I am going to the emergency room

I can't even swallow without it hurting and I can barely open my mouth. I am starting to wonder if I have lock jaw and not just TMJ problems going on. It hurts so bad. :( I don't even want to eat or even talk. This really hurts. What's weird is that it's only the left side. The right side is perfectly fine and I am having no problems with it at all. :( I just want to crawl into a hole and stay there for days asleep. The only pain meds they are going to be able to give me is morphine, as I cannot take anything else, and that sucks because not even morphine does anything for my pain. I am basically immune to pain meds and all they do is make me very sick to my stomach. I am scared about having to possibly have surgery. It's the same concept of fixing a dog with hip dysplasia, except that it would be my jaw. I am scared of going under a knife, and I don't want a huge scar on my face. This would be my second major surgery. I also found a way to get my endo surgery too, but I don't know when that will be. I would want to have them at least a month apart. I don't want to miss any work but do I have a choice? This really sucks. I am going into the emergency room later on today after Dylan and I take a nap as I know I am going to be there for hours and I don't want to take a cranky toddler with me. If they have to take x-rays or anything I will tell Dan to come home early so he can watch Dylan. I just can't take this pain anymore. I mean I can't even swallow and eat so I have to go in and be seen. I don't even want to talk. :(





That is what I posted in my journal. I didn't feel like typing a long thing again explaining why I am going. Please wish me luck and please pray for me because I am really in a lot of pain and am very scared. I was in bed this morning just crying because I was afraid to move my face. Then I couldn't cry because that just made it worse!:(

Oh, Cass, I hope you will get some relief. Please let us know how you are when you can. You will be in my prayers.

Logan

I won't be going for about three more hours or so. I need to try to find a ride since Dan is at work and I'd really rather not have him take the day off, no matter how much pain I am in, and there are only a handful (even less) people that I trust to take Dylan and I in a car.

Thanks for the prayer Logan, I need it. I have a question though. Can I get tetanus from Freckles biting on me and breaking the skin? If so I would be worried about Dylan too, since today she just broke his skin by scratching him with her teeth and he was bleeding but I cleaned it out. I believe he has had a tetanus shot though, as it's one of their required ones but I will have to check. Is it possible that I can harbor tetanus from when I got bit by Ewok a few months back? I got a tetanus in 98 I think it was, so shouldn't I be fine? I have had problems with my jaw for as long as I can remember. Not being able to yawn, having problems opening my mouth and my jaw clicking and feeling like my ears popped etc. I am not too familiar with TMJ, but I remember my dentist telling me that it either stays the same or it gets worse. Has anyone here ever had the TMJ surgery? I really think I am going to need it. Isn't it odd though that the pain is only on one side? :confused: :(

Let us know how it goes, you'll be in our prayers.

Cass, I will keep you in my prayers that the pain can be relieved for you and no surgery is needed. I can understand how frightened you must be and my heart goes out to you.

Cass-

Hope you feel better really soon! (I wouldn't worry about lockjaw... you've had your tetnus booster, right;) )

Having just be, in the Hospital, I know what a pain, that is,but I feel better now, and we are praying that you are feeling well,soon!

Cass, I am not 100% certain, but I think Dylan is protected if he has had his required vaccinations. Tetanus is one of those mandatory ones and it lasts for a long time. You may be required to have a tetanus shot if you haven't had one in the last 10 years or so. I remember having to have one when our cat, Tigger, climbed me and scratched my face, horribly, many years ago.

Don't panic. Sometimes jaw problems are related to something simple. I just hope you get some answers. If you could go to a doctor, rather than the emergency room, I think that would be better, so you could make repeat visits, if necessary. In fact, I would start with a dentist, rather than a medical doctor.

Hang in there, and keep us posted.

Logan

Cass, I hope you get to feeling better. Keep us updated and let us know what the doctor says.

Willie

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Logan
Cass, I am not 100% certain, but I think Dylan is protected if he has had his required vaccinations. Tetanus is one of those mandatory ones and it lasts for a long time. You may be required to have a tetanus shot if you haven't had one in the last 10 years or so. I remember having to have one when our cat, Tigger, climbed me and scratched my face, horribly, many years ago.

