more in frequency or more in pain level?
Asmara, the simple answer to that question is both. Well, for me anyway.
Yes, I find that both stress and anxiety cause me to experience more frequent attacks, and the attacks are more severe.
The experience reported by Jackie and Maillady is pretty common among facial pain patients, Asmara. The other side of this feedback is that many people can learn to control and release stress and anxiety, with sometimes remarkable results in improving their pain levels.
Regards and best,
Red
Thanks for those reassuring words Red, I am a little anxious that returning to work may provoke an attack, but I will take deep breaths and try not to let work get to me.
Elstep, when you are faced with the flutters, your deep breaths might be accompanied by a silent mantra that I've shared from time to time with others here on Living With TN. This is expanded from something written in one of the Dune novels by Frank Herbert. I've always found it very empowering for dealing with fearfulness or anxiety:
I shall not fear... for fear is the little death that denyeth all understanding.
Instead, I shall face my fear, allowing it to pass over and through me...
To disappear into its native nothingness.
Go in Peace and Power
Red
Hi Everyone!
Oh My Gosh !!! This has been one question I have been wondering about for sooooo long !!!! I just took a lay-off from a hugely stressful job in telecom, and for the last 8 years my attacks have done nothing but increase and have gotten to a debilitating stage. To the point where my last annual review was the first ever "needs improvement" I ever gotten !! All because of this TN !! I was HORRIFIED ! Now here I have become a statistic on unemployment, and am facing a huge move across the country back to Ohio, facing a completely different stress, and my facial attacks are coming just about every other day. I wonder if they will indeed decrease when my life settles down ???? wow, maybe something to look forward to. My work was totally my identity too. Of course NO ONE understood, and thought I was completely slacking and had lost all my drive to work. If they only could have lived in my body, just one time, and felt what I felt. The bottom really fell out when I tried to go back to work only 3 weeks after my MVD surgery, and couldn't face it yet. The president of my company sent me home, and when the new company came in and bought us out, well, they didn't take me on... They actually told me I was a liability... Imagine....
Pam...... OMG, wth! you are a liability for a health condition? Has this new company never read the ADA handbook? Did they lay you off or fire you because of your condition and health effects? Because that is a major, and I mean, major violation of employment law.... sorry but my lawyer pants are on fire with anger if I read that right!!!!!! If so, have you discussed your options with any attorney's in your town?
On the other side, yes, stress causes major issues. I worked a high stress job, very high stress. While I am unemployed right now (long story on that one), I am somewhat grateful because I know that I do not have the mental capacity right now to have the responsibility of representing people in court. To me, in the condition I am in, it would be malpractice. And yes, I understand about work being your identity too! I worked so hard to become an attorney. I didn't start undergrad til my late 20's. I was a single mom who worked full time, went full time to school and came out with a degree that I only dreamed of having when I was a child. I had achieved my dream and was totally identifying my whole self with that.... I have struggled with feeling like I can't find myself and worry this is what I will be for the rest of my life (sure hope not).
Hugs to you ---- take care of yourself.
