7:30pm: Stace is out of surgery, trying to negotiate going home with the doctor. That’s our Stace. Oh yeah, she can open her mouth wider than ever before.
We love you Stace!!! Congrats!!!!
Ok.. not today.. but maybe tomorrow, and definitely Friday. I was given the go ahead to chew ANYTHING I want when I wake up. Except for gum. I can’t have gum ever again… but being wired for the past month and a half has made me really appreciate the finer things in life…. like steak, cheeseburgers, salad, and the almighty popcorn.
The second stage of my surgery is tomorrow, June 22nd, at 10am. People keep asking me if I’m excited… well, I wasn’t, until yesterday when I was walking through Atlanta Hartsfield airport to go to my gate. I am excited now. I’m excited for the prospect that this could be the end of my personal journey with TMJ disorder. I don’t want to get too excited though. I will be happy no matter what happens, because I *will* be able to open my mouth, and I will be able to eat pretty much whatever I want.
I have to be at the hospital at 7:30am, and they will admit me and take me to my room. Then they will take me to pre-op. I wanted to see the joints, and even keep the model of my jaw that they made from the CT scan, but I’m not allowed. My surgeon has to keep it. 
He said I could probably get my own model for $2,500. Yeah, right! I think I’ve paid enough for these things!
So, I will hopefully be back here blogging on Friday afternoon… like last time, I will have pictures for each day. Let me know if you have any questions!
I am not really sure where my story begins, but I do have two suspicions. One is in 1988, I had to have my wisdom teeth pulled because they were causing problems. They were very impacted, and I could not open my mouth more that 10 mm. After they were pulled, I then had full range of motion.
The next suspicion was in 1998. I was hit very hard in the back end of my husband’s pick-up truck and hit my head on the back glass. After the accident I had severe headaches for 3 weeks straight. Nothing I did would relieve the headaches. I couldn’t even think for myself. My husband finally insisted that I go to the emergency room to have a mri done. All they scanned was my brain, and it only showed a mild concussion. They gave me some pain meds and sent me on my way. The headaches did go away for about a month, but then returned with a vengeance.
Now I have headaches every day. This is the year 2006 people. My jaws started popping about 3 years ago, and I never thought any thing of tmj til I went to the dentist 2 years ago, and he told me that I might have tmj. He sent me to a specialist who I have been seeing since. Been through the splint therapy and still going thru it and the so called pain therapy. My specialist finally agreed to send me to get an MRI. Got my reading back on Tuesday April 4th. The mri showed a torn ligament in my left jaw as well as spurs on both jaws and total derangement of both discs and of course the adhesions. I am actually relieved that it is this and not brain tumors. ( you see my dad died with a brain tumor in 1989, and my sister is in remission from brain tumors.) Now, the next step for me is to see a shrink, to see if stress is the cause of the problems at hand. The date for that is May 1st. My doc wants to do surgery. However, I am planning on a second opinion first. If it will make the headaches go away, I do want to do the surgery. We will see what is to come. By the way my left jaw has gone into lock down. My right, well lets just say can’t do much without the left. There will be more to come as I journey through this thing called TMJ.
To read more stories of people like you, visit our TMJ patient story page. As always, if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or tips, let us know!
Hi everybody. I know I haven’t posted as much as I should have been, but up until today, I haven’t exactly been in the mood. This is the first day that I can honestly say I am starting to feel a little stir crazy, I think the shopping gene is starting to click in… no visions of sugar plums in my head, I’m thinking.. “Neiman Marcus..” “Purses..” “Shoes..” but I’m afraid if they took one look at me, they would kick me out of the store. The long mohawk I’m sporting is not exactly fashionable. I’ve been in what feels like the black hole of Calcutta for 4 days, and I’m wondering if there is life outside the Residence Inn. Having said that, I’m going to put on my big girl panties and deal with it… today I am going to venture outside. I feel a little like a bird leaving the nest for the first time. What if I run into the wall? What if the trip down the elevator hurts (you know, the change of altitude thing)? Judging from how I look in the mirror, I think my Mom might want to take me out the service entrance.
I will post later and let you all know how my adventure went. If you don’t hear from me in 24 hours, send help!
My left ear burns like hell and my right eye is black.. today the pain has been fairly bad. I took a bath earlier, which was nice, even though it didn’t sound too good when my Mom brought it up. We’re slowly finding out what works best in a blender and how to take medicines… we’ll type up some tips soon. Other than that, there’s not much to report. I’m still going through the hot/cold thing, but I’m sure that’ll stop soon. I’m definitely ready to stop sweating!
Are there any questions I can answer? I know there are some of you reading who will be having this surgery, and I want to help as much as I can.
