The ANSWER Is You (In my Case . . . ME!)

As is always true, I sought the answers outside myself, but are they ever? Perhaps, but I don’t think so . . . it seems I shall have to take care of myself . . .because again I thought I could rely on someone to HELP me when really we, ourselves are the answer.

We may be able to seek some help and a little direction but the answers are inside ourselves if we only choose to LISTEN and DO!

As I approached the Pain Management Center which I had been led to believe was going to be the end all be all to my TMJ/TMD problem it was not all that I had hoped it would be and once again I learned that I will have to depend on myself and my own common sense. The nice people there did nothing but take my lengthy pain history for the 3rd time, diagnose the TMJ/TMD which we knew, take impressions for a night guard, day talk-guard and suggest I see a talk-therapist (with no referral) see an MD (with no referral which I requested  3 times, they had no list but suggested I peruse and then pick from my own insurance M.D. list),  prescribe an anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxant and suggest a revisit.

It seems that the medical machine/and or the giant modern arm of medical bureaucratic obfuscation and misdirection is in full swing and does not know what it is doing concerning TMJ/TMD  so though my dentist and orthodontist may have had their hearts in the right direction, their referral may have gone awry.

It seems that I will have to handle my care myself and by doing so it may get me out of this funk I’m in. We are in charge of ourselves!

I’ve since called my neurologist and made an appointment for botox shots in the head and jaw for headaches and the jaw pain and I’ll speak to him about a referral to a new MD. My neurologist is awesome, both empathetic and sympathetic to pain. In the meantime I’ve called my old MD and have an appointment on his schedule ASAP for an appointment to get back on track with some meds. to get the depression from the pain manageable. I’m icing it, I’ve stopped coffee and smoking of my own accord. When I told the D.D.S. at the Pain Management Ctr. this I saw her write down “stop coffee” as if it was her prescriptive idea. How original! She also suggested better posture, but no suggestion of how, perhaps a physical therapist showing me some exercises wouldn’t be amiss, but she did not say that, perhaps it was supposed to be sent via mental telepathy I didn’t receive. Well thank you very much! I’m sure if I had mentioned yoga, it would have gone into her notes as well, as her idea.  I had been lead to believe this was a center where they were going to direct ME to what I SHOULD do to help manage the pain….no matter, I CAN and WILL handle it.

I shall take into advisement what I should do to make myself better. . . here are some of MY IDEAS….

1. No coffee (exacerbates stress of muscles)

2. No smoking (same) yes and the cancer issue obviously….yada, yada, yada

3. Get exercise with walking,  practice correct posture with yoga & tai chi

4. Take anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxer, anti-depressant

5. Ice TMJ muscles

6. Meditate, mind + body connection

7. Use relaxation exercises (tapes, CD’s, etc. to de-stress)

8. Avoid stressful situations (avoid stressful people, etc. if you can there ARE choices in             life!)

9. Botox shots in pressure points to relieve headache pain administered by a licensed         neurologist

10. Wear night guard/ day guard

Hopefully this course of action together will alleviate some of life’s stresses, the pain and the depression! To practice all this together constantly sounds easier than it is, but I will persevere, the pain has taught me that it is important to live carefully and consciously. I think it will work, if not I should be too busy to notice some of the pain! Ha, Ha!

After this works for me, perhaps I’ll start my own Pain Management Center that actually will help people!

(C) Written by Evelyn Garone 2/14/12