Why I abandoned blogging about facial pain

Although I have not posted a new entry to my blog in several years, I still hear from people who have recently found it. That news is always a double-edged sword. The entries have helped someone. I rejoice in that. One more person is suffering, though, and my heart breaks again.

On more than one occasion, someone has let me know that my entries have been stolen. I go to the site of the blog that has copied my experience verbatim. I contact the thief and receive no response. 

Plagiarism fails students. It ruins careers. But these nameless Internet entities get away with it.

I keep my blog free from advertisements. If I were to open the door to Google ads, a procedure I do not endorse might appear on the pages of my musings. Helping someone is more important than gaining a little bit of cash.

Privacy is another issue. I have kept links to my blog public on Facebook. I want people to be able to share them. Support is gained by sharing the universality of pain, the common denominator of knowing others have felt exactly as we feel. Although anyone can read my blog, it is intended for those who are suffering.

With trigeminal neuralgia awareness day approaching, helping others cope with facial pain is on my mind. I’ll be posting again soon.

One more thing: my last name has changed. I won't mention it here, but many of you know it. I remarried after finding a cherished friend of mine on Facebook.

Hold onto hope. Love is stronger than pain.

Avoiding stress today: a message from Kathy

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, the favorite holiday for many. Family, friends, food: it's all good. But sometimes stress creeps in when we least expect it.

Let's think about facial pain, trigeminal neuralgia and the more elusive neuropathic (or aytpical) facial pain. Most people don't understand it, so remember this: in your home or group of gathered individuals, you are the facial pain expert. You've experienced it, almost disbelieved it, and you've researched it. It doesn't mean you totally understand it, but who does? You are still the expert in your little group.

If someone questions you today, asks as though you are trying to get attention, take shortcuts, make excuses, or get out of work, what can you do?

Let's consider a basic premise: you are the facial pain expert in your group. You have more knowledge and a better understanding of facial pain. For a moment, let's try to put ourselves in the shoes of those who don't have trigeminal neuralgia or neuropathic facial pain. Most of us remember, at some time, a person telling us about having an odd pain that seemed incredulous. I remember doubting someone's sanity when she described her rare, invisible disability to me. Maybe part of it was that there was no label for it, but I'm not sure I would have believed it if a diagnosis had been discussed. We don't want to entertain the idea that such things are possible.

Speaking of doubts, maybe you have a jaw joint problem? I remember thinking TMJD was just a nuisance that one might have to endure. I had no idea how debilitating the pain could be. Now I know. I understand.

Take solace today in knowing you have become a better person because of your pain. Resist the pressure to do more than you can. If pain is triggered by talking, remember to take some time out. Put in a movie or turn on the parade. Explain you need to give yourself some rest time, and do exactly that. Dig deep into your faith and your personal strength. Don't be afraid to curl up in another room with the family dog or cat or maybe open a book or magazine.

Taking care of yourself is important. You don't have succumb to the pressure of attending black Friday sales at 4:00 a.m. And you can have a wonderful Thanksgiving in spite of others' insensitivity to your needs. It's about giving thanks, not pleasing everyone. Remember this: I believe you. I hope you have a good day and a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Have you visited my website?

A medical decision I'd like to undo

If you live with facial pain, chances are you know about regret. Somewhere along our journey, we find ourselves looking back, wishing we had done something differently. A few years ago, I opened correspondence from someone who had the misfortune of encountering a physician with whom she was angry. The lady with facial pain expressed her unbridled rage.


She shared her story, saying that the neurosurgeon had performed a procedure and had not cautioned her about the possibility of anesthesia dolorosa.  The treatment had not worked, and she was left with  constant facial pain and numbness as well as other unpleasant side effects. She told us she had contacted the physician, but he would not acknowledge the failed procedure or validate her feelings.

I understand her anger. When trigeminal neuralgia or neuropathic facial pain consumes a person's life, he or she becomes desperate for relief. We look for a way to stop the pain, a chance to live a normal life again. What we may not know is this: the very procedure that relieves someone else's pain could make our pain worse. Medications or treatments that help one person can be totally effective for another person. It doesn't make sense, but it's a reality. We can ask all the right questions and receive excellent feedback, but we have no guarantee that a procedure is going to be successful.