Well, the swelling is kicking in. I can feel it in my cheeks, they are getting caught more on the wiring. My Mom says she can see it too. My throat is more sore, and it’s harder to swallow. I’ve gone from really hot, to shivering… effects of anesthesia, obviously. I’m going back to sleep (not like things will be any better in a couple hours, but one can hope, right?)!
Hi everyone - it’s Stacy! So, this morning they did rounds and the resident told me they would be moving me out of the ICU to another floor where I could walk around. He told me that my doctor would be in soon to check on me. When my doc came in, he said that I could move to another floor, or I could go home. I chose to go home… so, by 1pm I was here at the hotel. 
When I called my Mom this morning, she was already on her way with my Dad. They were floored; as was everyone else. The difference between me last night and this morning was crazy. I have to admit, I was flabergasted myself!
It’s weird, the things that hurt are the small things. They had IV’s in both of my feet, so they are really sore. My gums and teeth are sore from the arch bars (like stakes that go through my gum and into the root of my teeth), the wires make my cheeks sore, and my throat is sore from the tubes.
My surgeon said that the joints were pretty bad, especially the right one (which doesn’t surrpise me- I had been saying the same for a while), and that he was surprised I had been functioining so well. My joints and some blood are on the way to Minnesota to particpate in the TMJ Registry. Hopefully they will help someone!
I do have pictures, which I will post later, but I just wanted to let everyone know that I am home early and feeling ok. 
:) Thanks for all of your support!!!!!
3 pmish: Stacy is finally out of surgery and is on her way to surgical ICU. She is doing ok. Will keep the updates coming.
Update….sleeping soundly…thank goodness! NG Tube is gone! Getting 3-D CT scan done before settling down for the night.
TMJ Disorder: Where Do I Begin? Part I
What Type of Doctors Treat TMJ Disorder?
This article is the first in a two part series for people who have just been diagnosed with TMJ disorder or those who still have questions about the process. Since TMJ disorder effects so many bodily systems and can produce so many different symptoms, a variety of doctors treat the disorder. Through much trial and error, we have found that a team approach is the most beneficial and produces the best results. This article will go over the type of doctors you may encounter in the course of your treatment.
These doctors will be listed chronologically, however, since each person is different, your specific treatment plan could be different as well. Some of us start with a neurologist because of the headaches brought on by TMJ disorder, others start with a surgeon because their problems were brought on by trauma. This will just attempt to summarize each doctor’s role in the treatment of this disorder.
The first stop in many patient’s treatment is their general or family dentist. The dentist will check for a number of signs that indicate TMJ disorder is present. These include tooth wear from grinding or clenching. He may also begin by listening to the jaw with a stethoscope to check for popping, grinding, or any other sounds that may not be consistent with normal jaw function. He will palpate and apply gentle pressure to your face, neck, shoulders and/or back. Depending on your dentist’s training or specialty, other tests might be done, which will explain later. If you do have any of the symptoms as explained above, your dentist may do one of several things. He may fabricate a splint which prevents further tooth wear and helps pain. Keep in mind that the splint is a trial and error process. It will require many visits to adjust the splint to get maximum benefit. You might also need to try several appliances before finding the right one for you. The dentist might also prescribe medications such as anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants, or he may refer you to our next professional, the “TMJ specialist.”
The TMJ specialist is a dentist who has usually had extra training to help him become more familiar with TMJ disorder. It is always a good idea to ask the dentist what training he or she has had. Please refer to our article entitled “How to Choose a Doctor” for more information. The TMJ specialist will most likely do a more extensive examination than your general dentist. He might take different types of x-rays such as a panorex or tomogram, or order an MRI. You may question why to see a general dentist if you could just see a TMJ disorder specialist.
Most cases are manageable at the general or family dentist level, and do not need further intervention from a more specialized doctor. Keep in mind that these cases can be managed without invasive or irreversible treatment such as grinding your teeth down or changing your bite. If this is proposed, you may feel the need to secure a second or third opinion. The TMJ specialist will be your primary diagnostician based on results from tests, physical examination, your symptoms, how your teeth fit together, etc. Depending on what your diagnosis is, this doctor may do a multitude of things, like splint therapy, trigger point injections, iontophoresis, ultrasound,transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation. They may refer you to other doctors such as a neurologist, ear nose and throat doctor, pain specialist, or oral surgeon. This doctor will come up with a treatment plan for you which can include any of the above. Usually they refer to this treatment plan by “Phase One” and “Phase Two.” Phase one is generally reducing pain, stopping any inflammatory or degenerative processes. This part of the plan is usually conservative. When your pain has subsided, and a correct diagnosis has been established, you move on to Phase Two, which can include braces, equilibration and total reconstruction including crown work and bridges. These treatments are non-reversible and invasive. Please keep in mind that this varies from doctor to doctor. At this point of treatment, many patients see a psychologist to help deal with the pain and associated effects of TMJ disorder on their life and their family. This is a very important aspect of treatment.
