Procedure/surgery #9 coming up

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So I have MS - need to know that from the outset. I was dx with TN related to my MS about 6yrs ago. Meds worked about 7 months… then nothing after that. I have had 1 Gamma Knife, 6 Glycerol Rhizotmy and 1 MVD (Feb 2009). Sadly - the TN is just as bad. Prior to my MVD my nerve looked jus diseased from the MS - but when my surgeon got in there - I had a small tumor (benign) pushing on the nerve, a blood vessel pulsing against the nerve and the nerve was abnormal from the MS. So he took out the tumor and wrapped the nerve in felt and closed me up with a titanium plater.


Now almost 2 yrs later - I’m at my breaking point once again. He gave me 3 choices Gamma Knife - pure toture in my eyes, another glycerol or a ballon compression procedure. I”m opting for the last one. Anyone with experience with this procedure I would love to know how quickly you knew if it worked, etc. One of my prior surgeon was for ablating the nerve - the current one doesn’t want to do that just yet. And I’m thinking how much more can I deal with this damn TN?
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Dear Jan,

I don’t have MS and I have no experience with glycerol or the balloon compression, though just about the rest of ‘all of the above’.

I do regret not having contact with you for the nearly two years you have replied so kindly to others here on the forum.

My very best to you and yours, bob

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Thank you Bob and Alana. I know I haven’t been around fro 2 years. Lots of MS attacks… and was so hopeful the MVD would work… my surgeon kept saying b/c he found all 3 reasons (MS, tumor, and blood vessel) why a person can have TN - the healing and improvement in pain would take a minimum of a year. I’m well past that now. I am tired of going under the knife so to speak. And going on 7 yrs - I am almost at the point of just severe the nerve already… but huge drawbacks in doing that.

I will try to check in more often and offer advice to new members
j