This candle signifies the light we wish to shine on the
knowledge needed, to continue our struggle against our
pain, suffering and injustices...Please, don't let the light go
You look at me and I seem fine to you. My body looks the same as yours. Yet the pain I feel inside is unbearable. You cannot even begin to imagine the life that I live. The pain I go through. The things that I find to be my enemy are things we do every day
Can you imagine food as your enemy? The phone as your enemy? Things as getting a kiss or a hug hurting you? Can you even begin to imagine not being able to eat the foods you want? This is the world that you live in when you suffer from tmjd. Everyday simple things are your enemy.
You can't eat the foods you want because they hurt your jaws, anything crunchy, hard or chewy can cause you days worth of pain. There are days that you can't eat anything but mush. You can't talk very long on a phone because your jaw joints hurt so bad.
The worst part of the whole thing is people look at you and you look fine. They can't see your pain. You don't limp like with a hurt leg. You don't have any bruises, cuts or scrapes. Unless you have had a surgery you bear no signs of this pain. Even if you had surgery your scars can be so small no one but you can see them.
So people wonder why can't you just........ ......... ... ......... ..
Well next time you want to know just imagine not being able to eat that juicy steak, make that phone call to someone you care about, or give your loved one a loving kiss and think about this silent pain.
This was written to express to others the extreme hardship of living with tmjd. It is not an easy road to travel and rarely it will end up with few people having surgery. While this should be done as a last resort. Many families have a hard time understand exactly what a tmjd sufferer goes through.
The above was written from my own thoughts. They express my own feelings towards TMJ and the doctors that have treated me. It was not written to offend anyone...only to make others aware of the dangers of having TMJ surgery.. I will say that not all TMJ surgeries are failures but the percentage is very high. My only advice to anyone facing a TMJ surgery is to get several opinions.
This poem may be copied only for purposes of using within the uses of your family and may not be reprinted,reproduced, copied or altered without the consent of the writer elsewhere. Thank you.
Love, laughter, and prayers,
NIKKI Live
"Copywrite Jan. 2007"
By
Nicole Virgin
May not be reused without permission.
Hi! My name is TMJ and I have come to take
over your life. I don't need your permission!
I don't even care if you want or like me. I have
invaded your face and your life and there is
Nothing you can do about it.
I remind you of your doctor's don't I? I'm a
heartless, uncaring, unfeeling being that you'll
have to live with. Don't try to get rid of me
because the harder you try the more I'm going to
cause you pain. I'll make you think and do things
that you normally would not do.
I'm here to tell you that you'll never be the same.
I don't like when you try to eat, smile, kiss, talk,
or act like I'm not here. I enjoy when I keep you from
doing the things you love to do. In fact, it makes my day!
That beautiful young perfectly formed face you once had
ït's mine now and you'll never get it back. I'm the type
that is quiet but well felt. That's why your family, friends,
and doctor's think you're crazy.
It makes my day to see you take all those pain killers,
to try and camouflage me. They just give me the incentive
to hurt you more. I laugh at you when people call you a
"drug addict"
Let's face it'you're fighting a losing battle. Why don't
you just give in and admit that I have won? That would make
my purpose a lot easier to accomplish. Get use to me because
you're stuck with me and I am stuck with you.
Those dreams you once had, are just long ago memories.
They'll never come true. I'm your worst enemy living
in your face. The best part is I affect not only your face,
but the rest of your body and mind as well. I strive very
hard, to see how bad I can make you hurt and how loud
I can make you scream. The more you deny me,
The worse I'll get. I'm your worst nightmare come true.
Love Always,
TMJ
TMJ What IT HAS DONE TO US!
TMJ has totally consumed our lives.
It controls everything that we do.
What you as a "normal" take for granted,
We as TMJ sufferers can not.
We are a people all our own.
Most of us haven't eaten solid food in
so long , we aren't sure we remember how to chew.
