MVD of January 2009 has failed
 

Hi everybody. I don't know if I'm ready to talk about this yet but I think it's time to post my news publically. The MVD has failed. There was a compression, which has been fixed. This has resolved some of my facial pain. But the majority of it is still here.

The pain reoccurred in September. I had a very minor fix being done by the dentist on my non-TN side. The vibration of the drill flared the nerve back up. I've been on meds since then but we've run out of Tegratol...(ie: I'm maxed out on dosage per blood work).

Will chat later. Mostly, I just need a hug. My face hurts. AGAIN.

Old thread:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...MVD+January+19

CAT

So sorry to read this, Cat. I hope you find some relief. Sending you a big hug!:hug:

Hi Cat, I had replied to your post the first day I saw it, but for some reason I don't see it here, so I must have goofed up somewhere.

I remember when you told us you had undergone the surgery. It makes me so sad for you to hear now that it did not work. Your post last year was so encouraging to all of us.

I really don't know what to say except that I am thinking of you and wish there was something more that could be done. I will continue to pray for you and all of the others here and that our medical community will find new ways to treat this monster.

I'm so sorry you are hurting. :hug:

Rhonda

:( Oh no Nanna :( I am so sad and sorry to hear this . Sometimes if it is possible they do mvd more then one time before it helps but I have seen it go both ways good and bad so dont rush things.
I hope you get in to Doc and get some meds that start helping. sending low pain and.... :grouphug: :hug: :grouphug:



http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...dybearhugs.jpg

sorry I did not see this until now...

PEACE
BMW

Thank you Basset and BMW....

I'm better about it today.

So, it turns out, there were 2 origins of my pain:
1.A compressed trigeminal nerve. The MVD fixed that, and so the burning in my mouth, icepick in my eye, sensitivity to cold, have all gone away. The neurosurgeon feels that because it was over 4 years before they got in there and fixed the compression, there is some damage to the nerve at the brain stem end, a lot of numbness, etc.
2. 4+ years of dental/endodontic surgery caused damage to the end of the trigeminal nerve at the front of my face.

So the unfortunate problem is, although the original problem was fixed by the MVD, the damage to the nerve at the other end (ie: closest to my nose/front of my face) is permanent.

Pre-surgery, the neurosurgeon and neurologist both said the symptoms were so strange that they felt the pain could have been from 2 sources. They called it ATN+!

I'm on tegratol but that doesn't take away the constant numbing, tight-teeth feeling pain.

Some days are ok. I'm pretty good at staying very, very busy at work and the distraction is good.

thank you for checking in on me. I spent a couple of months whining, then decided I might as well suck it up and get over it....that's easier said than done, as everyone here knows!

CAT

I always hate to hear this. I'm sorry for you. Have you talked to your doctors about trying a different med? Trileptal has worked well for many other TN sufferers that it may be worth a shot for you. It's something to think about at any rate.

Take care and big hugs to you :hug:

Thanks for the hugs!

I have a referral to the leading TN/Facial Neuropathy Pain Dr. in the area. Appt is in 3 weeks. In the meantime, the tegratol does a decent job some days, but I'm at a level where I'm now starting to forget names....

CAT