Please keep in mind that there is no board certification for “TMJ Specialists.” Any doctor can call themselves a specialist, whether they have had 5 hours of education on TMJ disorder or 5000. This makes it extremely important to do research on the particular physician you choose.
If the patient has headaches, burning pain, migraines or any neurological symptoms, they can be referred to a neurologist.
The Neurologist is a doctor who specializes in nerves and diseases of the brain and spinal column. Some patients with TMJ disorder see a neurologist for a headaches or facial nerve pain. A neurologist’s examination includes checking reflexes, strength, eye movement and nerve reaction. He might listen to your jaw joints with a stethoscope.
If you haven’t had an MRI by this point, the neurologist might order one.
The next installment of this three part article will cover Ear Nose and Throat doctors, pain management specialists, and oral surgeons.
How to Choose a TMJ Disorder Doctor
One of the most difficult parts of TMJ treatment or any kind of treatment is finding a good doctor or dentist.
One thing that is really important is having a primary care physician that you like, trust and who isn’t afraid to say “I don’t know, but I’ll find out”, or “I need to send you to a specialist”. The advantage of having a great primary care physician is that the great doctors know other great doctors. He or she can refer you to the top specialists in the area, and you can be confident that you are receiving the best care possible.
Research
This helps with most things, like cardiologists or allergists, but when it comes to interesting topics like TMJ disorder, many doctors might not know who to refer to, or not know any good physicians in the area. If your primary doctor does not know where to send you, do a search on Google for TMJ disorder specialists in the closest big city. Look at their websites, search their names to see if they have any published research (or any complaints). Refer to the latter part of this article for more in depth information on researching a doctor’s credentials.
Make a list of your priorities. Here is a sample list, but note that your list may be different depending on your particular needs.
1. What characteristics are important to you in a doctor?
2. Make a list of the doctors you find.
3. Check credentials.
4. Contact the doctor’s office.
5. Meet with the doctor.
1) Do you want a doctor who helps you make decisions and explains the choices you have in treatments?
Or would you like a doctor who makes the decisions for you without any discussion as to what the different choices were?
Or, would you like something in between?
This is important because if you will be doing a lot of research on your own, you need a doctor who is receptive to this type of participation. Conversely, if you don’t want to do research, you need to find a doctor who is comfortable with making decisions based on his professional experience.
Would you like a doctor who is involved in the latest research? Or part of a large university? Or a doctor who is more conservative and waits until cutting edge technology is more proven?
2) Resources for locating physicians:
American Dental Association: http://www.ada.org
American Academy of Craniofacial Pain: http://www.aacfp.org
American Board of Orofacial Pain: http://www.abop.net
American Society of Temporomandibular Joint Surgeons: http://www.astmjs.org
Credentials
3) The websites above will give you an idea of the doctor’s credentials, but you can also check on licensing and board certification through websites such as:
DocBoard
Amyrdh
Certifacts
Interviews
4) You might want to call the doctor’s offices that you are interested in and ask some general questions about their policies and rules. Some questions you might want to ask:
1. Office hours
2. Which hospitals the doctor has privileges and where procedures are done
3. After hour protocol and who covers for the physician if he or she is not available
4. How long is the wait to schedule an initial and/or routine appointment
5. How long is a typical wait in the office when scheduled for an appointment
6. What is the cancellation policy?
7. Protocol for refills and new prescriptions over the phone
8. Emergency information
Evaluate and Choose
After your phone interview with the staff and first appointment, ask yourself the following:
Did they:
1. Give me a chance to ask questions?
2. Really listen to my questions?
3. Answer in terms I understand?
4. Show respect for me?
5. Ask me questions?
6. Make me feel comfortable?
7. Address the health problems I came with?
8. Ask me my preferences about different kinds of treatments?
9. Spend enough time with me?
10. Take my concerns seriously?
Remember that a doctor’s staff is a reflection on him to some degree (especially if he is the only doctor in the office). If you can’t get to the doctor when you call in because the staff will not work with you, that may or may not be the doctor for you.
Also, you cannot put enough emphasis on your gut instinct of your initial impression of the doctor. If you feel something is not right, or find yourself making excuses for the doctor or his staff, trust in your instincts and move on to the next doctor on your list.
Hopefully this helps make the difficult task of choosing just the right doctor for you a little bit easier!