When you smile, you feel good.
When we smile, we feel pain.
One of your bad headaches
Is one of our good headaches.
Most of us have had to give up our jobs.
Most of us have had to give up our "normal" lives.
We have been reduced to sucking through straws
and depending on medications to get us through the day.
The days that the medication doesn't help!
Are the days we call HELL. We guess by now you're wondering
how and why we ended up this way.
We give THANKS to the doctors that took our pain
and suffering and used it to better himself/herself.
All they seen were dollar signs. These doctors never told us
"ALL"
the risks involved in having TMJ surgery.
They never told us that we would never be "normal" again.
They never told us that the surgery they did would
make us worse. They never told us that the parts
they were going to put in our bodies (whether the parts be man made
or from our own bodies) would one day fail. They never told us when
these parts failed, they would never treat us again.
They never told us the reason these parts failed was
because of them. They let us believe they failed because of us.
They never told us that our faces would change shape. They
never told us our bite would change. They never told us they would
turn their backs on us and deny ever scarring our lives forever.
We the TMJ family would like to THANK YOU our dear
Doctors for changing our life forever. We'd like to ask you
our dear doctors"How can you sleep at night knowing how
many lives you have ruined?" " How can you eat knowing we
will never be able to eat the way you do?" "How can you smile
knowing we will never really feel the pleasure of smiling the way
you do?" "How can you face yourself in the mirror knowing it was
YOU that did all this to us "Well our dear doctors!How can you?"
Tell us dear doctor? Have you ever wondered what it's like
it's like to be screaming and crying in pain,
and hear your children in the background crying
and asking their daddy what's wrong with mommy?
Tell us dear doctor, Have you ever wondered what it's like to see
your spouse cry because they don't know how to help you? Picture
this dear doctor, picture a grown man, a daddy and a husband crying
so hard he can't talk because your in so much pain he can't help you.
Tell us dear doctor? Have you ever wondered what it's like to crave
a McDonald's hamburger and know you'll never be able to eat it
because you can't open your mouth to chew it?
ANSWER US DEAR DOCTOR! WE'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW?
Written on February 21, 1999 BY: Maria Holleman
The above was written from my own thoughts. They express my own feelings towards TMJ and the doctors that have treated me. It was not written to offend anyone...only to make others aware of the dangers of having TMJ surgery.. I will say that not all TMJ surgeries are failures but the percentage is very high. My only advice to anyone facing a TMJ surgery is to get several opinions. This Tmj poem cannot be reproduced, copied or altered without the consent of the writer.
LIFE'S STRUGGLE
Life filled only with pain,
seeing nothing left to gain.
A life filled with heartache and sorrow,
never changing with a new tomorrow.
I look forward and what do I see?
No hope, love or happiness there for me.
Wanting to live, but wanting more to die,
wondering if anyone can hear your sigh.
Ready to take that final step to end all pain,
you hear the voice of One who shares your pain.
Not knowing which way to turn,
you again feel the pain start to burn.
He will call to you once more,
saying He can mend what's been torn.
Offering to take the heartache and sorrow,
promising something new with each tomorrow.
That little part inside that wants to live,
that's all He is asking you to give.
In return, Jesus will give you His all,
each and every time to Him you call.
You have nothing left to lose,
please, let it be Him you choose.
Let go of the heartache and sorrows,
let God give you back your tomorrow's.
BY: Lynette Greenhill
Used with permission.
Thanks Lynette!
Dearest TMJ,
Short time ...always feel..how ya been?
I want to thank you so much for your letter, I guess I can agree with you on
certain parts of your letter, yet at the same time I think that under all that
tough exterior...that your screaming for the right ways and means to an end.
Your indeed right, I don't like you, I don't like a lot of things. You may have
invaded my face, but no one or nothing can invade my life more than my
mother in law...so...good try on that one.
