For those that want to know the whole story starting from June last year with my jaw.

Late June I was returning from the Goldcoast after seeing my specialist who was planning the mandibular advancement.

Right near Woolgoolga I yawned and felt two snaps and pops in my jaw with instant intense pain and was unable to move my jaw.

I made it as far as the clog barn, pulled over and rang an ambulance.

Coffs Hospital confirmed I had double jaw dislocation.

They also stated that "they had never fixed one before and had to look up how it may be fixed". They also followed that with that they may cause more damage to my jaw trying to fix it.

2 days I was in Coffs Hospital with a double dislocated jaw and then was told that they are discharging me and that I would have to find my own way to either Gold coast or John Hunter Hospital to have it fixed. 3 days in total it was dislocated by the time I got to the Gold coast.

I chose the Gold coast as thats where my surgeon was based that already had all of my information and knew about my jaw.

After my jaw was put back together I suffered with constantly dislocating my jaw and I had to learn how to pop it back in on my own.

Once I had the mandibular advancement late October my jaw stopped dislocating.

I started to heal where they put in 12 screws, 2 plates and extended my bottom jaw.

How ever I then started to develop lock jaw on a frequent basis. I returned to Coffs Harbour hospital various times requesting help.

Last time I was there they said that the only way to treat what was happening was by using heat packs, no muscle relaxants or pain relief just heat packs

I tried that and my jaw was locking so tight daily that I could not eat, if I swallowed it caused my jaw to spasms and lock and I had the most intense Trismus ever.

My surgeon that completed the mandibular advancement referred me to another specialist who specialises in the TMJ.

After my first visit with him he offered me to have relief by a surgical procedure the very next day. He prescribed me pain relief that day.

The next day my jaw would not open even 1mm.

It was so painful and so tense.

They could not put me under GA due to the risk of not being able to provide oxygen through intubation as Coffs did not have the facilities to go through my nose and into my throat and my mouth would not open at all.

We all agreed that it needed to be helped either way so they gave me something to relax me and tried to flush out my joints and provide nerve blockers so my jaw could open again, all while I was awake and concious.

All I could hear and feel was crunching in my right jaw and facial area as they tried to flush it out. They couldn't because of the intensive damage in my right TMJ. So they did a nerve block and slightly managed to get my jaw open a tiny bit.

Then they flushed out the left joint and got 150ml through that joint and did another nerve block.

They managed to get my jaw to open 2.5cm which was a major success compared to the state I was in. Coffs hospital would have simply said that all I need to do is use heat packs

I am now transitioning to have a bilateral TMJ replacement which will allow me to eat and live life again.

I am so broken with how the health system has treated me in Coffs. I have lost so much trust and faith in so called health professionals ‍

Hi everyone!

The past year has been an absolute nightmare for me.

On the way home after seeing my lower jaw specialist I yawned near woolgoolga and felt a snap/pop either side of my jaw. It dislocated while I was driving. I made it as far as the clog barn and rang an ambulance. Coffs hospital confirmed it was a double dislocation but how ever they had never fixed that before. They said they looked up a method to fix it and also stated they could do more damage than good if they tried.

I was left for 3 days with it dislocated at the hospital and then discharged with instructions to get myself to either the gold coast or John Hunter.

I chose the gold coast as thats where my specialist was situated.

I have not been able to eat properly since before July last year. I have had three jaw surgeries resulting in 12 screws and two plates in the lower part of my jaw which has stopped it from dislocating but now caused other problems with my joints that were already damaged.

I have been suffering with lock jaw on and off since before July last year and now constantly on a daily basis.

I am now up for bilateral TMJ (double jaw joint) replacements at the age of 32.

I am a single mum and have not been able to work or finish my bachelor of education specialising in high school science (I will never give that up it is just on hold).

But I am seeking assistance as this has been very costly.

Approximately $40,000 spent in hospital and surgery fees last few years alone.

And now I am up for alot more for my jaw joint replacements.

I have made a Go fund me and would appreciate any support.

I am normally one to help out others as much as I can but now I need help.