Medical Situation

I have been trying to cope with it.  I have been trying to "push through" it.  

For the last 4-5 days, I have had considerable, throbbing pain, edemic swelling, and inflammatory heat along the right side of my face involving my eye, my ear, my jaw, and my neck on that side of my face.

As a person with decades of TMJ Disorder experience behind him, I presumed this was what I was experiencing in an especially strong episode.  No matter how faithful I am to wearing my bite splint and gnawing on my bite sock each evening (and I am damn near 100% faithful.... probably 99.994% faithful), the variances of TMJ can still sprout forth in much the same way that a seed can sometimes exert enough force to crack concrete.  

But, when late last night I could feel the pulsing of my heartbeat in my ear, I could sense fluid movement in my ear, and when both yesterday morning and this morning.... even though I fully used both bite splint and sock..... that my upper and lower teeth were incredibly out of alignment..... bilaterally..... then I KNEW I was experiencing a strong middle ear infection.  

Because I had so damn many ear aches as a kid before I eventually had "tubes" inserted in my tympanic membrane.... I believe the scarring dulled or destroyed many of the pain receptors in my middle ear region.  Do not get me wrong.... my ear hurts like hell.  But, the PAIN is indistinguisable from TMJ pain and is a continual dull ache that is drastically different than the piercing ear pain of my childhood.  

So.... after clomping out the damnable 10 miles this morning, and after administering my gigantic, "mega comprehensive" final exam to my second semester A&P students, I scheduled an appointment with the "Redi-Med" folks to attempt to get a proper diagnosis and potentially medication.

I was correct in my diagnosis.  The clinician exclaimed about how fluid-filled my middle ear appeared due to the bulging outward of my tympanic membrane.  I am at a point where the pressure appears to be growing strong enough that it also is pushing considerably against my oval window as well...... inducing a mild virtigo feeling occasionally as I walk or run.  

They faxed a prescription  to the pharmacy across town for a 10 day supply of high dose amoxicillin.  

* * * * * 

I am so damn tired.  I want to sleep.  I want to rest.  But I have to keep pushing to get through the damn week.  And, even though I have not said much about it.... I have been deeply, DEEPLY craving my pipes the last 3-4 days especially.  In my old PCS Scale, it would list at AT LEAST a 9.5.  Many a times a pipe would help me to grit my teeth (in a non-TMJ Disorder fashion) and steel my resolve to stick with the needed plan.  Its nourishment would quell nearly any discomfort.  

I need to get back to work.  My wife is working across town so she is potentially going to stop at this pharmacy to see if they have filled my prescription.  We use the pharmacy across town because it is a) open 24 hours, and b) "faster" than other closer pharmacies by us.  "Faster" is relative, however.... even for a damn simple medication like amoxicillin, it may not be available until late into the night or perhaps tomorrow.... or hell... perhaps even Friday.

PipeTobacco