JILL JOHNSON'S BILATERAL TMJ REPLACEMENT SURGERY - APRIL 21, 2010

RECOVERY PERIOD

I HAVE CREATED THIS PAGE FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. FOREMOST, I WISH TO THANK THE MANY PEOPLE THAT HELPED ME TO RECEIVE SURGERY AND TO NOW BE ON MY WAY TO MORE ENJOYABLE LIVING. PARTICULARLY HELPFUL WERE DR. ROBERT W. CHRISTENSEN OF TMJ IMPLANTS, INC., AND MILTON AND RENÉE GLASS OF TMJ-JJAMD FOUNDATION, ALL OF WHOM HAVE SPENT YEARS ADVOCATING FOR TMJ PATIENTS AND THEIR RIGHT TO MEDICAL CARE. ALSO, THIS PAGE IS HOPED TO HELP OTHER TMJ SURGERY PATIENTS UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY MAY EXPECT DURING RECOVERY THOUGH EACH PATIENT IS, O F COURSE, UNIQUE. BEST WISHES!

RIGHT PARTIAL IMPLANT & LEFT TOTAL IMPLANT CREATED BY TMJ IMPLANTS, INC., GOLDEN, COLORADO

ROBERT W. CHRISTENSEN, D.D.S., FAIMBE - FOUNDER

SURGEON - RANDOLPH ROBINSON, M.D., D.D.S. OF PARK MEADOWS COSMETIC SURGERY, LONE TREE, COLORADO.

ASSISTANT SURGEON - JAMES T. CURRY, D.D.S. OF HIGHLANDS RANCH CENTER, HIGHLANDS RANCH, COLORADO

SURGERY WAS DONE AT SKY RIDGE MEDICAL CENTER, LONE TREE, COLORADO

MILTON AND RENÉE GLASS OF JJAMD (JAW JOINTS & ALLIED MUSCULO-SKELETAL DISORDERS).

DAY ONE - JUST OUT OF SURGERY.

RIGHT TMJ FEELS BETTER, ALREADY, BUT REALIZE THAT THE WHOLE-HEALING PROCESS WILL TAKE AWHILE.

I BELIEVE BOTH SURGEONS ARE TOP-NOTCH AND I FEEL FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD THEM AS MY SURGEONS.

DAY TWO - BRUISED & SWOLLEN BUT I HAVE TWO FUNCTIONAL JAW-JOINTS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2.5 YEARS.

I AM VERY EXCITED!

RIGHT TMJ STILL FEELS NOTICEABLY IMPROVED SINCE PRIOR TO SURGERY, AND DESPITE MEDICATIONS' INFLUENCE.

LEFT SIDE IS VERY PAINFUL YET FEELS RATHER NUMB, ALSO.

DAY FOUR - SWELLING CONTINUES TO GO DOWN SLOWLY, THOUGH LEFT SIDE CONTINUES TO HAVE GREAT PAIN.

I AM PRESCRIBED PAIN-MEDICATION (OXYCODONE 5MG. 1-2 EVERY THREE HOURS) AND ICE PACKS TO HELP THE PAIN.

I HAVE TAKEN, SEMI-CONSISTENTLY AT ABOUT ONLY 1 OXYCODONE EVERY 3 HOURS.

I AM ALSO TAKING, AS PRESCRIBED, STEROIDS, FOR SWELLING, AND ANTIBIOTICS FOR PRECAUTION AGAINST INFECTION

.       

DAY SEVEN - SWELLING CONTINUES TO DECREASE AND THOUGH IT SURE HURTS, I AM ENCOURAGED.

I AM USING A LOUNGE-CHAIR AS A BED SO TO KEEP HEAD ELEVATED AND YES, IT'S IN FRONT OF THE TV. HEY! DOES THAT COUNT AS BEING A COUCH-POTATO?

