It's now 15 months since Nigel Suttner carried out my MVD at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. I'm pleased to say there has been no downside to the operation and my life is back to where it should be. I still have a mild numbness on the left side of my face which I barely notice now, an outcome I'd have settled for before the operation. I can think constructively and positively now that I'm med free and there are not enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do which usually involves grand kids, golf and photography. I am a quantum leap away from where I was just over a year ago when I could barely function. There's still a bit of negativity there in that every morning I wake up and the first thing I think about is TN, will the pain return today, when it doesn't, I quickly move on. The memory of the pain is still raw even after all this time. I consider myself blessed to be a success story and very, very lucky to have a health service like we do in Scotland. I can expect up to ten years pain free, but it quite clearly could be less. Mr Suttner say the ten year figure is a guesstimate based on previous case studies on a body so small that it renders the conclusion unreliable at best.
When my pain was at it's worst, the support from fellow sufferers was what kept me sane. At the start you think you're the only one and when you eventually realise there are others out there, you think, my God, I'm not the only one, there are people out there who understand and are able to offer advice and support.
Best wishes to everyone
Jim