When I had terrible electrocution-type pains from trigeminal neuralgia, some of my practitioners encouraged me to seek treatment for my jaw. They believed some of my pain could be relieved. I moved forward with something called "functional jaw orthotics" and went across the country to receive care from an expert. In the course of two years, I made many 3000 mile round trips.

Our insurance did not cover the treatment, and my husband and I had to pay for my flights, lodging, and meals. We thought it would be worth it, but we were wrong.

At first, my new bite felt great. But a few years after the TMJ/TMD treatment was complete, I started having a type of facial pain that was new to me. It went down my neck and into my shoulder, and I thought the pain originated from my sternocleidomastoid muscle. After all it wasn't TN type pain, and I believed my jaw joint was fixed. The situation was confusing.

The pain grew worse, especially when I went back to work. My jaw locked shut often. Pain spread deep into and around my ear.  My teeth, which had always been straight, had become crooked. (My two front teeth are getting pushed back and the two teeth on either side are overlapping them, as if they are pushing them back. Several of my lower teeth are crooked. When I run my finger over the bottom teeth, they are in an inverted "V.")

Although my bite was problematic before the functional jaw orthopedics, my teeth had always been straight. I had never worn braces. Part of the treatment for my jaw joint was to put crowns on eight of my teeth. Now I have a mouth that is crowded with crooked teeth, and my bite is still problematic.

About eighteen months ago, my jaw joint practitioner called me when he received a copy of an evaluation written by an orofacial pain specialist. A few months ago, I asked him to refund the money I paid him for treatment. I didn't ask for expenses, but I hoped he would refund what I had paid him.  I'd like to move forward with orthodontia and perhaps I can have the crowns replaced. But my request for a refund has been denied, and the practitioner states that he stands behind his work. He has done nothing wrong, he says.

Have I been angry with him? Yes. But it doesn't help me. Anger bites like a rattle snake, releasing its poison into us, it's venom penetrating our mind, body, and spirit.  Unless we forgive the person who has performed the offending procedure, we cannot move forward.

We must forgive for our own benefit. It doesn't matter if they don't care about us, believe us, or acknowledge our current need. The practitioner is part of our past and not part of our future, even if we continue to bear pain resulting form his or her work.

Lack of forgiveness results in bitterness. Have you ever known someone who is bitter? It's not an attractive trait. Bitter is the last thing I want to be.

The advice that Jesus gave about forgiveness can help us; forgive the offender seventy times seven times, He said. (Matthew 18:21-23). Even as He bore terrible pain during His crucifixion, Jesus forgave. But forgiveness isn't easy, and it can take a while to achieve it. I concentrate on good things, like the fact that TN's electrocution-type pains have been gone six years.

I choose to forgive the person who ignores my pleas for help. My forgiveness doesn't make him right, but it helps me. He thought he was helping me. We've all made mistakes. I've hurt people, and I'm not proud of it. I hope for forgiveness when I am wrong, and because of this hope, I forgive.

If you've made a medical decision you regret, please read part one of this entry: http://kathytaylortrigeminalneuralgia.blogspot.com/2010/10/decisions-we-cannot-undo.html

Now tell me about you. Do you want to forgive someone? 


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Eye: the first division of the trigeminal nerve

Years ago, when I was new to the world of trigeminal neuralgia, I was visiting my neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. He asked me if I had eye pain, and I was shocked, thinking he could read my mind. I didn't realize that he asked because eye pain is so problematic for people who have trigeminal neuralgia. And until then, I thought the "discomfort" was my imagination or just referred pain from my jaw and cheek.

 Sure, I had seen diagrams of the trigeminal nerve and noticed that one of it's divisions is located in the eye area. But I didn't want to face the reality that my eye might be affected. As time progressed and the pain became worse, my eye bothered me more.

Sometimes I felt as though my eye would pop out. The pressure and the pain were terrible and it made reading difficult, stealing one more ability from me. And isolation spread itself through my life like a cancer that refused to be arrested.

This is where my story of hope begins, hope that someway somehow God would intervene and take trigeminal neuralgia from me. I prayed that I'd have the courage to move forward with a surgery or that the pain would stop. I knew all about TN going into remission, and I asked please Lord. Let it go into remission forever.  In October 2004, the pain left.

