The diary, part 2
Well, here we are. The Beast has roared in with a vengeance, after sniffing and growling around for months. There are many pain scales out there. I use the Mankoski scale, which I think is the simplest. This year, all year, I've had brief spasms of level 4-6 pain. By brief I mean most episodes were over before one could medicate them, so no vacation. My PCP had me crank up the Tegretol to see if that helped. It did, a little: since it kept the creature at bay until February.
It did not like being put off. After years of episodes having predictable signs and symptoms, the manifestations had become irregular, but moderate. Then, last evening, Mr. Beast blew in at level 7.5-8. End of evening .
After a careful lunch of yogurt and coffee, and a midday walk around a nearby department store (drafts are still a problem), I went back to work to find Beastie waiting for me again. And why yogurt for lunch? As noted in the first summary, eating solids now seems to be Trigger No. 1, so I'm now back on liquids and mushy stuff: except most alcoholic beverages. How long? Until it goes back to bother the shade of Maurice Sendak. How successful? Not very, in the opening stages. If I eat soup, oatmeal and yogurt, I have a 50-50 chance of getting a meal digested without breakthrough pain. If I eat, say, a grilled chicken sandwich with chips, I have 9 chances in 10 of breakthrough pain and, if I'm in public, disturbing the people around me.
Next discovery will be whether the predictable manifestations assert themselves, or whether the next two or three months are full of surprises.
It did not like being put off. After years of episodes having predictable signs and symptoms, the manifestations had become irregular, but moderate. Then, last evening, Mr. Beast blew in at level 7.5-8. End of evening .
After a careful lunch of yogurt and coffee, and a midday walk around a nearby department store (drafts are still a problem), I went back to work to find Beastie waiting for me again. And why yogurt for lunch? As noted in the first summary, eating solids now seems to be Trigger No. 1, so I'm now back on liquids and mushy stuff: except most alcoholic beverages. How long? Until it goes back to bother the shade of Maurice Sendak. How successful? Not very, in the opening stages. If I eat soup, oatmeal and yogurt, I have a 50-50 chance of getting a meal digested without breakthrough pain. If I eat, say, a grilled chicken sandwich with chips, I have 9 chances in 10 of breakthrough pain and, if I'm in public, disturbing the people around me.
Next discovery will be whether the predictable manifestations assert themselves, or whether the next two or three months are full of surprises.
Labels: trigeminal neuralgia
posted by Uncle | 01:15
2 Comments:
This puts a square perspective on my aged minister friend, who long ago spoke to me of his deep depression as his unwelcome visitor, perhaps friend. These controlling beasts are no respecters of circumstance, timing or virtue, eh?
Just so. I may be repeating myself, but when one wrestles with these creatures, one understands why people a few centuries ago attributed such things to demonic possession. It becomes perfectly natural to perceive what's happening as another being sharing one's body.
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