So I was always a pretty normal kid, had a couple cardiac oblations when I was younger but always felt healthy and always had a high tolerance for pain. Sometime in late 2008 early 2009 I started having pain deep in my jaw on the left side. I must have gone to the doctor once a week for a few months straight before an ENT saw me, he almost immediately told me he thought my symptoms suggested Eagle's Syndrome, he did a spiral CT (3D) scan and finally after 8 months I had a diagnoses.
I immediately elected to go with surgery, I had an external surgery to remove my left styloid process and it went well. The most painful symptom, the original symptom of a constant jaw ache that never allowed my jaw to rest with pain directly behind my ear was eliminated. And I felt for the first time in 9 months that my struggle was over.
The external surgery left my face and neck numb for easily 3 months.....After that 3 months was over I noticed that my right side was hurting in a deep dull aching constant pain, constantly gnawing at me, and slowly but surely the pain in the left side was the same, a dull aching pain minus the initial tension, and with the addition of a nice bit of scar tissue in the area of my pain.
It has been 4 years since my surgery, 4 and a half, the pain is still there, always, even when the pain is "not that bad" it is there ...always. Luckily I have found sympathetic doctors, and have been on 7.5mg of hydrocodone 3 times daily, as well as 100mg gabapentin 3 times daily, it helps sooo soo much. I hate the fact that my body is now obviously addicted to opiate pain medication, at least physically. But given my options this is currently the most comfortable and effective way I have found to live my life. I am having another MRI on Jan. 7th, perhaps it will show something more, or nothing at all....but for now this is how I live, how I manage. And I hope to god my state elects to have medical cannabis somtime soon. Cannabis has been the only other thing that helps my pain, gives me relief, and lets me work/eat/sleep and continue on. To anyone who hasn't tried medical cannabis or perhaps it is illegal in your state. If you are like me and have struggled for years now, a law wont matter to you when your in this much pain. I would recommend trying it if you are sick of increasing doses of other medications.
Anyway that's my story, Name is Nick, from Florida. Good to see a group of other people who understand what I go through.
P.S. Anyone know the trick to uploading an avatar/profile pic? I had no problems adding my surgery scar pic to the collective album, but keep running into a non specific error when I try to upload those same pics as my profile pic. thanks!