Don't panic. Sometimes jaw problems are related to something simple. I just hope you get some answers. If you could go to a doctor, rather than the emergency room, I think that would be better, so you could make repeat visits, if necessary. In fact, I would start with a dentist, rather than a medical doctor.

Hang in there, and keep us posted.

Logan

---

Well I don't have insurance and the only way to get help is go to the emergency. I just tried to open my mouth and I couldn't even open it!!!!!!! I doubt this is something simple. It's been going on for many years and now I can't even oopen my mouth to eat! I cannot go to the dentist as I don't have money laying around to spend and don't get paid again til the 9th. It's way too expensive. I will only go if I need to, but with no mouth not even being able to open now I am really worried and I NEED to pain medicine, so I have to go to the ER. I am going to get off now and tell Dan to come home from work.

Prayers sent your way...feel better!!!

:( I hope they can help you feel better. Let us know how you are...

Sorry that you are so miserable Cass. Hope they can help you out at ER!!

I hope t is nothing serious {{Prayers heading your way}}

Sorry to hear about everything! I hope it all works out for you, but I don't really know much about the subject.

Cass, I'm praying really really hard for you. Please get better soon.

Had no idea that you didn't have insurance, Cass. :o I wish you the best. Keep us posted. I am very worried about you!!!

Cass,

I really hope you are at the hospital and have got the treatment you need :(

Thinking of you :(

Very sorry to hear you're having so much trouble. I don't really know anything about TMJ. I know a long time ago my sister in law had it. I guess you might be back by now. I haven't read all this yet. Hope they can at least get your pain reduced. I hope you're feeling better now.

Oh no Cass, I'll be praying for you, hugs!

Prayers on the way. I hope your doing alright.

Well I didn't get to go. I am trying to hold out since I do not have insurance. I called around to the dentists in my area and was recommended to Dr. Welsh so I will be giving him a call tomorrow in order to set up an exam an x-rays. He is a surgeon, so it looks like I'll be having surgery. The ask a nurse said to just take some Tylenol, that I would have to see a dentist. :( I don't know how much the surgery will cost but I hope it's not more than a couple thousand of dollars, and even then I will have to make payments. As of now I feel a little bit better because I have been trying to not "play" with my jaw, as in opening my mouth etc. and trying to realign it. The ask a nurse said if the pain doesn't go away to come in, so if the pain meds somehow do not continue to work I will go in tomorrow. The treatment at the hospital would cost more than if I went to a dentist, so I am trying to get an emergency appointment for tomorrow. I just hope I can get it and we can take care of this as soon as possible!

Thanks for the prayers everyone. Keep praying as this surgery is going to cost a lot of money if I have to have it. :(

I can't imagine being without insurance. That would be very scary. Hope you're able to ease your misery soon. Sounds horrible. I've just recently starting taking care of my mouth and it's very expensive. If my mom hadn't helped me, I don't know what I would have done. Good luck.

For sure, dental insurance doesn't pay much, does it Valerie? And if the diagnosis is TMJ, it probably won't pay anything. :( I handed out almost $2000 to a specialist to treat me when I was having severe jaw pain and headaches a few years ago. I did not have surgery, but it was months of wearing a mouthpiece, having my bite adjusted, learning new posture techniques, driving techniques (how you hold the steering wheel), phone and computer techniques......all things that affect your jaws, believe it or not!!!

You know, when I wrote that, I was thinking of plain health insurance. I've got it but not going to a chosen provider because the dentist I go to is just too good. It hasn't paid a lot but I don't know how much they'd be paying if I was going to a chosen provider. I was super sleepy when I wrote that last night and still had the ER in mind.

Glad your pain has eased a little. At least, that should put your mind to rest that you don't have tetanus. Continue resting your jaw as much as possible, and avoid the temptation to "test" it to see if it still hurts.

Best wishes!

Hope you're feeling better! *hugs*

Thanks everyone. :) It definitely still hurts but I am learning self control and to not move it, as that just makes it worse. I cna get health insurance from work, and dental too but I don't have as many hours right now for it to be worth it. If I did get it I wouldn't be bringing home a paycheck another words. As soon as I can get more hours I am going to sign up.