My jaw is killing me

While we were in Colorado, all of us (except Greg, I think) experienced at least one sort of injury. James walked into the bottom of the kid backpack that Greg was carrying and had a cut along the bridge of his nose. Nate not only scraped his chin on a telescope at Lookout Mountain but also scraped up his back badly on the brick wall of a restaurant. I, somehow, at the same restaurant, made my TMJ flare up again. It's my own fault: I wasn't wearing my mouthguard last week and all the stress of traveling, not sleeping that well and constantly sleeping in different beds didn't help. I went to take a bit of my delicious looking lobster sandwich and...erk! My jaw popped or pulled out of place (on the left side). The pain was intense and immediate. I thought at first I had lockjaw but somehow I got my mouth to close.

My history of TMJ: I've always had a clicking jaw. Always. I never thought it was a big deal. When I moved to Atlanta, and had 6 weeks to go until the wedding, the same jaw out of place popping happened at lunch at work. It was so strange. The pain was intense but it was located in my ear - so for two weeks I thought I had an ear infection. The doctor figured it out really quick that it was TMJ. A visit to a very expensive dentist later and I had my mouth guard. I've worn it for the past 7 years faithfully because it does keep my teeth from grinding and my jaw safe. Although apparently I sleep with a lot of stress because there are gnaw marks on the top of the mouthguard as well.

I'm not telling  my tale of woe well, am I? Sigh. Anyway, the point is, it's been two weeks and I have pain from my jaw, through my ear, up to the top of my skull. Can I live with it? Yes. This is the same pain I had 7 years ago. Luckily this time I know what it is, I'm wearing my mouthguard, we are home and I can sleep better, and I can take Tylenol. Do I enjoy that I can't open my mouth fully, cannot bite on anything hard (carrots, etc.), yawning is painful, and my ear hurts? Heck no. Unfortunately the only solution is to get my jaw broken and re-set. I honestly don't see that happening...

So there's my complaints for the week. If I can't vent here, where else can I vent?