Today marks the 30th anniversary of my entering the hospital for my MVD surgery that was done on New Years Eve. After suffering for 8 years and being on various dosages of tegretol, seeing doctor after doctor, being treated by dentists, oral surgeons, holistic doctors, I finally found an answer. Early that Dec my TN had gone out of control. I was in pain 24/7 with no let up. My wife and I decided to try the neurosurgeons at both University of Penn and Temple to see if we could get any help. Even up to this point, 8 yrs into this disease, I still did not have a diagnosis. The surgeon at Penn diagnosed me with TN but was not overly optimistic as to potential outcomes of MVD surgery. Next we visited Temple and Dr James Kenning. Dr Kenning was about my age at the time , 33, and was just a soft spoken gentleman. After hearing my story of 8 years Dr Kenning looked at both myself and my wife smiled and said "I can help you". He then went on to explain that I had TN and what the likely causes of my TN were. He explained the surgery that would take place and told us that he learned the surgery directly from Dr Janetta who was the founder of MVD surgery. Dr Kennings final words as we left the office were " Dont worry I will take very good care of you". After sitting on a lounge chair in debilatating pain 24/7 for 4 weeks I was willing to try anything. Well to make a long story short I had my surgery on New Years Eve 30 years ago and have been blessed to be pain free ever since. Dr Kenning found 2 veins wrapped around the nerve and an artery pulsating on the nerve. Quite literally he saved my life and gave my family back their husband and father. I will never forget this man and his skill and compassion. He is the reason why today I am alive to have seen 5 grandchildren be born and so many beautiful things in life. I write this simply to let everyone know that there is hope. Even in the most desperate of times when hope seems like its floating away it is still there. Never give up the battle and never let TN win. Fight, pray and remain strong. I know that I am one of the very very very fortunate TN sufferers who found an answer and is now pain free but if it happened to me it can happen to you. I wish everyone a healthy and Happy New Year with an answer to your prayers and hope New Yaers is always special to me because it is a day my life was reborn.