MVD is scheduled for Feb 10th. I was able to go over the MRI with the surgeon today and see the vessel resting on the nerve. I am actually relieved that after a year dealing with the neurologist, that treated me like I was nutso, that there really is something wrong. I am hopeful more so that scared.
If anyone has anything encouraging to add, please do.
MB
Firstly, never let any Dr treat you like your nuts. If the do, find another Dr. I am very happy for you because I too had MVD back in 2012. I had one artery compression with a vein wrapped around the nerve. My surgery was life saving as far as I am concerned. I was pain free for three weeks and slowly the pain did come back but no way as severe as it was before surgery. I would say by 18 months the pain slowly went away. It takes a long time for the covering on the nerve to heal. Some do come out of surgery with no pain and others never receive pain relief at all. It is truly baffling on why this happens but I truly think that MVD is your best chance of pain relief. It is now over 3 years for myself and the only thing I may have is an occasional unpainful shock. I will say that you should remove all stimulants. Sugar, smoking, alcohol etc or at least limit it. Good luck to you
Oh I eliminated all of that when this started Dec.2014. Actually, despite the TN, I'm in the best shape I've ever been in.
How long was you recovery? When were you able to get back to a normal routine?
My normal routine was about week three.
That was 4 years ago. pain free…med free
: )
Remember it can take a whole year to have the nerve recover!
MVD is major surgery as you know. I would say to allow yourself 6 weeks for recovery.
You know, I had been wondering if my excessive Pepsi-drinking and moderate smoking had anything to do with my flare-ups. I'm trying to curb both. I drink Pepsi almost all day. I smoke about 5 cigarettes on a normal day but tend also to "binge-smoke" -- and THAT'S when I have a more serious flare. I'm an avid bingo player, and unfortunately, most avid bingo players are heavy smokers. It's like having a drink and a smoke -- they go hand-in-hand. If I smoke too much in a 24-hour period, within days I have a TN episode. So I trying to behave myself.
mat said:
Firstly, never let any Dr treat you like your nuts. If the do, find another Dr. I am very happy for you because I too had MVD back in 2012. I had one artery compression with a vein wrapped around the nerve. My surgery was life saving as far as I am concerned. I was pain free for three weeks and slowly the pain did come back but no way as severe as it was before surgery. I would say by 18 months the pain slowly went away. It takes a long time for the covering on the nerve to heal. Some do come out of surgery with no pain and others never receive pain relief at all. It is truly baffling on why this happens but I truly think that MVD is your best chance of pain relief. It is now over 3 years for myself and the only thing I may have is an occasional unpainful shock. I will say that you should remove all stimulants. Sugar, smoking, alcohol etc or at least limit it. Good luck to you
You should allow yourself at least 6 to 8 weeks before resuming your normal routin. The first two to three weeks after surgery you will likely be very tired, so you should get lots of rest.
I have had MVD on both my right and left sides, and have been very happy with the results. Best of luck to you for a good outcome!
Christine
Thank you all for the responses. I hope I'm making the right decision. One moment I'm all for it and then the next I think..well, I've lived with this for going on a year and the pain is bearable during the days not the evening. It's just not normal. I am a weight lifer and an art teacher. Both of my passions are compromised and I can't function 100%. I'm really worried that it will get worse, if I don't go through with this. I'm pretty goofy as it is, but the meds increase that ten-fold. I hate feeling like an idiot in front of my students.
MB
Hi MaryBeth,
Everyone’s situation is different, but if you are confident in your surgeon, I suggest you go through with surgery. Although there are no guarantees, the rate of successful pain relief is pretty high with an experienced surgeon.
If you haven’t done so already, be sure to tell your doctor that you are a weight lifter. You will need to be very careful about how much weight you lift during your recovery period.
Best regards,
Christine
Make sure to bring a comfortable pillow as I couldn't move my head after due to nausea! I recovered very quickly with no major complications and was back to feeling just about right 3 weeks after! good luck!xx
Hi Mary Beth,
Please read my story that I will link here. I had a successful MVD over two years ago and am so happy that I did. In my story, I talk about how I came to that decision to have surgery in detail. Be sure you choose a seasoned and knowledgable TN surgeon. There are several great ones out there. I went out-of-state for Dr. Casey (same as KC Dancer) after consulting with two local neurosurgeons. My story . . . Trigeminal Neuralgia: How I Survived the Worst Pain Ever.