A mum needs a third jaw replacement after allergic reaction

One morning four years ago, Tamara Minge woke up in intense pain, unable to open her jaw more than a finger's width.

"I went to visit my dentist and he referred me to a specialist," Tamara, 29, who lives in South Australia, tells 9Honey. "It ended up being arthritis."

Her condition spiralled frighteningly quickly: "From when it started, it was only six or 12 months later that I was having a jaw replacement. It set in really fast - there was no saving that jaw joint."

It was a diagnosis that came completely out of the blue, says the single mum of seven-year-old Ayva, as there's no history of arthritis in her family.

"The left joint wasn't good, but it wasn't at the point of replacing, and it's best to keep your own joint as long as possible. So they went ahead with replacing just the right jaw joint."

Thankfully, Ayva can still be distracted by sweet treats: "She wants me to bring home a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, so she’s excited about that!"

Tamara and Ayva are coping with the help of loved ones: "I have great support from family and friends," says Tamara, "and I’m trying not to let this surgery get me down. I’m trying to think of the end result, which is that I’m pain-free and not worrying about this metal inside my body that I’m allergic to. I’ll be relieved to have it out!"

She's holding on to the thought of living a normal life again: "It will be nice to not be in pain reading to my daughter. Just to be normal and get on with my life, not saving money for trips to the doctor and surgeries - just to live a normal life."