I still have jaw joint pain, but I am thankful it's not trigeminal neuralgia. And it was great to begin life again. Socially, it's been difficult. I live in a small town. People had never heard of trigeminal neuralgia, and they thought I was being a drama queen. After all I had been a drama teacher. They never understood the validity of my disability.

Yesterday, I was prescribed contact lenses. Today, unlike yesterday, I've been successful at putting them in and taking them out. This process is easy for some, but I've always been a little nervous about putting eye drops in or getting close to my eye.

After several attempts yesterday to put in my new contacts, I thought I wouldn't be able to stop my strong reflex to blink. But today I got them in just fine. I put one inside out and had to take it out and put it back in again. I know I can do this.

The entire time I struggled with the simple procedure, I kept thinking if I can get through trigeminal neuralgia I can learn to do something simple like put in contact lenses. It gave me the incentive to persist.


The disability known as trigeminal neuralgia causes us all to learn that we are stronger than we imagined. How has the pain helped you recognize your strength? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Comments are welcome.


Have you visited my website? www.withgreatmercy.com

Trigeminal neuralgia, face pain, and emotions

As someone who has counseled people with facial pain, I understand that it is not uncommon for someone's emotions to reach a nadir. It doesn't matter if it's my pain or the pain that belongs to someone else. So I am always concerned when I hear that someone with facial pain has emotional issues. Of course we do. What others take for granted in every day life has been taken from us, and no one seems to understand the intensity of the pain. Except the people who have it...

I wish that I could explain to the world what it is like to be unable to communicate orally with others and to not know sign language. E-mails and text messages have been some of my best friends, but not everyone has email or text-messaging. Fax machines are temperamental. Just like fax machines, sometimes we humans with facial pain can communicate orally but other times we cannot. We aren't dependable, regardless of how much we would like to be.

Pain of any type can bear on our emotions. Face pain can cause a person to have bad breath and poor dental hygiene (no brushing for days on end sometimes), robs a person of the ability to share a kiss, and going out to eat is just unthinkable. When people experience this much isolation, pain, and disability... well he or she just may get emotional.

Why some people think that the emotional issues cause the pain, I'll never know. Perhaps it's because they have never experienced disability. I've always thought that the world would be a more compassionate place if people could experience trigeminal neuralgia or other types of face pain - just for a day.

Several types of medical issues cause face pain. It could be trigeminal neuralgia, myofascial pain, neuropathic pain, or a jaw problem. These things travel along the trigeminal pathway, and they have a life of their own. We don't know when the pain will come or go. We just know that we are out of commission until it settles down.


If you get emotional because of facial pain, let me reassure you that it's normal. Take good care of yourself. If you are able to talk, you may want to see a counselor. But you may not be able to talk...

God bless you.

Trigeminal neuralgia: the Valley of the Shadow

Many of us have heard, read, or prayed the 23rd Psalm. The passage is often comforting to people who are struggling with pain or illness. Here's the part I like best, from verse four:  

  

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.

When I experienced the electrifying pain of trigeminal neuralgia, I prayed to die. And this portion of the verse had new meaning for me. I was in the shadow of death, I reasoned, because I wanted to die. Yet the pain held no sting of death, and I felt trapped. I was alive but could not live with the pain. It was the darkest valley I've known.

The "shadow of death" lurked while I wanted to die and could not.


It's not unusual for people who have trigeminal neuralgia to think about dying. They want relief from the pain, a pain so overwhelming it doesn't seem that another second of it can be tolerated. I lived in fear, fear of the pain.

People who have not experienced trigeminal neuralgia often notice that someone who has TN is depressed. Sometimes onlookers think the depression has caused the pain, but people who have TN know differently. It's the pain and the hopelessness that causes the sorrow.


Let's examine the second part of the quotation. I will fear no evil. It takes guts to have such tremendous pain, to stare it in the face and refuse to fear it. But we can do it. For thou art with me. We don't walk through our valleys alone, and in this we have our hope.

We cannot get better without hope, and if we are afraid, hope eludes us. Let's believe. Together and with the hope of our Lord, we can face fear and cling to hope.

Have you experienced fear or depression along with your pain? I'd love to hear from you.

For more, please visit my website

Nutritious no-fat smoothie with fiber

Most of us have tried a smoothie, but they often contain things that aren't too healthy. Here's a simple recipe for a thick "shake."

