chloebell
11-03-2005, 09:38 AM
Hello everyone. It has been awhile since I have posted on this board. I have been diagnosed with tmj for about a year now, but I have had it for much longer. Neither my health or my dental insurance will pay for my bills, so treatment was on hold until my husband and I could afford it. I was just dealing with my pain, trying to keep myself as stress-free as possible to minimize my problem. Things were going okay until Sunday night when my husband and I hit a deer going about 60mph. Immediatly after the accident, my jaw started aching. The next day, it stopped and all the pain was in my neck and shoulders. I went to the dr on Tuesday and basically she told me I was fine. She felt my neck and asked me where it hurt and then she prescribed muscle relaxers and told me that I would be better in a day or two. I was furious that she blew me off, but she was kind of right about my neck. It is better. However, my jaw now hurts worse that it ever has. I feel like I am stuck with all this pain and no dr to go to that listens to me. I felt like she thought I was a drug seeker and she did her best to get rid of me. I am sorry if I sound like I am rambling, but I needed to vent and to hear from someone who understands my situation. Does anyone have any suggestions? How do you all deal with going to the doctor and having them treat you like you just want drugs? I KNOW my dr feels that way, and to a point she is right, I do. But, it is because I am in PAIN! Does anyone have a great (cheaper) dr that actually did something to help them out of this hell called tmj in the Illinois area? I am at the point where I am willing to travel up to 3 or 4 hours to get this treated properly. I can not live like this anymore. Thank you for listening and in advance for your help.
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Mosmom
11-03-2005, 03:29 PM
Are you anywhere near Lake Bluff (just north of Lake Forest)? If so you may want to see Dr. Lewis Klapper. He has been treating my daughter for almost 3 years with wonderful results - he is not cheap, however (we have paid for all treatment out of pocket, too).
kayte04
11-03-2005, 04:49 PM
Did you file an accident claim with your car insurance? I've had 5 TMJ surgeries (last was Oct 04) and then was rear-ended in July. THe pain has been horrible, almost worse than before my surgeries. All of it is being filed with car insurance, although there's no guarantee they will pay because it was a pre-existing condition. Just a thought....
TiffanyAnn
11-03-2005, 07:34 PM
Did you file an accident claim with your car insurance? I've had 5 TMJ surgeries (last was Oct 04) and then was rear-ended in July. THe pain has been horrible, almost worse than before my surgeries. All of it is being filed with car insurance, although there's no guarantee they will pay because it was a pre-existing condition. Just a thought....
I was just curious about something. If the first surgery did not work and the second did not work, why would you continue having surgeries when each one left you in more pain than you began in?
Tiffany
I was just curious about something. If the first surgery did not work and the second did not work, why would you continue having surgeries when each one left you in more pain than you began in?
Tiffany
chloebell
11-04-2005, 09:32 AM
When I went to the dr for my neck it was billed to the car insurance. I am afraid to go back complaining of pain again because she was so terrible to me the first time. I am so frustrated because I feel like I have to live in constant pain because my dr does not believe me.
kayte04
11-04-2005, 01:08 PM
I was just curious about something. If the first surgery did not work and the second did not work, why would you continue having surgeries when each one left you in more pain than you began in?
Tiffany
Because I had to maintain hope that there was something that could be done to help and that I wasn't a lost cause! The 4th was was successful until I was in a car wreck, and then a month after that was put on a breathing machine from an illness (tube in mouth, with mouth stuck open is not good.) This last one also worked until the stupid car wreck. Some have suggested I build myself a bubble.
Tiffany
Because I had to maintain hope that there was something that could be done to help and that I wasn't a lost cause! The 4th was was successful until I was in a car wreck, and then a month after that was put on a breathing machine from an illness (tube in mouth, with mouth stuck open is not good.) This last one also worked until the stupid car wreck. Some have suggested I build myself a bubble.
TiffanyAnn
11-04-2005, 11:42 PM
When I went to the dr for my neck it was billed to the car insurance. I am afraid to go back complaining of pain again because she was so terrible to me the first time. I am so frustrated because I feel like I have to live in constant pain because my dr does not believe me.
I'm so sorry that your doctor treated you so badly. Did she say something rude or was she just nasty or what? I know you are hurting right now but you need to stick up for yourself with this doctor. Since your back is still hurting you I would suggest you go back, take someone with you if possible (mom, dad) someone who can help stick up for you. If she is rude again tell her you want a referral to someone else because you feel she does not believe you and you don't need her nonsense. Doctors are NOT Gods, they only believe they are. If a doctor does not treat me respectfully I don't waste any time telling them what I think of them. We as patients do NOT have to take being treated badly by them.
Tiffany
[Please do not use slang/cuss words or any characters that might depict them. Consider the smilies for expressions of emotions or emphasis. Thanks - Well-come Moderator.]
I'm so sorry that your doctor treated you so badly. Did she say something rude or was she just nasty or what? I know you are hurting right now but you need to stick up for yourself with this doctor. Since your back is still hurting you I would suggest you go back, take someone with you if possible (mom, dad) someone who can help stick up for you. If she is rude again tell her you want a referral to someone else because you feel she does not believe you and you don't need her nonsense. Doctors are NOT Gods, they only believe they are. If a doctor does not treat me respectfully I don't waste any time telling them what I think of them. We as patients do NOT have to take being treated badly by them.
Tiffany
[Please do not use slang/cuss words or any characters that might depict them. Consider the smilies for expressions of emotions or emphasis. Thanks - Well-come Moderator.]