#getting joint replacement AND jaw surgery was not how i thought i'd be spending my early 20s | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sheryl-lee · 8 months

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soooo turns out i have condylar resorption, a severe degenerative joint disease that causes gradual bone loss of the mandibular condyles (the bones that are part of the jaw joints, aka the TMJs). this has probably been going on i was a kid but went diagnosed all this time. my symptoms like functional issues, pain, etc. were repeatedly dismissed by doctors my whole life. the pain and dysfunction is increasing more and more by the day.

it's a progressive disease, and nothing can stop it or slow it down until the joints are completely eaten away. the only solution to prevent further bone loss and restore function is a total temporomandibular joint replacement, where the two diseased joints that literally hold my face together are removed and permanently replaced with metal prostheses. aka a major surgery with a 6-12 month recovery 😃

#basically my face is disappearing because my body is attacking itself which has been really Fun to experience #i've had this disease since i was like 10 but only found out after doing my own research because most dentists/orthos don't know about it #i always knew something was really wrong and that my pain/ facial changes were not normal and getting worse #so it's both relieving and frustrating to *finally* be taken seriously #but yeah i'm having a lot of emotions about this and it's been really tough to process #getting joint replacement AND jaw surgery was not how i thought i'd be spending my early 20s #but better than being in chronic pain for the rest of my life for sure #and if i wait any longer i risk severe deterioration/unsalvageable bone loss and total airway collapse in the future #sameera.txt

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