Discouraging pain.

I'm in a lot of pain right now.  It's pretty discouraging.  It's not all from my latest adjustment.  Some of it is, but mostly it's joint pain.  I'm maxed out on the amount of pain medication I can take in a day, and I'm feeling really discouraged about what to do next.  Both my OS and OD told me if the pain gets unmanageable, I'll have to go back into the bite splint.  Everything will be put on hold, and the time I'll need before I'm ready for surgery could basically double.  I absolutely CANNOT wait three more years for this surgery.  Having to wait a year and a half is bad enough as it is.  I don't want to tell them how much pain I'm having because I don't believe the splint will help.  Sure, it will relieve the pain, but it's a temporary fix.  When it comes out, my jaw will move around again, and I'll be in the same boat I am now, only farther from surgery and about $2,500 poorer.  Not going to do that.

The pain I have is mostly headaches (pulsating in the temples) and then pain in the jaw joint itself and in the cheekbone.  It feels like it is burning inside the bone, and there is a gnawing feeling.  My headache was bad enough today that my eye started to tear and swell.

I hate to complain so much.  I know there are others who have it a lot worse.  It's just so frustrating to be going through this with a solution in sight, yet so very far away....