I have been in chronic pain for 22 years, beginning with complicated migraines and disc problems (scoliosis and arthritis probably did not help lol). 7.5 years ago my husband had a massive stroke.  I consequently totalled my car that same year, and suffered post-concussion syndrome, ruptured L4, L5, and started down the road of TMJ and atypical facial pain. This year the atypical facial pain decided to morph into Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Throughout all of this I have managed to work, either as an engineer or later as a teacher. However this year, this monster, trigeminal neuralgia, is threatening to take a great joy out of my life, teaching.

I am currently on an 8 week leave of absence while the doctors attempt to get the medicines adjusted so that I won't have attacks that make me leave the classroom and leave me crumpled in a heap in the school clinic. The main reason for the leave is that the meds render you unable to drive or function cognitively at first and at each dosage increase, so even though I attempted to teach with someone taking me to school, it just was not working. Most days, the meds control the pain. But I am a total newbie to this stabbing pain in your face, it's like nothing I've ever faced before. I can teach with my back and neck hurting, with a migraine that makes my side go numb, with facial pain that makes each word difficult, but this stabbing takes your breath away and leaves you powerless. I feel like a total noob to chronic pain all over again.