Dessie Hightower shows little emotions these days.
She cried sometimes because she's scared other people will suffer the way she has because of what she considers a governmental mistake.
And sometimes she cries because it hurts.
The Huntsville resident is one of thousands who received a Teflon-coated surgical implant expected to cure temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), an excruciating jaw ailment.
The joint connects the lower jay to the skull just in front of the ears and controls chewing, speaking, yawning and swallowing.
Hightower's jaw was fractured by a pit bulldog in 1983. She had surgery in 1985 when the Vitek implant was placed in her face. She was 37 years old.
Ten years and thousands of dollars later, she found out the Food and Drug Administration investigated and recalled the Vitek implant. She immediately had it removed. But she says it was too late.
"I'm eventually going to die from this," she said. "It's going to kill me one day. There nothing that can be done. You come to a point in your life where you realize no one can save you. They can't fix it - they don't know how."
Hightower, a former insurance adjuster, moved from Dallas to Huntsville with her husband Antonio to be closer to her children. She fights migraines and severe jaw pain almost daily. She is frequently regulated to a soft diet and can barely swallow.
"I think they're a bunch of cowards," Hightower says of the FDA and many doctors who keep information from their patients in fear of lawsuits. "This is killing people. No one should have to go through this."
Vitek, Inc. of Houston made the implants and eventually declared bankruptcy. Hundreds of pending lawsuits are documented.
The inventor, Charles Homsy, estimated in a Health and Science article that about 10,000 were implanted. The basic ingredient of the Vitek implant is a Teflon compound called Proplast, invented by Homsy in the mid-1960's. No approval of medical devices by the FDA was required at the time of this invention.
The FDA Center for Immunology reported it was given authority under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to regulate medical devices in 1976, including TMJ implants.
Devices that were on the market before the laws were passed were "grandfathered," the report states, which means they were allowed to remain on the market.
An FDA safety alert was mailed December 1990 to all oral surgeons associated with the American Association of Oral and Maxilofacial Surgeons.
By law, manufacturers were not required to track TMJ implants and chose not to keep implant records. Thus patients could not be identified and notified directly, the report states.
Hightower will go through her sixth jaw surgery at the end of this year. Although her implant was removed, the Teflon in the product crumbles into sandlike grains that the body cannot metabolize. This can - and did in Hightower's case - create a "giant cell" reaction, where the body tries to engulf the foreign matter, erupting inflammation.
The giant cell is growing at the base of her spine.
"I try not to even think about it," she said. "The pain from TMJ is so severe, you feel like you're dying. It hurts that bad."
Hightower argues that the FDA knew for years that the product was harmful and did little about it. Now that they realize they were mistaken to keep Vitek on the market, they won't admit their mistake, she says.
"We have nobody to help us, nowhere to turn," Hightower said. "Every time we opened a door, it was closed in our faces. We are living in a country that is quick to jump and run to the aid of others. But when a mistake was made by the FDA, they do everything they can to cover it up."
FDA's Device Tracking Regulation became effective on August 29, 1993. The regulation requires manufacturers, distributors and hospitals to establish systems to track those medical devices that are subject to regulation, including jaw implants.
In March 1990, Vitek issued a safety alert to oral surgeons and consignees asking they stop using the interpositional implant. FDA notified the firm in May 1990 [that] this action was considered a product recall.
The FDA report says that, in October 1990, because Vitek continued to market TMJ products and surgeons were using the products, FDA seized all the TMJ products and any devices in the process of being manufactured from this manufacturer and subsidiaries.
Hightower says she does intend to take legal action, but her primary concern is to notify others with TMJ about the harmful implants and the necessity to immediately remove them.
"Some people still don't know it's been recalled," she said. "And Vitek is not out there anymore, but other implants are."
A $22 million settlement fund set up in the bankruptcy of Vitek and its subsidiaries has 2,300 claimants.
A Woman's Day article on TMJ states the inventor claims problems are caused by poor technique or patient failure to follow a conservative post-surgical regimen.
Hightower said many TMJ patients are suicidal.
"Praying is the only thing that's going to keep suicide off my mind and the devil out," she said.
And she has another motivating factor.
Hightower's friend, Adina Booker of Orange, developed TMJ problems following a tonsillectomy. On April 21, after 26 TMJ-related operations, Booker died at the age of 30.
Hightower, who shows little emotion at her own loss, wipes away tears when talking about Booker.
"She never had a chance at life," Hightower said. "The people who did this to her are such cowards, they can't even admit what they've done. That's what gave me the will to fight for this thing, and if I have to scream it from the mountaintop, somebody is going to listen."