2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup frozen or fresh berries
1 teaspoon ground flax seed
2 ounces cold water (if using frozen berries)
  or 1/4 crushed ice if using fresh berries
Sweetener (I use 1/2 teaspoon of Stevia)

If you are looking for another way to get more protein and fiber, summer is a great time to incorporate smoothies into your diet. They can be made in a way that they aren't too high in sugar, and they are simple to make. I put mine in a Shake and Take, but a smoothie can be made with a full-size blender or a hand blender.

The ground flax seed gives a smoothie more body. According to the Mayo clinic, it is also an excellent way to get fiber and mega-3 fatty acids. Flax seed improves digestion. Flax seed is sometimes used to help reduce total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels and, as a result, it may help reduce the risk of heart disease.  Click to read more of what Mayo clinic says about flax seed

Flax seed has a 4.5 grams of fat in two tablespoons, but only half a gram of saturated fat. This recipe has less than a gram of fat.

You can find other no-chew or easy-chew recipes if you search my blog. Hope you feel better soon!

If you would like to share a no or easy-chew recipe with us, please let me know. I'd love to feature you and your recipe.

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A no-chew recipe: low fat "mashed" potatoes

A pot full of mashed potatoes?

When I was having pain from trigeminal neuralgia, I ate some really fattening things. One of them was mashed potatoes. I didn't really like them before I got sick, but they quickly became a staple of my diet. Because they were (notice were not are) high in saturated fat, they weren't a good choice. It's easy now to make some great potatoes that aren't low in fat, contain protein, and still taste great.

Sometimes restaurants served "smashed potatoes," meaning the skins are on. In the picture, you can see I left them on after cleaning them well. If you are having difficulty swallowing or in a high degree of pain, you may want to remove the skins. I like to leave mine on because of the vitamins and minerals they contain. Here's the simple recipe.

4 cups sliced raw potatoes (any variety, sliced approximately 1/4 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (you can use more)
3 tablespoons Smart Balance buttery spread with flax seed oil
1 teaspoon Sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper


Put potatoes in two quart sauce pain, add water and garlic, bringing the potatoes to a low boil. Cook until they are tender. Drain. While potatoes are still hot, add Greek yogurt and buttery spread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Serves 4 to six. Hope you find it enjoyable. My husband loves this and he's never had a facial pain or jaw pain issue.

Use the search button right above this entry to search for more recipes on my blog or find a fish recipe here. No chew Fish De Lish

Care for me, feed me, visit me

I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me. Matthew 25:36

I’ll never be able to thank God enough for the way my mother took care of me when I had trigeminal neuralgia. She wouldn’t let go of me; my mother was determined to defeat the pain. Her determination and faith spread to me, and that is how I got well. Although the process wasn’t simple, the premise is: Lord, I believe You will make this pain go away. How can people believe such a thing when it feels as though the face is being electrocuted over and over and over?

As I fought the good fight of faith, I remember feeling as though my body had imprisoned me. I wanted to escape it, but I couldn’t. I found solace in a song that Dottie Rambo wrote, “The Holy Hills.”

This house of clay is but a prison
Bars of bone hold my soul.

How desperately I wanted to escape the prison, but I couldn’t. Captured by pain, I sought hope. If nothing else, I knew that the present sorrow could last only a lifetime and not for eternity. That’s how Dottie’s song encouraged me:

But the doors of clay are gonna burst wide open
When the angel sets my spirit free.
I'll take my flight like a mighty eagle…

I longed for a day of freedom, either by way of healing or through death. The thought of my death didn’t depress me, and it still doesn’t. It’s simply a longing to be in a better place.

The pain is gone, but I can’t forget about others who are suffering. I can’t forget, either, about people who are in prison. I’m involved with Prison Fellowship Ministries, and what a blessing it’s been. I’ve been teaching Set Free by Jan Coates to a group of women who are incarcerated. It’s about overcoming childhood abuse, and the curriculum is wonderful.

When I first met the group of women, I told them that I had never been arrested or in custody but I know what it’s like to be imprisoned by pain. They could relate to that, and I can relate to them. We all need someone to minister to us, whether it’s a need for food, clothing or shelter; a need to be attended; or a need to be visited when we’ve been punished. Think of someone who helped you along the way, someone you didn’t know well. For all the people who helped me – and there have been many – thank you. Because you helped me, I can visit people who are in prison.

