Saturday, May 26, 2012

Getting into hot water...literally

One thing I find helps relieve the pain that I wanted to share with you is really basic:  hot water. This can be experienced as a nice hot bath (one of life's greatest pleasures) - lean forward and sink your face right into the water...it really does help. Swish warm water around in your mouth, that's a good one, too. The relief is temporary, but it's natural, and it really does help. During the work day try hot tea if you're going to have a day with a lot of speaking, but make it decaf; caffeine and sugar stimulate the nerves and ultimately pain will be worse 30 minutes later.

So this week I find myself in hot water again, after being laid off from my job in a reorganization. Yeah, here we go again unemployment yada yada. I could actually use a little downtime to get my personal life in order in the aftermath of a horrid divorce. A job is just a paycheck; I'll find another one. In the meantime, I have more free time to brainstorm with all of you what we can do to stop the dental community from butchering others, with zero accountability.

We need a way to enforce safer methods, and to hold doctors liable for injuring people. Not sure if this means forming a non-profit to bring attention to the cause, writing a book, producing a video or what...if you are willing to participate in the Pain Project (for lack of a better name at present), and have ideas of how we can get attention for our cause, send me a message. Don't forget we also have a Facebook page, under Jane Fisher/dental disasters.

I want to see the dentists in hot water for continuing to ignore/deny that this is happening to people every day, and for their cavalier attitude.

8 comments:

  1. I have had a severe burning tongue since march 26, 2012 after a dental extraction on upper left 2nd molar. Dentist treated me like I was crazy, so did my gp tried to send me to another dentist I can't afford. I can't afford to get any help. My tongue is killing me, the roof of my mouth on that side also collapsed, that part seems better. I understand that dentists need to be held accountable but never are, no lawyer wants my case, don't even have a definitive diagnosis, but I know how I feel. No pain before and now I have life altering pain, unable to work, barely get through the day anymore. Been refused pain meds of any kind. I have been a nurse for 22 years and am ashamed of the medical and dental community, I try so hard to get through every day, but it is getting harder and harder. I have 2 small children and must continue on, but it is hard. Glad to come accross this, due to the intense tongue burning as that is my biggest issue, feels like my tongue doesn't even fit in my mouth, my friends are tired of listening to me, I feel so alone sometimes like noone cares.

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    1. I'm sorry to hear your story - you are so right; life-changing. If your doc won't give you pain meds, see another one. Ask around. I have spent way too much time in doctors' waiting rooms, just another way this thing changes your life. I see folks regularly in those offices who are disabled in ways worse than I am, so maybe it's a blessing that it gives some perspective on my own injury.

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    2. Your not alone. It's only been about 3months for you? It is a rough road and depressing. I have been going through this every day for 2years now. Not only is it painful and physically horrible. Im not myself anymore and it takes a toll mentally. Try to stay strong and find someone to talk to. It helps, try to find closure and file a lawsuit against your dentist. I'm sure we all feel assaulted.

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  2. I got "zinged" at the beginning of April from an injection prior to an extraction. I am a new mom, breastfeeding so no klonopin (don't want it anyway due to the sedative properties). At first I was taking a lidocaine rinse and percocet, which together helped a great deal. Now I am just on lidocaine because I am afraid of becoming addicted to the percocet, but I am thinking of asking for a refill because I don't know how much more of this I can take.

    According to the dentist, who has done a very good job of helping me through this and who I think just made a very easy mistake to make, the nerve is beginning to heal, but now it actually HURTS instead of just burning. I just started back to work last week after maternity leave and at the end of the day it feels like my tongue has been burned by hot coffee while someone is sticking little needles directly under it. Little sharp needles that I can't do anything about. I looked into meds for this, but most of them cannot be taken while I am nursing, and I will NOT risk the health of my daughter (whom I already have to supplement with formula as it is) just for my added comfort.

    I do have other health problems, namely severe arthritis, and this injury added to it is making me SO depressed that people who don't know about my pain are assuming I have postpartum depression (not the case). Thanks for letting me get this out; I feel like a big baby, but this is affecting me in ways I never thought possible!

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    1. You can always vent here. We have all gone through this feeling of not wanting to be a whiner, yet, this freakin HURTS and it doesn't just go away, ya know?? It's hard for others to understand. Thank goodness you have your baby to focus on. Topical lidocaine helped me a lot with the tongue, but did nothing for the deep ache in my teeth and head; for that, I still rely on percocet. 1/2 of the smallest dose, 2-3 times a day is really not much at all, but it's enough to keep me sane. I know people with back injuries and such who take 5-6 percs/day like clockwork. I'm trying to move past the guilt, because it's not productive. Do what you have to to be a happy mommy for that baby :)

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    2. An
      I was wondering is the pain going to get worse during the years to come? It's been 2years for me I'm worried who knows in 5 or 10 years is the scar tissue going to grow and cause greater compression.

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  3. In answer to will the pain get worse...I hear your concern. I can only say from personal experience and what I've heard from others, the pain should NOT increase as time goes by. For most, it lessens in relatively short timeframe (weeks), but, if you are a "lifer" like me - pain will decrease over time (I actually kept a pain diary the first 6 months which showed spikes that eventually turned from mountains to hills, but never completely resolved). Then you may plateau. At some point, the nerve is done healing...you might not improve further, but you'll be better off than where you started.

    Some have written in this blog that they tried something years after the injury that helped, such as the hot pepper treatment or surgery. Some have used antidepressants and other types of nerve-relaxing meds to reset the brain and stop the pain cycle.
    Sadly, I can't report that anyone has every written they have completely healed 100% (but I'd take 90% any day).

    Most folks are really lucky and heal within the first few weeks. I didn't fall into that group.
    It is still affecting my life on a daily basis, though less so than at first. I try not to focus on it too much because the more upset I become the more painful it is. Easier said than done, I know.

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  4. I am approaching 2 years March 10, 2013. As I lay here in severe pain. Not knowing how much longer I can take it! This is a crime! People look at me and don't believe me. I wish I could stick a needle into the linguil nerve to the oral surgeon that did this to me, so they could experience this pain for just ONE day. They wouldn't survive!

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