HI Lisa,
I haven't contacted an atty. I'm so confused about what to do, I was just relieved I was out of there. What ended up happening over the last few years, is this: I was on top of my game, probably the best Client rep on my team. I know I was the highest paid.. lol .. So, as we started to add more products for our customers. our workloads increased at a minimum, two-fold. As much as I tried, I couldn't keep up. ON top of that, an hour commute (at least) to and from downtown Seattle was killing me. My pain was out of control, and I was losing control of my demeanor. I was taking my trileptol at the onset of pain. The pain was controlling my every day. I finally found a neurologist who worked with me, and talked me into taking my medicine regimented. My pain started to get under control, instead of ruling my every move, everyday. This was about 3 years ago. I could tell my management was started to lose patience with me. I started seeing a psych to help me manage my depression/anxiety associated with the TN. I was put on Effexor and Xanax, and Ambien to help me sleep at nite. I was taking almost 3,000 mg ( 10 -14 / 300 ,g) of trileptal a day. I was completely losing control with mind from the side effects. (OMG, I just started to cry).... My work seriously started to suffer, my bosses were losing patience, and my annual performance reviews were started to reflect something was definitely going on. As hard as I tried I couldn't get it together. When I hit my 48th birthday I knew I had to do something, before they fired me. It was getting that close. I was missing work because I would have attacks at nite, lose sleep, and be too exhausted to get into work on time. I would make up any excuse to work from home so I wouldn't have to face people at work, or drive into work on the highways because of the fear of having an attack. Anyway, I knew I had to do something. So at the end of last year, I planned on having the brain surgery. My neurologist did not stand behind my decision, so I self referred me to the neurosurgeon I chose (after seeing two), and had my MVD, April 2011. I went back to work after 3 weeks, with a full workload, working from home. Then I was released to go back to the office in June. I had a mid-year review, and was told I was doing a really good job considering the circumstances. In addition to the MVD recovery, my L-5 disc herniated, and was seeing 2 other neurologists and neurosurgeons about this matter. So, I had a cortisone shot for that, which didn't work in August. A week later I had my Gamma Knife procedure also. If you can imagine, I was missing a lot of work, getting further and further behind. At the end of August, I called my boss, and asked for assistance to help me get caught up. My boss called my V.P., and within a week, they called me back, and put me on performance review. I immediately went to my HR rep, and asked to go back on short term disability, due to my back issues. In October I had my back surgery also. While I was on short term disability, we were told the company was being sold. On December 1st, the new company reps came in and told everyone what was going to happen to their employment. I was the last person they contacted, because they weren't even aware I was out on short term disability. Amazing, eh ? so, I was laid off, given a severance package, and sent on my way...
Now I'm a statistic. I'm sure they didn't take me on, because of my "needs improvement" status on my last review...
Alot to take in, I know.. Being an attorney, it would be wonderful if you can give me your thoughts... If you would like to private message me, please feel free. I've been so lost since this happened... And with this condition, what's to happen now? I'm so scared, and the stress of the situation has triggered so many attacks lately, it's horrible..
Thank you Lisa for sharing your story with me. I'm so happy for you that you were able to achieve such an amazing accomplishment. Especially being a single mom !!! Wow.... that's awesome ! I know this is a huge amount of information, but I just thought I would get it out all at once... Thank you again...
Pam
Pam, I believe it is very much worth your time to find an attorney that does employee employment law. I do believe that the first consultation is free.... and most cases are taken on a contingency basis for this type of law. I
The new company may or may not be protected for not rehiring you (honestly, that is the one variable that I am not sure about and do not remember touching on in my employment law class in law school). Some would depend on what you were told at the time of the "lay off". The problem they have, as I see it, is your two medical surgury's and the fact you were on short term disability. Under federal law, this protects your position. Meaning that the same or some similarly situated position should be available for you at the time of your return. It also depends on the size of your company. I am guessing you were working for a good size one which means that it is likely that you would be governed by federal law... this is good for you because it would mean more protective laws for you.
Employment law is not my specialty. And sounds like you are in Washington, and I know the laws in employment law differ significantly from my own home state. However, I would encourage you to ask around to find a lawyer in your area that does employment law. You need to be aware of all your rights. If you were really doing wrong, my guess is that they would out right have fired you. This smells of a buy off to keep you happy and silent.
Did anyone at any time tell you that you were a liability to the company for your health condition? That is where I think you have your best bet for protection on a lawsuit. They can't fire you because of your condition. It does not work that way. The actually would have to accomodate it to the best of their ability.
I found that stress does cause my face pain, If I working around the place all by myself the pain seems to be not as bad.
Its funny that you bring up "accommodating" me. When they put me on the "performance improvement plan", and I was talking about going back on short term disability, they ( the company's general counsel and the HR senior manager) pulled me in the HR reps office, and the first thing he handed me was the ADA booklet. He then proceeded to ask me if I "needed a new chair" or " what could they do to make me more comfortable ?" ... I was horrified. I believe that someone in legal caught wind of them putting me on the P.I.P. and someone was trying to get me fired, and legal realized that I had had 2 brain procedures, a back procedure, and had back surgery scheduled. I had so many doctor appointments over those few months, and all I did was ask for support. And yes, my VP told me flat out, I was becoming a liability to the company. I was horrified. But I will take your advice and contact an attorney.
You feel that even though it's been this long, there is something that may be able to be done?
You were let go in Dec of 2011? If sothats not long but you should see someone soon.
Yes ma'am.. Dec 1st... Ok, I'm on it... On top of everything else.. ;)