More about the green olive tree

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. Psalm 52:8.

This is the second in a series. To read the first part of this entry, scroll down a little to see the green olive tree. It's been several months since I wrote the first part of the olive story, and you may wonder why I've waited such a long while to write in my blog again. So many reasons exist, but I’ll share just one with you. I’ve known that writing this portion will make me cry.

Before my tears begin, I’d like us to look more closely at the green olive tree’s awesome fruit. The beautiful olive decided to “go green” long before this world had issues with energy, pollution, and other environmental concerns. Boasting more than beauty, an olive has taste appeal, a subtle but delicious aroma, and some other wonderful properties worthy of discussion.

Just think about what happens when an olive is pressed, squeezed, or crushed. Instead of being destroyed, the green olive produces an oil that helps us humans thrive. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat, a healthier type of fat that can lower the risk of heart disease by reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels in an individual’s blood.

A fountain of health, olive oil was popular with the Greeks and Romans of Jesus’ time. Olive oil was used to treat open wounds, insect bites, headaches, to counteract poisons and to aid stomach and digestive problems. These ancient civilizations also applied olive oil to the body before bathing (as a soap) and then again afterward to moisturize the skin. It forms a barrier against dirt and the harmful effects of the sun.

Today we believe olive oil may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease because it is full of antioxidants and contains Vitamin E. This fabulous oil is known to lower blood sugar levels and blood pressure, making it even more tempting to serve and consume this food with Italian herbs. Ever dipped your bread in that?
Traditionally olive oil is extracted through a grinding process that is accomplished with mill stones. Today they are ground in steel drums. In both cases, a paste forms and the olives are pressed again.

To get to the really good stuff, the olive must be crushed. It loses its shape and firmness. If olives could talk, I wonder if they would tell us how much it hurts as their oil is extracted. We cannot even see a trace of the fruit by the time the oil makes it into the bottle and onto our table. If it could be seen, then we wouldn’t have the expensive and highly regarded “extra virgin” oil.

I think we humans have much in common with olives. Refinement isn’t easy, and being ground and crushed hurts terribly. And who wants to lose their firmness or beauty? The very process that leads to a product containing helpful properties is the same process that causes the young but ripe olive to be destroyed.

I don’t know if it is possible for us humans to bear the fruit of the Spirit if we haven’t been ground or crushed a little or if we haven’t lost something we that once was part of our identity. It’s easy to admire people whose strong relationships with the Lord are apparent. We all know these blessed saints; they have words of healing at their fingertips. But would we want what they have if we had watched them being crushed, ground, and filtered?

If we want the Lord to load us with spiritual antioxidants and healing properties, we’re going to lose something, part of our identity. To have more of Jesus and less of us is going to hurt. We may experience something that will help us relate to the olives: it could be that no one might notice our pain.

Sources regarding olive oil

www.healingdaily.com
www.mayoclinic.com
www.wikipedia.com
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/the-health-benefits-of-olive-oil-ga1.htm

Like a green olive tree

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. Psalm 52:8.

To understand why this verse might be significant for a person who experiences so much pain, it is necessary to know the characteristics of a green olive tree. This robust tree can live for centuries, even in dry, barren, and rocky places. To harvest the olives in Biblical times, the green olive tree would be beaten with sticks to knock the fruit from its branches. In spite of that, the tree would continue to produce new fruit. The strength of this tree comes from its roots, which go deep into the earth. The green olive tree’s roots are so deep and so strong that they survive even if the trunk is burned or cut down. The roots will send up new shoots, and they will bear fruit. The green olive tree knows how to survive and thrive even in the harshest of environments.

If you live with trigeminal neuralgia or other types of face pain, you have experienced a hostile environment. Years ago I felt that my body had become my own prison. By God’s grace, I was released from the pain. I went back to a “normal life,” and was teaching a Bible study for the ladies’ group at my church. In the course of the study, we discussed Psalm 52:8 and another verse about an olive tree, Deuteronomy 24:20. When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

I cautioned the ladies to preserve some of the fruit that they bear for people that God will send to them. It’s so easy to get depleted, to have every piece of fruit (or every bit of energy) taken from us. Today’s demands are heavy: careers, children, aging parents, ministries, volunteer activities, and church functions. The list is endless, and our heavy obligations can leave us with no time or energy to help someone that the Lord puts in our path. At the time I wasn’t working, but a few months later I returned to the work force.

