My turn to vent a bit

[MightyMouse]

Ah, the joys of having this freakish body that does it's own thing, regardless of my wishes

I dislocated my jaw at some point while sleeping last night. This happens to me from time to time, and I seem to prone to such things as a result of having hypermobile joints (an Ehlers-Danlos feature). I was able to nudge it back into place myself, but a few hours later, it was out again.

So, then I had to call my stepfather, the dentist, 'cause I didn't know what to do next. For now, I'm all iced up, waiting for the spasms to die down a little more before my partner-in-crime, Teri, attempts to wiggle it back into place for me. Wish me luck!

Nina

[UnicornIsis]

ohh how aweful!! I feel for you really. When I was yonger in my teens I could pop my hips in and out of joint with no problem. I stopped doing it because I just kept thinking that somehow it was a bad idea. I saw Dr. Abdallah recently and he thinks I have EDS. After looking it up on the web Mom and I both think we do. My great-grandfather/mom's grandfather got stuck with his legs behind is head at 80 years old and they had to take him to the hospital because they were afraid to undo him themselves because he was so old!! The family loves that story and it's true. I pop my wrists and ankles all the time. I used to sprain my ankles like crazy when I was little and sooo bad too. My orthopediac surgeon loved me but could never understand how I could walk. Especially when I get up off the table with a majorly sprained and hyperextended ankle and turn my feet on their sides and walk around the room on the outsides of my feet with the soles of my feet facing each other. I'm telling you all of this hoping it will make you laugh some--without moving your jaw of course! Pretty hard to do huh? That's the only thing I really know to say for you. I'm one of those that get's tired of hearing you poor thing! so I figured I wouldn't say to you either. But if you want it I said it. I hope it feels better soon and gives you a break from the "Amazing Unhinged Mighty Mouse" Although if you're like me you might have to qualify that's it your jaw and not your mind that's unhinged!

Hope you feel better soon and get it back into place to stay for a while.

MP

P.S. Mom says hi and she hopes you feel better too as she's reading this over my shoulder.

[hilfgirl33]

Nina, That is one component of POTS I can gladly say I do not have. I guess it makes things interesting if not a little bizarre to have your things just popping out on you. Does it hurt??

Here's hoping you get everything back in place real soon!!! (( HUGS ))

Elaine

[geneva]

I must say you are a very talented individual...not only can you pop your jaw out BUT you can FIX it TOO! This is very impressive Nina. I feel for Teri having the job of assisting you, however. Try to hold together!! Seriously hope you are back in order soon.

[denabob]

just a word to tell you my newest! I feel for you even though Ihaven't got that particular problem, I passed out and landed on my hand and (of course) broke my finger on my right hand which is the one I use!!!! I now have a typing assistant, her name is Lisa (she is just the best person in the world!!...and no that wasn't Lisa saying that herself ) I hope you feel better soon. Rather "we" hope you feel better soon. Lots of prayers.

[EarthMother]

Ouch!!!! I hope your body is producing wonderful pain killers and good thoughts your way that you are able to set everything in place again.

So who has been a pain in the neck for you lately?

Something to ponder ... or chuckle about when you can manage a smile! :-)

EM

[Guest tearose]

Ouch that sounds so painful! I hope you can get some relief soon. Until you hear from your dentist here is what I learned:

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

When the jawbone becomes unseated at one or both joints, you have a dislocated jaw. The condition is known medically as a dislocated mandible.

Causes

The problem is usually the result of impact on the jaw. Dislocation can also occur if you open your mouth too wide while yawning, yelling, or biting large pieces of food.

Signs/Symptoms

Soon after the dislocation, the jaw muscles tighten, keeping the mouth from closing normally. You'll have difficulty moving the jaw; and swelling, pain, and redness will develop.

Care

Injection of a numbing medication near the joint and the jaw muscles often allows the jawbone to pop back into place on its own. If this doesn't work, however, the doctor may need to manually reseat the bone in the joint.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

Apply an ice pack to the jaw during the first 12 to 24 hours to relieve pain and swelling. Put ice in a plastic bag and place a towel between the ice pack and your skin. Keep the ice pack on your jaw for 15 to 20 minutes out of every hour.

After 24 hours, you may use heat to ease the pain. Put the heat on your jaw for 15 minutes every 2 hours. Wait at least 24 hours after the injury before applying heat; it can increase swelling and bleeding if used any earlier.

For one week, eat only soft foods, such as baby food, gelatin, cooked cereal, ice cream, applesauce, bananas, eggs, pasta, cottage cheese, soups, and yogurt. Your diet should be as well-balanced as possible.

For about 6 weeks, do not open your mouth wide when you yawn, bite large pieces of food, scream or yell, sing, or call out loudly.

If you need to yawn, put your fist under your chin to keep you mouth from opening up too wide.

For the first few days, you may need to wear a bandage to hold the jaw in place.

You said this has happened before, I hope this time they can do something to keep it from happening again! I guess this means you can't yell at Teri anymore! Get well soon, tearose

[MightyMouse]

Thanks everyone!