SUDDENLY HAVING DIFFICULTY CLOSING LEFT EYE. IT IS DROOPING, TOO, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS AN UNEXPECTED, POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECT AND BECAUSE THERE IS SOME MOVEMENT TO THE LEFT EYE, I THINK ITS STRENGTH WILL RETURN SOONER, RATHER THAN LATER.

BOTH EYES ARE SENSITIVE TO LIGHT.

DEFINITELY NEED THE PAIN-MEDICATION, FOR NOW. I AM STARTING TO CHEW SOFT FOODS AND NOTE THAT DR. CHRISTENSEN'S IMPLANTS ARE SUCH THAT MY MOLARS FIT TOGETHER WHEN CLOSING MY MOUTH FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE MY RIGHT TMJ DISLOCATED IN OCTOBER, 2007. YIPPEE!

DAY TEN - THE BRUISING IS BEGINNING TO DISAPPEAR AND MY LEFT EYE IS GETTING STRONGER.

BOTH EYES ARE STILL SENSITIVE TO LIGHT AND THE SWELLING CONTINUES TO GO DOWN ON BOTH SIDES.

HAD LEFT EYE UNCOVERED FOR ABOUT SIX HOURS, TODAY, BEFORE IT FELT STRAINED.

GOT SOME SLEEP AND THE MORNING-PAIN FELT LESS SEVERE THAN ON THE PRIOR MORNING.

STILL NEED THE PAIN-MEDICATION BUT, NO DOUBT, THINGS ARE IMPROVING QUICKER THAN I ANTICIPATED.

DAY ELEVEN-TWELVE - OKAY, IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND I WON'T KID YOU, THE TOTAL IMPLANT SIDE HURTS, BUT THE PARTIAL IMPLANT SIDE DOESN'T AND I AM SO AMAZED AND OPTIMISTIC!

I MAKE EFFORT TO TAKE LESS THAN PRESCRIBED PAIN-MEDICATION DURING THE DAY, THOUGH AT NIGHT I SEEM TO MAKE UP FOR IT.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CREATE A SUITABLE SLEEP (BEDDING) PLACE. A RECLINER CHAIR HELPED MY  HEAD TO STAY ELEVATED AS THE SURGEON ADVISED. MAKE SURE YOUR RECLINER ALSO PROVIDES ADEQUATE SUPPORT FOR THE REST OF YOUR BODY. MY OWN WORKED WELL FOR A WHILE AND AS FAR AS THE SURGERY-RECOVERY WAS CONCERNED, BUT TAXED MY BACK. TODAY, I GO TO BUY MORE PILLOWS SO TO PROP MYSELF UP IN MY BED AND MAKE SURE ALL OF ME GETS PROPER SUPPORT. LIKELY OTHERS WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT, SOONER? OOPS!

DAY EIGHTEEN - THE LEFT EYE'S APPARENT BELLS PALSY SEEMS BETTER BY THE DAY, THOUGH ADMITTEDLY ANNOYING AND MAKING IT HARD TO BE PHOTOGENIC! (HA!)

BRUISING IS GONE AND RIGHT SIDE STILL FEELS VERY GOOD! LEFT SIDE IS STILL SLIGHTLY SWOLLEN AND PAINFUL BUT IMPROVING.

I AM SLEEPING ON MY BED, NOW, THOUGH ADDITIONAL PILLOWS DO SEEM TO HELP RELIEVE PAIN.

I AM CHEWING BETTER AND AM ABLE TO OPEN MY MOUTH JUST A BIT MORE EACH DAY.

DR. CHRISTENSEN'S IMPLANTS HAVE SAVED MY LIFE, SURELY!

