Hi Ellen,
I joined this web site just to talk to you. I am 19 and have been diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia. Being so young for this, I have been having a hard time finding people who can relate with the pain and fear and obsession that comes with it. While reading your passages, I feel I am reading diary pages from my past couple years because I had to deal with the pain, go to dentists and doctors one after another to find out what was really wrong. Going to school on pain management was hard enough and them being on Tegretal..... forget about it. This whole journey has been a long nightmare and my doctors are now suggesting that I have the MVD surgery done. Images and stories on the internet are terrifying and I am not sure where else to turn for comfort other than someone who has actually been through the whole process. I know it has been a very long time since you had your surgery but I would appreciate any advice or support more than you know. Thank you so much, and know that your story is very uplifting for me.