Denabob, sounds like you've gotten the same cluzty gene that I have !! Good that you can laugh about it -- I sure laugh lots! At one point this summer, we were in the car on the way to the ER for what was the 3rd weekend in a row, all for something different... this time, I had burned both my corneas, which, if you didn't know your eyes could hurt worse than just about anything, let me tell you they CAN and DO. Teri got all serious...and said "Nina, I have something important I need to tell you." I got serious back and said. "oh...okay...go ahead." To which, Teri yelled "SUNDAYS ARE NOT EMERGENCY ROOM DAYS!!" We both started cracking up, which really helped me because I had been feeliing stupid and miserable.

As for "does it hurt?" -- yep, that's how I know the jaw has come out of joint, and if it's fully out, I can't move my lower jaw at all. It's a ball/socket joint that floats over a disc, and sometimes mine just drifts out of the grove. My most frequent disclocating activities: sneezing, yawning and dental appointments where I have to keep my mouth open for extended time.

This time was just a partial dislocation--I could open a little and chew (painful, but sometimes hunger prevails). I did ice for a few hours and a few Aleve. A few hours after I wrote my above post, Teri was able to push my jaw back into place. That was about 8:30 last night and I promptly fell asleep and JUST woke up--it's 9:45 am. Now it's just sore because of all the spasming for the past 2 days.

Now i have to baby it so that it calms down and stays in place. I had exercises I used to do in order to stablilize the joint, but I stopped doing them a few years ago. Guess that wasn't very smart of me! Once it calms down, I'll have to start again. Usually, it's my knees and ankles that go all loosey-goosey on me.

Thanks for the pep talks, I needed 'em! Nina

[denabob]

Clutz doesn't even cover it! I see it as a real talent.... when I do something I do it right!!! Laughter truly is the best medicine....in our case a necessity hope your jaw feels better soon. It probably hurts to smile and we cant have that with a group of professional comedians like we have here!!!!

[Guest tearose]

Hey Nina, how's the jaw? I don't suppose you've had any bagels lately. Is it something you are always going to have to deal with? Feel better. Keep healing, tearose

[MightyMouse]

Thanks for checking in Tea. Yep, I'll deal with forever more... started with my first full dislocation more than 15 years ago.

I partially dislocated again last night, but it was brief. Now it just feels like bruise. I'm used to it by now though.

You guys & gals are great. Nina

[michiganjan]

Nina, co you wear a bite splint when you sleep? I have one for my TMJ and I just won't go to sleep without it. It actually helps remodel the jaw joints as I grind away while I sleep. I have not heard of a splint being used for jaws that dislocate, but if you haven't already talked to the stepdad dentist about one. see what he say. My bite splint keeps my jaws in line because my teeth ride in a sort of track that keeps everything in line.

Michigan Jan

P.S. Nina, how did you burn your corneas?

[MightyMouse]

Jan, I'll ask him this weekend---they're coming into town for the Philadelphia Flower Show (for those who haven't been, it's the BEST).

As for the corneas... we're not completely sure how I did that. The best guess is that I contaminated my contacts, either with soap or make up... then went to my cousins wedding. My contacts were kind of hazy all that night, but when I took them out in the car on the way home, holy holy holy...did it ever hurt! As soon as the air hit my eyes, the pain started and my irises went into spasms. I had a lovely hour or two of relief in the ER when they numbed my eyes, but they wouldn't give me anything to numb them at home b/c the medicine in the numbing stuff would inhibit the healng process. You can bet I'm SUPER careful with my contacts now.

BTW, my eyes healed completely in just a few days. Pretty amazing how fast they heal. However, I still have a floater/grey area from vitreous damage a few years back when I passed out--that passing out episode was completely cluzt induced...not POTS/NCS. I was rushing b/c I'd overslept, and as I turned to bolt out of my walk in closet with my suit, I ran right into the door jamb and blacked out. Woke up on the floor of the closet with a wicked headache and wierd vision. That was about 8 years ago and I still have a funky spot in my vision. The doc described the injury like this: the vitreous is like a bowl of jello...I shook it so hard that the jello split into two pieces and so where the two pieces meet, I have the blurry grey spot.

Yeah, I got the clutz gene in spades!

Nina

[denabob]

Wow! I think maybe we're twins seperated at birth...you sound just like me! (not sure if that's a compliment or not though ha ha ha ) I have a recurrent corneal erosion -my dog scratched my eye so deep that it only heals on the top layer and reopens on occasion,so far it's been 6 years Dr says it could take 10-15 to heal. He puts a contact lens bandage on it - it adheres itself to my eye-for about 3-4 days and POOF no more pain! The pain is mostly from the eyelid rubbing the affected area so the lens sheilds it. I then go in and he takes it off and I of course have to use the med. drops but it's much better than those hideous patches and no pain.

I'm thirthy now so you can imagine how pitiful I'll be in 30 more years!

I told my boyfriend that at least he cant say I'm boring I'm very entertaining at least.

[MightyMouse]

Oh yeah, peas in a pod, we are. Sorry you're a pod-mate though (not because I don't like company...more because it means we are the the free entertainment and slapstick comedy for years to come)...

Nina