THE HORROR OF IT ALL! At first glance, this may look like just another creepy Halloween pic, but if you’ve ever experienced trigeminal neuralgia (TN), you may have experienced something all too familiar…the horrific, indescribable pain that accompanies the affliction. I’m no makeup artist, but this was my amateur attempt to depict what TN feels like. When I showed the pic to my mom, she asked me if I was trying to make people faint. Of course, my response was no, but, to be honest, I have passed during an attack before. The pain is NO JOKE!
I often describe my TN (Type 1) as if someone had taken a sharp knife out of a blazing hot fire, gouged it into my face/jaw/eye/head and then wiggled it back and forth for, in my case, about 27 seconds per attack up to 50+ times a day. Am I the only one who counts through the pain to keep from passing out?🤔
My witch’s costume this year included my attempt to visually describe what a TN attack and its aftermath looks like to me…it leaves you physically and emotionally shredded.
In January of 2020, I had my third and most invasive surgery for TN. It was cranial surgery, and, to date, I’ve had no pain since. But, after 6 years of it coming and going, the trauma lingers. You’d think having MS…hell, even going through a stem cell transplant, would have prepared me for the pain, anguish and unpredictability this beast dishes out. It doesn’t even come close!
I want you to know if you’re out there dealing with TN right now, my heart is with you. Find a specialist or neurologist/neurosurgeon who knows what they’re doing. Demand relief. If they can’t figure it out for you, find another doc. Never give up! We all deserve to be pain free.
TN is definitely a sinister trick, not a treat.🎃👻