Hi everyone! I am a 39 (and holding) year old mother of two typical teenage girls. I am going through a divorce (initiated by me) and have a wonderful support system from my parents and brother who live close by.
My very first blog - my kids were surprised when I learned to text and got on facebook. Look at me now!
Oh yeah - TN!
I was diagnosed roughly 5 years ago. I did a lot of research and reading and I decided that I was not a typical patient. I DO NOT have any dental pain, and my pain does not throw me on on the floor in agony or bring me to the point of fainting. I do get daily "attacks" but I live with them.
It wasn't until people asked me to describe these attacks that I realized it did sound horrific. Hot Poker stabbing into my eye, my skin feeling like it being cut with razor blades on fire, feeling like a thousand bugs are crawling on my face......and the migraines - I can't decribe the migraines. Is that bad? I don't know - how do you define bad? I know there are people far worse off than I am so I put up with, don't talk about it too much try not to let is define who I am.
Well here's the thing....the thing that brought me to this site. The pain is getting worse. The meds increasing (currently Tegretol 1000 mg/day, Topomax for migraines 100mg/day). In addition to this I'm waiting to see if I need a bladder repair (oh, how embarassing) and the whole situation combined with the meds has made me highly anxious / depressed. OK so lets add on an antidepressant and a bladder pill. Because of all this I have curtailed my social life and to top the whole thing off I get to look forward to my empty nest in a few short years. Whew! I am overwhelmed.
After years of letting my condition sit on the backburner of our life, my family can't figure out why I am tired all the time, why my migraines get so bad or why I am just not "me" anymore. I guess I better not tell them the meds make me feel dizzy like a hangover all the time, I can't sleep more than 2-3 hours without interruption or I don't go more than 2 hours without some type of TN attack.
Time to face some truths. Time to look harder for answers. Time to make my Physician get me on the right cocktail. Time to let my family in on what's going on.
Even after all this - I can handle the TN. I can't handle the constant pill popping and exhaustion. I can't handle the loss of control on my life.
I guess I am here to try to find out how other people have coped with the things that stem from TN. Dealing with family, having a social life with TN, dealing with depression and maintaing control and balance.
It feels great to vent. I look forward to hearing how my new friends have dealt with any of these issues.
Elaine