MY TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA 16

The pain disappeared completely last night and I managed to eat some solid food for the first time in four days. Great I thought, its finally settling down. Woke up this morning and much to my dismay, the pain had returned, although not with the same intensity as before, but still definitely there. However, it has to be said its a vast improvement on the last four days. Still maintaining the medication at 1600 mg of tegretol, topped up with steroids and anti-inflammatories. I might try to shave today, or is that a step to far. I'm more annoyed about being unable to brush my teeth. Still feeling pretty sorry for myself.

MY TRIGEMINAL NEAURALGIA 15

Started today on a positive note with little pain. However, my positive mood was short lived and the pain has gradually increased as the day went on till around lunch time when even talking could trigger an attack, The pain then reduced as the afternoon progressed and at the present time is around zero, but have the very real fear that it is only having a break and will return shortly. The medication is really doing my head in and my concentration is nil. I don't know how my wife copes. She really is stuck between a rock and a hard place although her step father's health seems to be improving somewhat which means he may be able to share the burden of caring for her mother. I managed to get an appointment with the doctor for Monday.

MY TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA 14

Pain has increased again today with my teeth appearing to be the trigger this time. Probably around 7/8 on the pain scale. Already on the maximum meds so will just need to put up with it. I couldn't manage to run my dad to hospital today so that became another job for my wife on top of the ones she has with her own parents. I probably read too much, but I found another statistic that 50% of people who have ths condition for over 2 years commit suicide. I'm now into my sixth year and have not had any suicidal thoughts as yet. There's a positive and a half for you. I really must make an appointment with the doctor.

MY TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA 13

The pain has calmed down considerably today, 5/6 on the pain scale. Washing was a real adventure and my teeth only got the lighest caress. So I feel much better mentally. Eating still causes great pain, but at 18 stones, I'm hardly wasting away to a shadow. I've still to put an appointment on with the doctor and will do so when I feel able to attend the surgery.

MY TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA 12

Well, my old enemy returned today with a vengeance, despite the fact that I'd maintained my medication at 1200mg of Carbemazepine (Tegretol) a day since the last bad bout. The pain had been increasing for the past few weeks and today it hit 10+ on the pain scale again. Its settled slightly as I type this, probably to around 6/7. Meds are now up to 1600 mgs along with steroids and anti-inflammatories. I couldn’t even manage to wash myself today and what little I did eat caused excruciating pain. I don't know how my wife puts up with it. She has real problems with her parents; blindness, deafness, diabetes and a host of other ailments which means that she needs to do almost everything for them and on top of that, my father in law, who was released from hospital eleven days ago, has developed the same symptoms again which saw him admitted in the first place. She is an only child and is run ragged and really suffering. The last thing she needs is me performing the dying swan. I’ll phone the doctor tomorrow for an appointment to discuss the surgical options of which there are five, only one of which is non-invasive. Just to cheer me up, I read on a respected website today that there is no cure for TN, only various forms of relief.
Am I feeling sorry for myself? You're dam right I am. I couldn't even get a kiss and cuddle from my eldest grandaughter today.
Eight out of every 100,000 of the population suffer from TN. How lucky am I?

Update

The planned trip to London came and went without any great incident. Much to my surprise, I have to admit I loved it. I've always though of myself as a hills and heather type. We did five days of the full on tourist bit, I've never been as tired in my life. Prior to arriving at the Crystal Palace site, we had a couple of days at Cirencester in the Cotswolds. It's now on my list of places to revisit, even if it never stopped raining the whole time we were there.
I'm now grandfather to another girl, Beth, born on the 2nd September, weighing in at 7lb 12oz. She's a real beauty.

GOING TO LONDON

TN has settled down completely and I've had no pain for around a month. This may be down to the fact that I've decided to maintain the dose of Tegretol at 1200 mg's in 24 hours rather than reduce it and take a chance of the pain returning.
I'm leaving for a couple of days in Cirencester on Thursday and then a week in London. I'm one of these anti-social types that tows a large caravan all over the coutry when the roads are at their busiest.....I pay my road tax you know!!!! The London site is at Crystal Palace so it should be quite an adventure getting there. I'm really looking forward to the break.
My new grandchild will be born on 2 September....pretty excited about that. My grandaughter refuses to entertain the fact that the new member of her family could be a boy. She simply says "girls are the best" when you say it could be a boy.

My Trigeminal Neuralgia 11

Things have been going pretty well since my last post. I still get episodes of intense pain in short bursts and for the first time since I started taking Tegretol, around 6 years ago, I can really feel it working keeping the pain largely suppressed. God knows how bad it would be without the medication. 1200mgs a day, which I’d rather not take but, hey ho!! I attended the pain clinic at Crosshouse Hospital on Thursday 8 July where I discussed the last few weeks with Consultant Anaesthetist, Charles Martin. To be honest, I felt a bit of a fraud because there was I in the waiting area with people who were obviously in great pain while I looked a picture of health and happiness. I’ve never thought of myself as having an illness, more of a victim. Doc Martin pretty much agreed with the medication and underlined the fact that Tegretol is the best treatment in most cases. He also discussed surgical options which I’m not keen on at this time, but if the bouts of pain increase and become more prolonged, I will seriously need to consider surgery. My wife says I’m daft enough without people poking around in my brain.
Onward and upward.

My Trigeminal Neuralgia 10

Pain still there, but now managable. Only downside at the moment is the drowsiness caused by the medication. Hope to start reducing meds further this weekend.

My Trigeminal Neuralgia 9

Pain scale 0. Meds reduced. Still tired, but feeling close to normal.