The day I managed to eat a soft piece of bread felt like winning the lottery.
Totally relate to this. My “jackpot” was when I could finally handle mac & cheese without feeling like I’d pulled a muscle. Honestly, I tried to stick with the PT stuff, but it felt a bit half-baked—like, do these three things and hope for the best. I also wondered if pushing harder would’ve sped things up, but then again, I was worried about messing something up and ending up with more bills. The nerve weirdness is real... mine still zaps me sometimes when I yawn too wide.
The nerve weirdness is real... mine still zaps me sometimes when I yawn too wide.
That nerve zap thing is wild, right? I thought I was the only one who’d get a random electric jolt just from stretching my mouth to yawn or laugh. It’s like my face has its own jump scare feature now.
I remember after surgery, everyone kept telling me, “Don’t worry, you’ll be back to eating burgers in no time.” Meanwhile, I’m over here celebrating when I can get through half a banana without feeling like my jaw’s about to stage a protest. Mac & cheese was basically my Everest for months. And don’t even get me started on apples… pretty sure those are still banned in my house.
PT was such a mixed bag for me. Half the time it felt like I was just opening and closing my mouth in slow motion while someone watched and nodded encouragingly. The other half, I’d start wondering if maybe pushing harder would actually help—or if I’d just end up with a jaw that clicks louder than a Geiger counter. It’s tough trying to balance “healing responsibly” with wanting your life back faster.
I do kind of wish there’d been more real talk about the weird little setbacks—like how sneezing too hard could make everything ache for days, or how you suddenly become hyper-aware of every single muscle in your face. Sometimes it felt like everyone else bounced back way quicker than me, but maybe we all just hide the weird stuff better.
Anyway, surgery did help with the main TMJ pain (that deep ache that made chewing feel like punishment), but yeah… nerves are still doing their own thing. Not sure if that’s just my new normal or if it’ll settle down eventually. At least soft bread doesn’t scare me anymore. Small wins, right?
That’s exactly how I felt after mine—everyone kept acting like I’d be biting into apples again in a week, meanwhile I was living off mashed potatoes and yogurt. Nerve zaps are still a thing for me too. It’s weirdly comforting to know it’s not just me.
Nerve zaps are still a thing for me too. It’s weirdly comforting to know it’s not just me.
Yeah, those nerve zaps really threw me off. I remember thinking something had gone wrong, but apparently it’s just part of the healing process for some of us. I’m curious—did you notice any change in your jaw clicking or pain levels after the first few months? For me, the joint pain eased up, but the numbness stuck around a lot longer than I expected. It’s a trade-off, I guess.
I’m really glad you mentioned the nerve zaps because I’ve been stressing about that a lot. It’s honestly reassuring to hear it’s not just me. I keep second-guessing every weird sensation, like—should it still feel this tingly? My jaw pain did get a bit better, but the numbness and random zings make me anxious. I wish someone had warned me how long that part can last. But hearing others had the same thing makes it feel a little less scary.