Thank you so much for posting this! My ex-fiancé and I had a lot of issues because he was very impatient with my pain. I am now seeing someone new who is much more patient and understanding, and have passed this article along to him, as well as my immediate family members. Sometimes it can be difficult to explain TN (or ATN in my case) so resources like this can be very helpful.
Thank you again! 
It seems like I posted this so long ago, but am now finding myself needing to print it and share it with my family again. They all just need a reminder once in awhile.
This is fantastic, Thank You
thanks so much!
...good stuff!
Cris
I just joined and this is so wonderful to read. It's really descriptive.
The article describes what a sufferer expeiences and gives great advice for friends and relatives to follow. After three years, mvd surgery and lots of pain medications, my pain is currently a moderate to intense version of the worst of TN levels of pain and yet all the same disabilities persist, because if I don’t use caution, the pain intensifies. While I’m not in as much pain, I still have to follow the same mannerisms and careful actions as intense pain sufferers do. Not many people understand why this is so. Many of those who know me think I make this up to avoid doing things or to get attention. Wrong! I miss doing things with my family like I used to. If pergatory is real, then this is it. I just can’t seem to move past the pain to a level of acceptance. I don’t enjoy life in pain, and when I try to ignore the pain to enjoy my family and friends, the pain eventually catches up to me and attacks me hard for having done so. I try to stay upbeat and try out all the suggestions for staying on a positive track, but ultimately end back up at the same place - sitting or laying doing nothing but wondering how to beat this thing. Complaining or voicing how I feel to friends and loved ones is a downer for them, so I only say how I feel if someone really sincerly asks me. Then I try to keep it brief - for their sake. Better to appear upbeat even when I don’t feel good. I love my friends and family very much. How wonderful it would be to have an encouraging angel by my side to accompany me through each moment of every day. well, must get moving. Tootaloo to whoever reads this. I wish you well and look forward to reading your perspectives. -Laurel (notafraid).
Bump
This is a good article
Good Morning Debbie,
This article is an answered prayer. I immediately copied and placed it on my husband's bible and I ask him to please read it. I am a very active Pastor's wife (when I am not restricted by moments of pain, memory loss, facial swelling, fatigue etc.) This will help tremendously because it touches areas I found difficult to explain in detail. Sometimes when I am before the congregation attempting to make the announcements, I forget the names even when the people are starring me in the face. To keep from being totally embarrassed, I will say something like, "Please excuse me,I'm having a senior moment". I sometimes become very frustrated with myself because before all of this occurred, I was once a Director of Financial Services at a University, then in 2011 I had a bell palsy episode on my left side. Now from my head to my toe my left side is affected with nerve damage. I cannot tolerate cold temperatures so sometimes we would have to leave restaurants because it immediately affects my left side and the pain would take hours to subside.
Out of all of this, I do have faith and I do believe that our healing is on the way. Thank you again.