know everything will be ok! I wish there were more personalities like yours out there. :)
ReplyDelete