Yes, you sure do remind me of a few Dr's I have known, your heartless,
uncaring, unfeeling...Oh yeah..those Dr's?...I fired them all!!!
I know my life may never be the same, so do I thank you?..probably not, but
I thank the good lord every single day for those wonderful things that I have
been blessed with in life that you will NEVER be able to touch.
Yes, it upsets me that you keep me from eating , talking, smiling..yet it simply
"infuriates" my husband that you don't like me kissing!! But hey....if it makes
your day..keeping me from doing all of these things, then more power to ya.
I have learned to improvise...I have a blender....can say alot with eye
gestures and facial expressions.... a husband that finally understands when
I say "no kissies" honey and..I type much faster than I speak...so Glad I
could make your day.
My face?...Well yeah, once young....formed?..indeed..beautiful?..I'd like to
think so (grins)...perfect?....you been in my pain meds again?
Yes you are quiet when you pain me thru the day.. Those Dr's I fired?....yeah
they thought I was crazy. Friends?...I've managed to cut down on my
Christmas list thru all of this (because I now know who my friends are)....and
my family? HA!!..its perfectly normal to exaggerate things if your in MY family.
I'm glad it makes your day to see me take all those painkillers. I know many
things and people like you, that I cant handle being around in a total right
frame of mind or sober anyway..sooo heyyyy...call me an addict....I can get
help to stop if I need to....As for you..well Im not real sure theres a cure for
stupid!!
Am I fighting a losing battle? I shudder that you think you have won
something over me. I will admit you have won, when I have lost all inner
strength and faith in that ALL things in life are possible...so I dont think you'll
ever get that one from me. And if IM stuck with you for the rest of my life,
then lets get one thing straight...I will not ..I repeat I will NOT...give up my
licorice for you and the pain your illness cause!!!! SO THERE!!!
And not to burst your bubble, but you are WAY over flattering yourself if you
think that I will no longer have any dreams come true....you made me laugh
at that one!!! Yes , you hurt me...horribly..every single day of my life....I cry
at times..I lay for hours..and every now and then I get weak and have
myself a big ol pity party..YET... I have not been given a death sentence..I
have not been told that I have terminal cancer...or any other illness that will
give me only months ...weeks..days to live....I have..TMJ.
I will still take care of my body the best way I know how.....and however
long I'm blessed to be on this earth....even if I'm in pain every day for the
rest of my life....I...Mr. TMJ...will see that my dreams come true. You may
have the power to hurt me in a way that unexplainable to others, but you do
NOT have power to strip me of those things that I have been blessed with
and will continue to be blessed with during my lifetime!!
Your right about one thing.....You are my worst enemy.(well unless ya wanna
count that Saddam fella) Yet I just may be a bit more strong willed than your
used to dealing with, and I just may find the right treatment that can
overtake you....so fair warning....buckle..up Mr. TMJ....because I reckon were
both in for a ride. Soooooo...LET THE BEST ONE WIN!!! I'm sure I'll be
hearing from you soon enough....
Sincerely,
Susan
BY: Susan (Cravens)
Someone Cares-TMJ Poem
There's one thing I've learned in my life that I'd like to share.
No matter how desperate you feel, there's always someone who cares.
You may think your alone, but you will never be.
Because, friend, what's happening to you has happened to me.
You curse this illness and the pleasures it steals.
I've been there, I know how you feel.
When you feel lonely, and think that life's not fair,
Remember me, remember that I care.
You feel discouraged as you pray that you heal.
But prayers are answered every time that you kneel.
Believe me, this fight, we will eventually win.
Just remember, you've got a friend.
Rewritten for TMJ victims 11/1/99
"Copyright"
BY J. Kathleen Melcher
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!
"Copyright 2001 - 2007" By Angels United On TMJ!
ANGELS UNITED IS UN-COVERING THE TRUTH ON TMJ!
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TMJD_SAFE_HAVEN_4_LIFE_ISSUES · TMJ SUPPORT GROUP
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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