The Suicide Disease

Sorry I've been gone a while, I want to let you know where I've been. I don't want to bore you with a long story, so I'll try to keep this concise. This is kind of tedious info, so if you don't want to read, I totally understand--but bear in mind that I learned about my condition to begin with, from someone else having read about it, and relaying that information to me. In 1996, I developed a condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia, and had it for about 8 years. It's basically severe pain in the facial nerve, also called tic douloureux, prosopalgia, Fothergill's disease...or...the suicide disease. It's typically marked by episodes of "lightning strike" jabs of pain, and atypically, can cause pain pretty much 24/7. My pain was atypical, and constant, and quite honestly I'm not sure I would have made it through alive if I hadn't had my kids to live for. I tried everything to alleviate/resolve the pain, from truly zombifying meds, to putting pepper spray on my own face, to pouring lidocaine solution in my sinuses, to getting temporary nerve block injections in my face, to a brain surgery (microvascular decompression). I couldn't sleep, couldn't get much of anything done, had trouble keeping commitments to see anyone or do anything (since I might have to drug myself out of my mind to be able to cope on any given day), it was awful. Nothing helped, until I tried upper cervical chiropractic in January of 2004. After 5 months of visits 3 times per week, I was completely medication and pain free.

Fast forward to January 2012, and some dental issues, and the pain came back for a while. But, it was not suicidally severe, and it was not all the time, and it seemed to be triggered directly by one tooth. I had to stay on top of it all the time, but it seemed to be manageable through putting Clove Bud essential oil on and around the troublesome tooth. Finally, in April I was able to get the troublesome tooth removed, along with some necrotic jawbone tissue, and got some bone grafts, and the facial nerve pain completely went away--YAYYYY!!! The next step was a dental implant, basically a screw they put in the bone (after grafts have healed) so they can give you an artificial tooth to replace the awful one. The next day after that implant, I had a strep rash and was having pains in my chest, so I got antibiotics and got through that. Still no facial pain. Then, a couple months later I actually had an abscess, right around the stupid implant! So, apparently, not all the yukkies in my jawbone left with the bad tooth, and apparently the yukkies are not phased by oral antibiotics. However, still no facial pain, so that was good. I had to go back in and have the infected tissue scraped away from the implant (although on a good note, the implant was very well incorporated in the jawbone, just some issues near the top part). Unfortunately, after this "cleanup" surgery, and more antibiotics so I wouldn't get a heart attack, my facial pain started coming back. It wasn't immediate, it was a creeping process.

At first, my eyes just felt a little dry and annoying. I couldn't stand to have the car air blowing on me, or to be out in the wind. Then, I got a twitch on the lower right eyelid, which did nothing but get worse, no matter WHAT I tried. Then the pain in the right infraorbital nerve (sandwiched between the bottom of the sinus cavity and the roof of the mouth) got pretty severe and constant, and just kept getting WORSE. This is where my pain was for 8 years, so I was getting a little panicky. I kept telling myself that the infection was all gone, so I should have no pain...but my nerve thought otherwise. It's really hard to explain the pain, but imagine the worst throbbing nerve toothache you've ever had, and the worst and most painful sinus infection, happening at the same time, with 24/7 pain. And imagine that any stupid little thing like a breeze across your face, or your tongue resting on the roof of your mouth, intensifying it. My right eye wouldn't produce any tears, so I had to put in drops, which is another thing that triggers intensifying of the pain. To try to keep from having to use the drops, I'd walk around the house with my right eye scrunched closed, like Popeye. Working on the computer has been near impossible except in little spurts here and there, even with protective glasses--my eyes would just get too strained and dry.

Because it worked so well last time, I started going back to the chiropractor 3x per week. I was so desperate for pain relief and sleep that I looked into medical marijuana. I bought all the homeopathics and herbs and supplements I thought might help. Hundreds and hundreds of dollars later and no real relief. I know the chiropractic will work to resolve it again, it will just take time. Then, a couple days ago, I was looking at essential oils to help nerve pain, and happened to read that Coriander helps facilitate certain neurological signals. I had some in the cupboard (for blood sugar issues) and tried it, putting some on my upper gums and the roof of my mouth. IT TASTES SOOOOO NASTY, quite like I would imagine turpentine must taste. But I am SO excited to report that I have not been in any pain since I started using it. If I start feeling the pressure of the beginnings of pain, or even if my eye starts feeling dry, I dab some Coriander essential oil in my mouth again, and it goes away.

I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed that this will continue to work. I'll keep up with the supplements I've been taking, and keep going to the chiropractor 3 times per week for a while, but I can't tell you how relieved I am to find something for the pain. And if you know someone who has nerve pain, you might consider suggesting they try rubbing a little Coriander essential oil directly over the area. If they have nerve pain (and maybe even numbness?) and have tried everything else, they will be totally on board with a little oil being rubbed on, believe me. You can add a drop or two of Coriander essential oil to an application of "carrier oil" like olive oil, coconut oil or grapeseed oil...just use unrefined 100% virgin, cold-pressed is best. If the person doesn't want to smell pungent, try it at bedtime, or just try rubbing it on the bottom of the feet. The feet are excellent receptors, and the Coriander smell is not likely to penetrate the socks and shoes.

The Coriander essential oil I use is high quality, and I wouldn't recommend any other. You can get it from Be Young Essential Oils. You can go HERE to order it, and if you are not already an existing customer, feel free to enter my number as the Representative ID: 6356. If you, or your family, have any tooth pain, you might also find the Clove Bud essential oil handy to have around. Like Coriander, it also tastes nasty, but that stuff WORKS for tooth pain, until you can get your dental issue handled professionally.

So, stamping-wise, I am just trying to catch up at this point. When I get my head above water, I'll try to pick back up with FREE 30-Day Gratitude Card Challenge printables. I know what I'm thankful for today: BEING PAIN FREE!!!

~Kimberley Morris
Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator since 1994
Colorado Springs, CO
procrastistamper@gmail.com
http://kimberley.stampinup.net (SHOP ONLINE)
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