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Stacy Stone

Author and Advocate

Our Expert | Living With It

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Gender: Female
Age: Mid 20's
Email: healthcentralstacy@gmail.com

Screenname: g00dwillstacy (AIM)
Location: CA, San Francisco, United States

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Health Interests

TMJ, Chronic Pain, Migraine, Joint Replacement Surgery

Drugs I am Taking

Stacy Stone has not shared any drug information.

About Me

My name is Stacy, and I am 25 years old. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, although I have moved all over the U.S. and have lived in more than 30 cities (my favorite being here in San Francisco!).

I have had TMJ disorder since I was mauled by a neighbor's dog in 1992. I have been to more doctors than I can count, and have had symptoms ranging from migraine headaches, to chronic facial pain and vertigo. I have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder from the dog attack, chronic daily headaches and migraines, malocclusion from improper orthodontics, degenerative disc disorder in my neck, and various neuropathies.. all of which were symptoms of a much bigger problem, TMJ disorder.

Treatments have included splint therapy, trigger point injections, physical therapy, cervical facet blocks and occipital nerve blocks, seizure medications, anti-depressants, and psychological evaluations.

I have had 9 surgeries (mostly bilateral) starting in 2003. These include multiple arthrocentesis, bilateral arthroplasty ("disc plication"), arthroscopy, temporalis muscle graft, and finally, a bilateral total joint replacement in late June 2006. The joint replacements are titanium and were made custom for me from a 3-D CT scan.

I have been the executive director of the non-profit organization, TMJ Friends since its inception in April 2005. We have about 1000 members and are growing everyday. I have been blogging since 2004. Most recently, I have documented my joint replacement surgeries, including photographs and CT scans.

There are many websites that deal with surgeries and treatment for people who suffer from chronic pain. However, it is my goal to take it a step further, and help fellow sufferers integrate chronic pain into their lives. Not just from a physical aspect, but also from an emotional aspect. As I said in one of my recent blog posts, "It may seem that all you do in your life is overcome one obstacle after another, but once you learn that these obstacles ARE your life, you can learn ways to live with them."