I was really excited to get my first ever Plane Ride of my life. Although this was only a one-hour flight, it was enough to really get me wired at the start of ride.
Until my friend, Moonwalker (not her real name) handed me a gum and told me to Chew on it so that my ears would not Hurt. Then, it dawned on me. I completely forgot that your ears could hurt when flying. From exaggerated narrations of my drama queen friends, I thought that by hurt they meant really really really hurt.
I generally have a high pain threshold. My dentist concluded this when she was fixing my teeth and noticed I don't complain even when she was doing some really painful stuff. Well, I still feel the pain. I just don't think complaining will help. So when people say my ears will feel pain during an airplane ride, I will still feel that pain and that scared me as hell. I was so scared that after I took the gum from Moonwalker, I hastily stuffed it into my mouth and began to chew it furiously.
I must have chewed non-stop for about 5 minutes before I noticed Moonwalker wasn't chewing her gum furiously. I said, "So, I don't have to chew continuously all throughout the flight?"
She mumbled, "Nope, you don't have to."
And that was when I began feeling the pain. Not from my ears, but from my jaw. All this time I was worried for my ears, I forgot I have TMJ and had been advised by my dentist (the same one who told me I have high threshold for pain) not to chew or bite hard because it will make my face hurt. In fact she even gave me a mouth guard to prevent me from biting hard when I am asleep. For those who have not seen a mouth guard yet, it kind of looks like this:
I generally have a high pain threshold. My dentist concluded this when she was fixing my teeth and noticed I don't complain even when she was doing some really painful stuff. Well, I still feel the pain. I just don't think complaining will help. So when people say my ears will feel pain during an airplane ride, I will still feel that pain and that scared me as hell. I was so scared that after I took the gum from Moonwalker, I hastily stuffed it into my mouth and began to chew it furiously.
I must have chewed non-stop for about 5 minutes before I noticed Moonwalker wasn't chewing her gum furiously. I said, "So, I don't have to chew continuously all throughout the flight?"
She mumbled, "Nope, you don't have to."
And that was when I began feeling the pain. Not from my ears, but from my jaw. All this time I was worried for my ears, I forgot I have TMJ and had been advised by my dentist (the same one who told me I have high threshold for pain) not to chew or bite hard because it will make my face hurt. In fact she even gave me a mouth guard to prevent me from biting hard when I am asleep. For those who have not seen a mouth guard yet, it kind of looks like this:
Except mine is transparent and I don't wear it in broad daylight. I used to wear it every night until I woke up one night without it and thought for five minutes that I have swallowed it whole. I even began feeling my throat for any mouth-guard-shaped lump. Luckily, I found it somewhere in my bed but eventually decided not to wear it anymore because I might not be able to take the excitement anymore when I lose it again.
Anyway, since I stopped my furious chewing, I was able to save my jaw from further breaking and I was still able to enjoy my first plane ride.
Anyway, since I stopped my furious chewing, I was able to save my jaw from further breaking and I was still able to enjoy my first plane ride.
