Le gasp! An Update

Aside from being summer Raven's been preoccupied with PT. Even thought I'm only going once a week for treatment, it seems to be all I can concentrate on.

I'm still wearing the splint, still hate it. It's been just a month since I got it and I'm finding it hard to keep wearing it. Meaning not physically, just I don't see how it's helping but the draw back, I've worn it long enough to *Need* to wear it. After a while it hurts just as much to wear it and it does not to wear it. So ya, am stuck with it.

So a bit of good news! The Iontophoresis is working!

Raven before Iontoporesis:




And After Iontoporesis:



Can you see the difference? So much inflammation that it even caused my glasses to be cutting into the sides of my head and had my face appearing more rounder than it really is. There is still swelling in lower part of my jaw but not nearly so much any more around the joints themselves.

Now I don't really know the kenitics behind it, but basically there are two pads, one that contians a lidocain and an ant-inflamatory med which is somehow driven into the joint with the use of a second pad that is electrified like a TENS machine.

They did one side because the pads are so large they cover half my face and this has not been done for TMD, according to my therapist it usually used for the larger joints like, knee, shoulder, elbow and not usually the TMJ. So this is all experimental. But it was working! The inflammation reduced greatly! The pain as well...

But as I've learned, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

When they treated my right side the medicaided pad burned my face, created a sore in my skin and my therapist said, no more.

Now I realize I am their only second patient EVER to be treated for bilateral dysfunction but it's the story of my life as far as seeking pain relief. I get my hopes up only to have some sort of snafu bring it to a grinding halt. No more Iontophoresis for Raven.

It's back to ultrasound and icepacks which I don't see any progression. With the Iontophoresis my bit opening improved, it increased from 16mm to 20mm and now I have topped off at 20mm. The muscles simply will not allow for further increase.

Added to it my therapist keeps asking if my docs is going to go through with the surgery. She's disappointed my opening is not improving and she's running out of options to get it to open further.

My doc on the other hand really does not want to resort to surgery until it is the absolute last resort. Which I can understand but again, its not him dealing with the wait and pain and this stupid splint! There are both pros and cons for the surgery but in the end it's the doc who has the final say and I can only keep waiting.

My next appointment with the doc - who is not my usual doc - has scheduled me for injections directly into the muscles - again another mixture of pain meds and an anti-inflamation in hopes of getting the muscles to stop working against me and allow the bit to increase.

So there's Raven's excuse for not posting more. Lame I know but the truth.