What is angrier than livid?!!!

[Guest guest]

Okay.

So, three years ago I was in an accident. My scooter tire got caught

in the street car track and threw me off. I landed on my knee,

shoulder, face - right side.

I couldn't move my jaw for about a week afterwards. I've since had

knee surgery and back surgery. My face has continuted to cause me

pain since. I was referred to the Myofacial Surgery department where

I went through four doctors. Four. Why? Because they left the

department after six months. Each. Then I'd fall through the cracks

and it would take another two months to get in touch with another

doctor before they'd leave again.

I had an x-ray, MRI, and Panograph taken of my jaw/face. Each doctor

in the Myofacial department told me there was nothing in the pictures.

The second doctor I saw offered to do an Arthrocentesis - basically,

an outpatient surgical procedure that drains fluid from the jaw joints

that is helpful in relieving swelling and pressure. And it worked -

for about four weeks.

Finally, the fourth doctor I spoke with referred me to a DDS

specialist. It took my HMO four months and three official, legal

requests to send the images of my face to the specialist. It took him

longer to load the images onto his computer than to look at them and

tell me what he saw.

He told me that the disc pops in and out of place everytime I open and

close my jaw, that I had bone loss, and arthritis in both joints.

Then he says, " That's probably why they did the Arthrocentesis. "

I now have a direction, a reason for the pain, something besides the

" we are doctors and we do not see anything therefore there isn't

anything there " bull.

And, do you think any one of those four Myofacial specialist surgeons

mentioned any of those findings to me?!!! It's been three years. The

MRI was taken a year ago. I have so much rage and frustration and

anger - and I have been in the worst pain over the last couple of days

because you know how well stress does for chronic pain!

I feel beside myself. Absolutely, livid. Betrayed, almost.

Any insight into this situation would be very helpful. I know a lot

of people deal with TMD/TMJ but I have not come across many people

with injury to their jaw. Most people just don't fall on their face,

and take it from me, I don't recommend it.

Staci

PS...I'm also glad my sense of humor hasn't broken...