Fun with TMJ

...so apparently I have temporomandibular joint disorder. I think it might have something to do with the big container of mixed nuts that I was chomping on every day for breakfast and lunch while transcribing Zev Asher. It may be exacerbated by my being without the last lower molar on the left side of my face, which might be causing my jaw to go out of whack; it's also possible that I've been grinding my teeth in my sleep, though I don't think so.  My big gold filling on a surviving molar on that side was where the pain started, after I bit down on something, so it may have something to do with things; that it started in the tooth and then seemed to spread outward is why (see below) I initially thought the cause was dental.

What I can say for sure: it is NOT a pleasant experience. I've now had pain in my face for over a week, with the initial sharp tooth-oriented twinges having transformed themselves into a dull but persistent ache in the hinge of my left jaw, radiating along the jawline, top and bottom, and further extending to the ear. (I saw a doctor at a walk-in clinic, after the dentist could find nothing wrong with my teeth, and said doctor assured me that I do *not* have an ear infection, as I'd previously thought). Having devoured about fifteen extra-strength Advil or more in roughly three days' time, I am now on a more powerful prescription anti-inflammatory, which brings notable relief within an hour of taking it; alas, this relief lasts only a couple of hours before the pain starts up again, and I'm only supposed to take two of them per day (today I cheated and had three). Hot water bottles seem to help, but only for awhile. Icepacks seem to help, too - but only for awhile. There are all sorts of self-massage techniques on Youtube that seem to bring a few minutes' of relief but they don't really seem worth the effort and attention they require, since the pain comes back a few minutes later...

Anyhow, that's just what I needed to add to my life: chronic pain! Maybe it will motivate me to become a rockstar so I can support an opiate habit... or maybe it will fade in a few days' time, if I stick to soft foods, don't talk too much, and try to generally relax. It'll be funny if I end up having to wear a night guard when I sleep - a bit - since I already have apnea and a CPAP machine, and tend to sleep with a blindfold. All I'll need is earplugs and I will be plugged and masked and covered at every orifice in my head.