Hey everyone,
I just wanted to say hi and I found out what I had about a week ago. Up until I finally broke down and went to a doctor, I thought the pain was something that would go away. Maybe I was sleeping funny, had an infected tooth or my denture was causing me some issues. The reason for the doctor visit, those where all checked first. Leave out denture for the day, pain was still coming and going, nothing wrong with my teeth otherwise, change pillows. I even thought as I am a woodworker I got a weird fungus or mold in a piece of wood that I used.
So off to the doctor, they tell me TN, give me meds and I go home. The doctor didnt really explain much about this. Two times to the ER for pain management. I would say pain control but with this that is a laughing stock! Then another visit to the doctor to get ER meds adjusted so I am not a noodle all day.
OK I will touch on the pain. If you are here and reading either you have this or you have seen someone close go through an episode. If you are just reading about this, it cannot be compared to any pain that has ever been felt. I have broken bones, been stabbed, shot, in bar fights where weapons have been used, I have a very high tolerance for pain. Anything else that endorphines and adrenaline can lessen so that you can still function they wont work with this.
OK so now that I know about this (tip of the iceberg that it is) I can say that although I am pushing to keep the life that I have, doing what I enjoy, keeping the family from giving me to much pity. Just like so many of us that suffer though this, there are days you push through and then there are days you worry. I have broken down into tears more then once talking to both my Mother in Law and wife about this. I dont think they even grasp the fear that is felt. The part that screams because a life that is loved and wanted slips away slowly and quietly while an episode is going on.
With so few people that have this affliction, support for this far and few between. I do know that I see a good day and spend it busy as I can be, but family also sees it as a time to enjoy time with me when I dont want to rip my own head off. I do my best to try and balance the two, this time of year it is hard. My TN even has affected my Mom. She has always dreamed of a garden, this came on right when I was starting to put the plans we made into action. Mom cried about this because this is what she went through with my Father in Law before he passed. The only thing is I decided along time ago to be a tenacious person in life, put my head down and push through if I have to. So I am.