This is how insanely busy and stressful my life has been the last two months. I haven't even had time to think about my vulvodynia and pudendal neuralgia, let alone write about it.
On the whole I've been managing pretty well. I've had problems with pain during my three hour class, even with my stupid cushion. I think I need to make some new ones. I think the foam is wearing out.
I'm having some pain with intercourse, but it's tolerable. I got a new prescription for my estrogen testosterone compound and I think that's helping.
My biggest problem right now is my jaw. I'm having BIG problems. About a month ago I got a root canal. That inflamed my jaw. The proceeding filling and crown placement in the subsequent weeks made it worse. I haven't been able to open my mouth more than half an inch for the last 12 days. The last 10 days I was on a prescription anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxant. I saw my dentist yesterday and he was about to send me to an oral surgeon, when he decided to try a different muscle relaxant. The first one didn't seem to have any effect on me. Perhaps it's all the drugs I already take...
Well this new drug has knocked me on my ass. I drove to school today, but I can tell my reaction time is delayed. I feel very tired and groggy. I think the medication is helping. I can almost open my mouth an inch. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it's a start.
It's extremely aggravating because I feel like a prisoner in my own body. I literally cannot open my mouth. There are times when it makes me feel really anxious. I want to fight the resistance and stretch my mouth as wide as I can, but my doctor told me that's the worst thing I could do. I could potentially dislocate my jaw. Scary.
I've had jaw problems since I had my tonsillectomy in 2001. I had my jaw propped open for so long, it shifted the alignment of my jaw. I had some limited range of motion and a great deal of pain and stiffness in the mornings, but I could open my mouth. It took months to get better.
I ran into this problem again when I had two of my wisdom teeth removed. I elected to only do two at a time to reduce the amount of time my mouth had to be open.
It has never been this bad though. I could always open it, there was just a great deal of pain. This situation really worries me. I'm scared.