***

MAY 21 - ONE MONTH

SUDDENLY THE PAIN ON LEFT SIDE IS GETTING WORSE AND I AM NERVOUS ABOUT IT..  A COUPLE OF MY TEETH HAVE BEEN SORE SINCE SURGERY, BUT DR. ROBINSON'S NURSE SAID THIS "COULDN'T BE RELATED TO THE SURGERY."  I DO WONDER IF THE SORE TEETH AREN'T DUE TO THE FACT THAT MY (BACK) TEETH NOW FIT TOGETHER AND HADN'T FOR YEARS AND, BECAUSE OF THIS, THEY ARE SIMPLY JUST GETTING USED TO BEING USED. THIS IS JUST MY THEORY, BUT BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA PAIN AND SUDDEN ADDED SWELLING ON THE LEFT SIDE, MY FAMILY PHYSICIAN PRESCRIBED ANTIBIOTICS. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY! I WILL RETURN TO EATING ONLY VERY SOFT FOODS FOR AWHILE AND SEE IF THAT MAY HELP ALLOW THE TEETH AND LEFT TMJ MORE SLOWLY ADJUST TO THE NEW SITUATION. IF THE PAIN IS NOT BETTER BY TOMORROW, I WILL CALL DR. CURRY AND HOPEFULLY HE WILL SEE ME, NEXT WEEK. AGAIN, BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY! 

JUNE 21 - TWO MONTHS

RIGHT TMJ HAS NO PAIN, JUST THE NORMAL TINGLING THAT FOLLOWS SURGERY. LEFT TMJ STILL HURTS A LOT BUT IS SLOWLY HURTING LESS. FOR SOME REASON THE LOWER LEFT MANDIBLE IS STILL QUITE SWOLLEN. I DON'T LOOK TOO GOOD, BUT BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS (=ONE SIDE A PARTIAL REPLACEMENT AND ONE SIDE A TOTAL REPLACEMENT), I MAY HAVE TO GET USED TO THE NEW LOOK. OTHERWISE, THEY MAKE PAPER-BAGS AS A MAKEOVER, DON'T THEY? (HA!)... AND JUST KIDDING. FRIENDS SAY I DON'T LOOK TOO BAD AND IT'S LIKELY JUST AN ADJUSTMENT. I SEE DR. ROBINSON AGAIN IN JULY FOR A CHECKUP. BELOW ARE RECENT PHOTOS TAKEN WHILE CAMPING AND, AS CAMPING REQUIRES, I'M A BIT GRUBBY AND THE ONE LOOKS AS IF MY ZIPPERS UNDONE, BUT IT'S JUST A SPARKLE FROM MY BELT. HONEST! I'VE BEEN ABLE TO EAT RATHER WELL AND HAVE PUT BACK ON THE WEIGHT LOST FOLLOWING SURGERY. THE CLOSE-UP SHOWS THE LEFT-SIDE SWELLING, BUT YOU CAN SEE BY MY LEFT EYE THAT THE PALSY IS HEALING PRETTY QUICKLY. AS I SAID, THE PAIN IS SLOWLY IMPROVING, AND I'M SURE IT ALONG WITH THE SWELLING WILL JUST TAKE TIME. THIS WAS ONE HECK OF A SURGERY, AND I AM STILL AMAZED AT HOW BRAVE AND KIND THE DOCTORS WERE TO PERFORM SUCH A THING! WOW! OH, AND BY THE WAY, FRIENDS ARE SENDING ME NEW NAMES TO CHOOSE FROM. HERE'S A FEW FOR LAUGHS > "JAWMENATOR." "JILL-OF-STEEL." "JILLYBOT."

TO ALL YET SUFFERING FROM TMJ-D, HANG-IN-THERE AND BLESS YOUR HEARTS!

BEFORE SURGERY X-RAY

AFTER SURGERY X-RAYS (HOORAY FOR JAW-JOINTS!)

note: Plate in Neck is Unrelated to this Surgery

CLICK HERE TO SEE A PARTIAL LIST OF People and Organizations I have contacted,

Please learn of the plight of TMJD (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) patients at the following websites:

TMJ/TMJD JJAMD, INC.            TMJ IMPLANTS, INC.           PARK MEADOWS COSMETIC SURGERY

SENATOR MORGAN CARROLL           SENATOR MICHAEL BENNET            SENATOR KENNEDY