Last March, I went on a business trip to meet with a group of people who were experiencing facial pain. A couple of hours before I departed, I was gripped with terrible pain. It radiated from my jaws and into my face. The pain left during the last leg of the flight, but when I arrived at my destination I was exhausted. I enjoyed the visit, and it was soon time to return home to Florida. I was on a tight schedule, with an appointment the day after my return.

I learned that my schedule was going to be much tighter than I expected. The weather caused flights to Florida to be cancelled for the day. I left the airport and went to a nearby hotel. The first thing I did when I walked into my room was take the Gideon’s Bible from the desk. I don’t ordinarily open the Bible and read it where it falls, but on this day I was desperate. I wanted a word to calm my frustration. I looked at the open page and began to read Deuteronomy 24:20. Tears fell down my cheeks as I realized that I had ceased to bear fruit. I had nothing left to give to strangers, to the fatherless, or to widows. In fact, I had nothing to give to my family. I was always in need of their strength and support.

I surveyed my life that day and realized that my roots had not found the nourishment they so desperately needed. In Gainesville I had not found a church that I could call “home.” I was living away from my family and saw my husband only on the weekends. I missed him terribly. My noisy neighbors got home from work every morning at 3:00 a.m., and sleeping through the night was difficult. Worst of all, my own pain continued to increase.

Had I forgotten about God? No. I still read my Bible each morning. I was sad because life had become so difficult. I wondered why I was having so much pain in my jaws and neck, and I longed for home. I faced this fact: circumstances had beaten me down.

That day in the airport hotel, I asked God to restore me. Because I had experienced trigeminal neuralgia, I knew that that the current pain was very different. It wasn’t long before I began to notice some things that pointed to the root of my facial pain. For example, my teeth, which had always been straight, had become crowded and crooked.

In the diagnostic process, the facial pain and jaw dysfunction grew worse. I could not continue working, but I had answers about the root of the pain. Having a diagnosis gave me some relief, but it did not make the pain stop. It was clearly caused by my jaws, which were often locking shut. I resigned from my job and stayed home. Several months went by before I began to feel better. My body rebelled if I moved around a lot, so I stayed still. Very still.

Sometimes the Lord wants us to be still, to wait for Him. Sometimes we have no choice. It was while I stayed still that I could really focus on Jesus. My roots began to receive the nourishment they needed. Jesus is my source of strength, the One who helps me grow.

Although I was overwhelmed and beaten, my roots had not died. Your roots are still alive. You can also experience growth and restoration. We are like green olive trees, and the Lord wants us to bear fruit. We will be able to help the widow, the fatherless, and the stranger once again… with God’s help.

Have you read With Great Mercy?   A follow-up post to the green olive tree is available.

Believe: no pain, no fear

Can you imagine your life without facial neuralgias or TMD? After pain has been around a long time, it becomes difficult to remember what it is like to “live a normal life.”

I remember when my bed became my home. Hope was gone, and I was preoccupied with why God would not let me die. I wanted to escape the pain, so I prayed constantly to die. Visualizing myself as a well person was a difficult thing to do. Sometimes the seconds seemed like eternity as the pain “electrocuted” the right side of my face and my right eye. During these times, I visualized Jesus. It wasn’t long before my prayer changed.

As the Lord began to pour out His tender mercies, I gained the courage to say another prayer. “Lord help me live. Let me be free from this pain so that I can help others.” Hope returned, and I knew that better days were ahead. It was still difficult for me to picture myself as a healthy person, but my relationship with Jesus Christ had grown. I thought more about Him than I thought about me.

Faith is a wonderful thing. It transcends pain and sorrow. It gives one the courage to believe. I believed that trigeminal neuralgia would leave me. Through God’s grace, I fought the fear of the pain itself. Every day I felt that I was closer to being free of trigeminal neuralgia.

Then one day as my mother and close friends gathered around me, the pain left. The fear was gone. The Lord had intervened.

Since then, I have had plenty of challenges. My jaws have caused more facial pain, but I am thrilled to say that I am doing so much better. Six months ago, it was difficult to imagine myself doing 50 minutes of cardio, but now this is a reality. I can chew and talk, things that seemed impossible just six months ago.

