I've lost count of the month, but today is 29 March.
Still have some odd sensations, feels like rug-burn mostly. It's always there, but to varying degrees and never too bad.
I've had to stop taking the supplements as I'm pregnant, which is frustrating (although also great!) as the Carnitine and APA did seem to be helping. However, every doctor I mention them too looks at me blankly!
Saw my original dentist the other day and he vaguely asked about it. I said I'd been in constant pain for months and he just looked embarrassed. But I've decided wanting dentists to be sympathetic is pointless - they look baffled, they can't really understand the horribleness of this and I think they're a bit embarrassed that they don't really know what it is. So I'm letting them off the hook. A bit. I'd prefer it if they were curious, but I think they're worried about getting sued so they try to brush over it. Litigation culture has a lot to answer for!
The ignoring it approach is definitely helping. The less bothered I am, the more often I seem to forget. Then when I focus, I feel it more and more. Difficult to do, but I'm working on it.
Will post again in a month or so when I get back from holidays.
Monday, 29 March 2010
Monday, 15 March 2010
Probably last post
I haven't posted in over a month because I've been trying to move on and ignore the remaining weird sensations. I figure the only way my body can become desensitized to them is not to focus on them.
Now, a month after the last post, I have no pain, no tingling, no numbness. I have a slight greasy/dry feeling (unhelpful explanation, I know, but that's how it feels) and sometimes odd tastes. The taste comes and goes, the greasy/dry is fairly constant.
I get slight changes day to day, but nothing major. Whether this means it's still healing, I don't know. It's been more than 6 months since the injury, so I think that's doubtful.
I did find improvement when taking the carnitine and lipoic acid, though I don't know why. I had to stop taking them, however (not for any problem with the supplements).
All in all, reflecting on it I think the following:
1. Focusing on it doesn't help - get out and about, do some exercise, don't dwell - otherwise you'll just wind yourself up and burn the pain sensations into your brain.
2. Eat healthy and get lots of rest - I took supplements but I'm not telling anyone else to take them. I took B12, lipoic acid and carnitine. As a sample of one, I can't say if they made a difference, but the latter two did seem to. Or maybe I took them at a time when my injury was just healing. No way to tell.
3. Stay positive. Yes, some people do not heal. Most do. Focus on that rather than on the worst case scenarios. I have nothing but sympathy for those who do not heal - I know I can't really understand, but I do recall how depressed and scared I was when I wasn't healing and so I have a tiny sense of what it might be like and my heart goes out to you.
4. If you're newly injured be aware - healing goes in cycles. Mine improved, then got worse, then improved some more, then got worse for a period of 6 months. It is a rollercoaster. Don't get too down-hearted if you take a few steps backwards, it doesn't mean there's no chance of healing. Only time will tell if you heal. So stay calm.
5. Don't get hung up on wanting your dentist/endodontist etc to apologise or accept blame. Most won't and if I were their lawyer I'd advise them not to apologise as it might be construed as admitting fault and opening them up to a lawsuit. It would have made me feel better if mine hadn't been so awful to me in refusing to take me seriously and by pretty much saying it was my fault, not hers. But I've let it go because all that happened by me holding on to it was I felt pissed and she continued not to care. Now I will simply warn people about the injury, tell them to avoid blocks if they can and not to go to her unprepared for her attitude.
OK, that's it. Over and out from me. I will summarise all the old blogs into an overview of my progress one day, but I'm too busy right now.
If anything changes, I'll post again, but otherwise this is now officially behind me.
If you've found this site because you're newly injured - good luck and keep your chin up - the odds ARE in your favour!
Now, a month after the last post, I have no pain, no tingling, no numbness. I have a slight greasy/dry feeling (unhelpful explanation, I know, but that's how it feels) and sometimes odd tastes. The taste comes and goes, the greasy/dry is fairly constant.
I get slight changes day to day, but nothing major. Whether this means it's still healing, I don't know. It's been more than 6 months since the injury, so I think that's doubtful.
I did find improvement when taking the carnitine and lipoic acid, though I don't know why. I had to stop taking them, however (not for any problem with the supplements).
All in all, reflecting on it I think the following:
1. Focusing on it doesn't help - get out and about, do some exercise, don't dwell - otherwise you'll just wind yourself up and burn the pain sensations into your brain.
2. Eat healthy and get lots of rest - I took supplements but I'm not telling anyone else to take them. I took B12, lipoic acid and carnitine. As a sample of one, I can't say if they made a difference, but the latter two did seem to. Or maybe I took them at a time when my injury was just healing. No way to tell.
3. Stay positive. Yes, some people do not heal. Most do. Focus on that rather than on the worst case scenarios. I have nothing but sympathy for those who do not heal - I know I can't really understand, but I do recall how depressed and scared I was when I wasn't healing and so I have a tiny sense of what it might be like and my heart goes out to you.
4. If you're newly injured be aware - healing goes in cycles. Mine improved, then got worse, then improved some more, then got worse for a period of 6 months. It is a rollercoaster. Don't get too down-hearted if you take a few steps backwards, it doesn't mean there's no chance of healing. Only time will tell if you heal. So stay calm.
5. Don't get hung up on wanting your dentist/endodontist etc to apologise or accept blame. Most won't and if I were their lawyer I'd advise them not to apologise as it might be construed as admitting fault and opening them up to a lawsuit. It would have made me feel better if mine hadn't been so awful to me in refusing to take me seriously and by pretty much saying it was my fault, not hers. But I've let it go because all that happened by me holding on to it was I felt pissed and she continued not to care. Now I will simply warn people about the injury, tell them to avoid blocks if they can and not to go to her unprepared for her attitude.
OK, that's it. Over and out from me. I will summarise all the old blogs into an overview of my progress one day, but I'm too busy right now.
If anything changes, I'll post again, but otherwise this is now officially behind me.
If you've found this site because you're newly injured - good luck and keep your chin up - the odds ARE in your favour!
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