Brief

 

I realize I am not know for brevity.... but I will try my best:

• by last Tuesday, my TMJ had flared so very badly that I was in such pain, that I think "agony" would be an appropriate term. My entire jaw, ear, joint, and impacted wisdom tooth on that side of my face was swollen, inflamed, hot-to-the-touch, and extremely painful. My ear felt like it was on fire.  I lavaged my ear canal with a mixture of warm water and a bit of hydrogen peroxide.... because I have sometimes had relief in doing so by flushing out a built up earwax plug.  But, even though I squirted and squirted a lot of fluid into the canal.... not a speck of ear wax was removed this time.  Apparently my ear canal was clean.  
• I then called the dentist and feared for the worst.  He was not able to get me in until late Wednesday afternoon.  I kept just pushing on, doing my regular crap.
• My fears were VARIED....... ranging from a) that I fully destroyed my TMJ joint on that side of my mandible, or b) my dormant, fully impacted, fully gum covered sideways pointing wisdom tooth decided to awaken and push against my other teeth or worse.... tried to erupt in my hinge space, or c) things even worse that I was imagining and not going to describe here.
• Since Monday, the SWELLING of that side was so significant, that I could not CLOSE/CLENCH my teeth together.  The best I could do was get the teeth on that side (my right side) about 3/4 of a centimeter apart from touching before the pain was BEYOND agony.  And, my lower mandible was especially swollen that it pushed my whole right side jawline forward.  The entire hinge area of the right side of my mouth was greatly swollen. My whole side of my face was so sore and hot, and my ear was so painful. 
• At Wednesday's dentist appointment, he took X-rays, saw NO sign of any disruption of my wisdom tooth, nor any aberration of nearby tissues, nor any decline in my TM joint itself... all appeared fine. THIS WAS A RELIEF, but also perplexing.  And, when he had me performTMJ  "bite tests"..... basically, he would put his fingers in various locations in my mouth and ask me to bite.... and report degree of pain..... not a damn one of the classic TMJ pain pressure points would hurt at all!  NOTHING.
• This confused the dentist, and he suggested, as he could see the swelling, could feel the "heat" of the inflammation along my mandible.... that what I needed to do, was wear my bite guard 24/7 for a few days (I had already been doing this for a week).... and only eat soft foods (which I had began to do Tuesday, as it was too damn painful to even try to chew ANYTHING..... and I was not successful at any of it because I could not close my teeth together anyway. 
• There wasn't a damn thing I could do, but take the damn advice.  I hated eating all the soft things..... I did not have any vegetables to speak of, did not have any salad, did not have any popcorn, did not have tacos, burritos, or taco salad....... I had pureed soup, sloppy-soft macaroni and cheese,  refried beans from the can (fat-free).  
• The above is what I ate basically for several days, with damn near no fiber.  This got be very constipated again which was another pain.
• Still through all of this I did my damn work, even though I was perpetually exhausted from the pain.  I was continually in pain.  I gave up on running Wednesday, as the jostling up and down felt painful on my mouth and ear.
• By the time Friday rolled around, it was still horrible, and I went to the Redi-Med, thinking..... now that tried what the dentist advised to no avail.... that perhaps I had a middle ear infection that was acting a bit differently.  
• My ear hurt like hell all week.  I told the dentist that, but I guess he doesn't concern himself with ears.  But, when I have a TMJ flare up.... it usually DOES make my ear hurt like hell.  But, when I USUALLY have an ear infection, I tend to also have a sore throat.... I didn't really suspect my ear as the culprit with all the symptoms going on along the side of my face.  
• So on Saturday, after helping at one of my wife's events, I went to the Redi-Med.  Unfortunately, I played "Russian Roulette" at the registration desk there.... and ended up getting the Physician's Assistant that I "kindly" label the "Antibiotic Nazi" (after the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld).  This PA is NOTORIOUS for NEVER PRESCRIBING ANY ANTIBIOTICS to ANYONE who gets her. 
• She looked in my ear.... and said it definitely had "water" behind the eardrum and was a bit "red" but that she "didn't think it warranted an antibiotic".  In my mind, I went through, rather rapid fire, some of the most vehement curse words I could think of.... words and phrases so harsh, I probably should go to confession just for thinking them.  Then she "prescribed" her nothing mix of bullsh*t over-the-counter allergy crap that she always suggests.
• So, I am back at work again today.  When I finally figured out I had an ear infection, I began the one "treatment" I know of that can help (somewhat).... I would put isopropyl alcohol in my ear canal and let it sit there ~10 minutes, before letting it drain out.  It can, somewhat isotonically help draw water from the middle ear through the tympmpanic membrane to alleviate the pain of the fluid pressure.  
• So, it is still difficult, but the pressure is less, and it seems like the swelling is a bit less.  
• My next step, if it does not resolve is to travel across town to a different Redi-Med in hopes that there is a more normal clinician there who, when they see the signs of an EAR INFECTION, will prescribe the appropriate antibiotics.  But, there is also the possibility,that after all this time (it is now over a week total), that my immune responses have developed enough of a primary response that it may start to resolve.  
• But, it angers me so much that a simple antibiotic to resolve my ear infection was not given.  
• And, I am SO DAMN HUNGRY and WANT TO EAT FOOD I CAN CHEW.

PipeTobacco