The Lord gives each of us a measure of faith. It might be dormant in your life, but it is there. Don’t be afraid to visualize yourself as a well person. You have nothing to lose but fear and pain. God bless you.

Healing and Prayer

A good friend of mine recently sent me a book that I've enjoyed reading. I don't agree with everything the author says, but that's o.k. Maybe he's right; maybe I'm right. Maybe neither one of us are right. Overall, I think he has some really valid points.

One of the things he mentions is how in some Christian circles it is a disgrace to have an illness. He's right. Some Christians believe in "divine health." This is a phrase that perplexes me. Our bodies are made of flesh. Doesn't this mean that they are going to break down? Wear and tear, accidents, congenital issues, and so many other things cause sickness.

Not everyone believes that God still heals us today, but I do. I have experienced His healing, and I am so thankful for His mercies. I don't know why God has healed me and not some others. Do I think that faith is an element of healing? Yes, but so many people have been told that they are not healed because they lack faith. How discouraging for someone who is already suffering. This tactic is a form of "blaming the victim." I don't consider people with disabilities to be victims, but the mentality of the accuser is the same. We just aren't going to get through life without sorrow, loss, and pain.

Other people believe that "praying harder" does not move the Lord to heal, only that He heals when He chooses. Of course I believe that God is sovereign, but I also believe that He hears our prayers. If we believe James 5:16, that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective, then why wouldn't God hear our prayers for healing?

I offer up my opinion about healing in a world where so many have spoken their opinions on this topic. In fact, most of us are familiar with the tactic of asking people who have an illness to make a donation if they want to have a prayer answered. They want our "seeds" of faith.

Because I am no expert on the topic of healing, I don't want to say too much here. I hope I can reassure those who have been treated like second class Christians because of illness or disability that they have been unjustly accused. I want to encourage you to have faith in Jesus, who healed people because it is His nature. He understands pain.

Don't give up. The Lord hears our prayers.

Trigeminal neuralgia, orofacial pain, and anxiety

If you have trigeminal neuralgia, neuropathic or atypical face pain, or orofacial pain, chances are that you have experienced anxiety. Some people think of anxiety as nervousness or a feeling of panic. It can escalate when negative thoughts or "what ifs" become frequent or won't go away. It's important to mention these feelings to your physician or medical practitioner.



Face pain can storm like a thundercloud, bringing "what ifs" into our lives. It's really important to recognize anxiety when it begins to manifest itself. There are a number of things that can be done.

Your physician may want to prescribe an anti-anxiety medication. If you are hesitant to take medication for anxiety, you may want to see a counselor who can help you with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT works for many individuals because it helps them train their thought patterns and does not introduce more medication into the body.

We hear a lot about "natural" approaches to illness. Some people get relief through massage or other types of integrative medical techniques. Herbal remedies are also sometimes helpful. Sometimes seeing an upper cervical chiropractor (UCC) can also help with anxiety as well as the face pain itself.

Addressing anxiety is important. These feelings sends signals to the brain, and they can actually trigger more pain. Anxiety is common to people with facial pain. You're not alone in this journey. God bless you.

Flossing

People with neuropathic facial pain, trigeminal neuralgia, and jaw joint issues such as TMJ know how difficult it can be to floss or to brush one's teeth. When I think of flossing or going to the dentist, I have a lot of anxiety. But when I look at my gums, I have even more.

There are so many days when I absolutely cannot floss. In fact, they are most days. I also have days when I cannot brush my teeth. I struggle with those days. There is something about the mechanism of moving my jaw around to floss that causes terrible pain. So on my good days, I floss. Flossing aggravates the situation and often causes pain, pain, pain. Have I said pain enough? Here's the good news: I've been able to floss twice this week.

I am thankful for mouthwash and for toothpastes that help fight bacteria yet cause less stinging. Most of all, I am thankful for God's grace. He sees me through the difficult times and gives me rest when I feel that I cannot tolerate another day of being in this situation. He gives me hope for tomorrow. I remember years ago, experiencing the pain of trigeminal neuralgia: I did not want to see the next day. It was during those desperate days that I realized that Jesus was my best friend. I had been a Christian most of my life, but I had never realized how desperately I needed God.

Most of all, I am thankful for the rest and peace that I have at this point in my life. I'm not afraid. I'm content. I'm resting in God's wonderful love.