Hightower said those who suffer from TMJ should visit the survivors' website at http://www.tmjd.com.
"My goal is to keep this from happening to others," she said. "You need to have friends - you don't need to be isolated. The only thing we can do is offer each other comfort and walk each other through the bad parts."
Any one who suffers from a TMJ disorder and would like to help start a support group is encouraged to contact Dessie Hightower Family At:
UPDATE June 9, 2002.
I am writing you to inform you of the recent death of someone who was a part of your circle of love. Someone who shared your pain and was helping to fight the wrong that has been done to you and your family members.(TMJ) We are her children and we thought you should know. We also plan to continue to help right the wrong that has been done to her and so many others. We are feeling a great amount of pain now because Mrs. Dessie Mae Hightower was a great women and wonderful and loving mother. She dedicated her entire life to others. She was a selfless person the needs of other people were always her top priority. Please forward future updates on your struggle and any other information that you would like to share to the below contacts.
Sincerely Dessie Mae Hightower's Loves Ones
Ramond and Radonna Collier her children.
Janine Collier Her daughter-in-law
Thank you
Dessie Mae Hightower will be deeply missed by all of us.
Dessa Mae (Milton) Hightower, 54, of Huntsville, died Thursday, June 6, 2002, a her residence. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, 2002, at Coleman's Funeral Home in Woodville. She was a native of Kountze, Texas (Honey Island Community)
Dessa Mae (Milton) Hightower was born to the late Eddie Lee Adams and Bobbie (Milton) Polk on June 4, 1948 in Honey Island, Texas. She attended Carver High School, graduating in 1966, and then attended Bishop College where she earned a Bachelor of Science in 1973. She pursued a career in the insurance industry, where she was an insurance analyst. She also taught elementary school.
She was united in holy matrimony to Ramond Antonio Collier Sr. in 1971. From this union one son, Ramond Antonio Collier Jr. and one daughter, Radonna Michelle Collier, was born. Dessa Mae was united in holy matrimony to Antonio Hightower in 1996, and he was at her side when she departed this life.
Dessa was a selfless person and a very loving and caring mother. She leaves to cherish her memories a devoted loving husband, Antonio Hightower of Huntsville; mother, Bobbie Milton Polk of Huntsville; stepfather, Sylvester P. Polk of Huntsville; one son, Ramond Antonio Collier Jr.; one daughter, Radonna Michelle Collier and daughter-in-law, Janine Collier all of Atlanta, Ga.; seven sisters, Sylvia Merchant, Doris Wortham, Tenia Milton and Patricia Milton all of Huntsville and Annette Smith and Belinda Adams both of Liberty and Lisa Bohannon of Missouri City; six brothers, Anthony Hancock of Kountze, Bruce Cunningham, David Milton, Danny Milton, Goree Milton Jr. and Venson Milton all of Huntsville and Victor Lee Adams of Liberty and Ricky Adams of Missouri City; two grandchildren, DeShun DeWayne Eubanks Jr. and Ramond Antonio Collier III both of Atlanta; a very special niece, Tamera Wortham of Huntsville and a host of other relatives and friends.
One brother, Willie Ray Hancock, preceded her in death
Given permission to place her story on this site! "Copy Right March 2001"
Thank you Dessie for allowing to have your story on this site!
This Tmj story cannot be reproduced, copied or altered
without the consent of the writer.
Copyrighted By Angels United On TMJ!
Can not be placed on any other web site or any support groups without:
the written permission of ANGELS UNITED ON TMJ!
�2001 - 2006 By Angels United On TMJ!
ANGELS UNITED IS UN-COVERING THE TRUTH ON TMJ!
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This TMJD Support Group is intended to be a Safe Haven and provide a place where people with TMJ pain can come and offer and receive support from people who know what they are going through. This is not a medical group and we do not have medical degrees or medical backgrounds. However, with the variety of members in here, there is bound to be someone who has been there and done that and can answer your questions.
This group is in memory of Debbie Ward whom suffered from TMJD & died of unknown causes.
There are many types of members with TMJD. Some have been treated medically, some treated with various splint therapies and physical therapies as well as some with surgical treatments ranging from Arthroscopy to full jaw joint replacements. Everyone with any degree of TMJD or has a family member that deals with it is welcome to join and offer and receive support that we all so badly need to get through each day with the pain we have to live with.
It is YOUR place to cry, scream or vent on the pain you are dealing with and how it is affecting your life and the lives of your loved ones. The group is MODERATED to avoid the unsolicited advertisements and spam. We are all in pain and do not need to have to deal with that too.
A Great Place to Share Information! This site is for sharing and is not a substitute for the advise of your physician/oral surgeon. Please consult with your health care professional.
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