Hello, friends.
If I get many, or any responses to this plea for help and advice, it may determine the need for a Regional Support Group for us here in Southeastern U.S.
I'll try to keep it breif. I've had a long, hard, battle with Type II Trigeminal Neuralgia beginning in 2003, shortly after the birth of my youngest daughter. I am now presenting with some Type I symptoms in the afternoons. But, despite my illness, the world keeps turning. I must support my family, most importantly, two girls, 17 and 10, who are my heart. Their father, my husband, and soulmate died in '06, claimed in an auto accident. Their Stepfather is a wonderful man, my best friend, who can make me laugh when I feel like crying, but he makes nowhere nearly enough to pay his child support and also support me and the girls. I recently quickly, landed and lost my perfect "dream" job due to cruel office politics, on the part of my direct superior, which were out of my scope of control. Three kind friends and aquaintances helped put in a good word to land me the job. It only took one cold, self-serving individual to strip my family's hope. I hope this too shall pass. But, oh wow, I loved my job. It was close to home. I made enough to support my family. I was very good at what I was doing and my termination had nothing to do with my condition, although my pain was not controlled properly, but with a short acting, powerful medication which lasted only 2 hours. I need to return to work as soon as possible, and with adequate pain control, that is possible. We are on the verge of losing our home. Disability takes a very long time to get, and would be insufficient to pay the bills. My poor girls have known so much loss in their short lives.
My pain management doctor was, at one time, it seemed, a fairly understanding individual. However, recently, he stated something to the effect of that he "no longer wished to treat me, as he know nothing of my condition, that he typically treated back pain patients". I has stopped my long-acting medication, as it was wrecking my stomach. Perhaps, another could have been tried, but he refused.
I live in the area around Nashville, Tennessee, and desperately need to find a new pain clinic as quickly as possible. I've tried Acupuncture, Chiroprators, and Neurologists who have had me try almost every anti-convulsant type drug made to treat Trigeminal Neuralgia. I wish it weren't so, however, through much trial and error, I've learned that little brings relief from my chronic, intractable oral and facial pain aside from the gravely stigmatized opioid medications. I've tried them paired, and now, unpaired with pain medications.
If you should know of, or happen to know someone who may know of a good Pain Management Specialist in the Nashville, TN area, please respond to this post. If you are in a position, or know someone in a position to recommend someone to me who is not afraid to prescribe real medicine for real pain, please let me know.
If you're able to help me, you may be preserving the future of my family, who depends upon the success of their myself, their Mom!
Perhaps someone knows a doctor who is aquainted with a network of doctors.
If you pray, please do so for my family in our time of need.
I could go on for awhile describing the character and levels of my pain, but I've went into that so many times before. I think I must sound like a broken record. I'll skip it in this posting.
Any advice is so very much appreciated. Please excuse any typographical, and/or grammatical errors made upon my part. I typed this quickly as my family awaits me to go to the grocery among other chores, and school night essentials. I'm sure I probably made a mistake or two.
Feel free to share your experiences with pain management from which others, including myself, may benefit from. We learn from each other's experiences here. I feel that is one of the most beneficial aspects of this group.
Stef