Numb chin syndrome update #4

Hallelujah, this is it! Today I woke up with no trace of the affliction!

Numb chin syndrome update #3

Well, that's about it! The whole thing is more or less gone. I still have a slightly numb short line running from that previous sore spot up to the edge of my lip, but the crackling sensation I felt whenever I ran my finger over the area is completely gone. Under normal conditions I hardly feel anything, only when I twist my mouth in an unnatural way do I still feel that "there is something there". Instead, I feel an occasional sharp jab a few times a day which I learned to associate with the healing process.

Looking back, I think my case was unusually short. At least that is what both the surgeon and my dentist say. Of course that makes me very happy and pleased, after all it was quite scary to contemplate the possibility of permanent damage. I cannot be sure if the extra vitamins had anything to do with the speed of recovery, but I am sure it did not hurt. So I highly recommend to everybody who chances here while going through similar hell to step up their vitamin intake and make sure they eat extra nutritious foods while convalescing.

Numb chin syndrome update #2

I am happy to report that things got much better in the last week or so. The small lump in the middle of the chin is gone, instead I have a very sore small spot the size of a dime a bit lower, one finger width to the left from the center, one finger width above the jawline. There is also a (finger width) semi frozen strip all the way up to the lip, but the lip itself is fine now. So I am very hopeful that there is not much now until I can report to be completely rid of the affliction.

In spite of the end being in sight figuratively speaking, I did not stop my extra vitamin intake, particularly the Benfotiamine and Vit D combination. With the others I am more laissez faire, I pick and choose daily. I also recommend to my fellow sufferers to make sure they get a full nights' sleep and follow a diet full of fruits and veggies. One can't go wrong doing that.

Numb chin syndrome update #1

I got very busy in the last few days, which is a bit of a blessing because it took my mind off of my mouth problem. Not that I am not aware of it every minute of the day, just that, as human beings are apt to do, I am getting used to it. The again, not focusing on it all time allows me a certain degree of perspective when I do pay attention and compare all the details.

Doing an assessment now, I can say that there has been further improvement. The intensity of the sensitivity of that small triangle between the small lump in the middle of my left chin and the left half of my lower lip is slowly diminishing. It doesn't hurt as much when anything touches the area. The numbness itself is still there, but my impression is that even that is getting better.

Besides the lingering discomfort I still have a patch of bruise, from the lump down to the top of my neck, not on the surface but in the underlying tissues, so it is just barely visible. My cheek is also slightly swollen still, but that is only noticeable if someone points it out. A drawback of this swelling, though, is the fact that I keep biting the inside of the cheek. The most unpleasant part of the whole healing process is that, as nerve activity improves, the teeth of the whole area react by experiencing sharp jabs, dull "squeezing" pain, or a low level throbbing pain. It is worst on rainy days.

To summarize it: all in all things are looking up,

Numb chin syndrome

I have two pieces of good news:
a) I managed to deliver the family tax returns to Front Street last night in the nick of time (11:40pm),
b) I can report some noticeable progress in my wisdom tooth extraction saga.

As a matter of fact the name of today's post reflects this change. I can declare the actual paresthesia more or less gone. To be specific, there is no more spontaneous and ongoing tingling or prickly jabs, which means that my nights at least are peaceful.

The rest of the problem is far from being gone, though. The left side of my chin still feels numb, half frozen, and the corner of my lip is still very sensitive to any touch, almost as if it was an open wound. The most dramatic sensation is whenever I have to use my muscles is that area, like puckering up or shifting a food item from side to side. In the very centre of the left side of the chin I have a small tumor-like lump, about 5mm in diameter. It is just barely palpable when I spread the area by smiling. But this is the spot that is the most "frozen", and when I do the above described movements, it feels much larger and is a source of quite a bit of discomfort.

Above this lump radiates out a triangle, one side of which takes up about two thirds of my left lower lip. This area is very sensitive, and often I have a sensation of hot and cold at the same time in it. I do have memories of a bad burn I had once when I splashed boiling water on my thigh. The area was red and extremely sensitive to the touch for quite a while even after the skin surface healed. Most probably that was also caused by peripheral nerve damage which took a long time to heal. If I recall, the sensation was very similar to this one.

Part of the change is another not very pleasant development: the bony areas of the jaw, including my teeth, became painful this week. Two teeth in particular that were treated not too long ago started to "complain", though not exclusively those. There are occasional sharp jabs of pain, or pulsing waves of pain, or sometimes as if the whole area was pinched in a gradually tightening clamp. Most of the time I can bear it, but there were times when I needed to take two or three painkillers over the course of the day.

In summery, it is not fun... But if I look at it from a perspective, I definitely see that things are going in the right direction. Actually, when I sit still, not moving my mouth, I can almost feel normal for short periods of time. :)

I don't know whether the improvement is due to my extra vitamin intake or it would have come about anyway. Of course, I like to think that it helps because doing so makes me feel more in control. Either way, I hope these posts of mine will provide some reassurance to people who are here, reading them because they are fellow sufferers who also fear the future.

I am still not sure what lies ahead. The numbness may stay for a long time, it may even be permanent. But I intend to record here everything, and hope that people with interest in this topic for whatever reason can get a better understanding of the problem by reading about my experiences.