Ally Castellano , 18 years |
||
|
On October 6th 2002 I was a normal 13 year old girl who was just finishing a fun weekend for our girl scout pumpkin patch. Then on October 7th 3:30 a.m. my new life started. I had no idea I was leaving a life behind on that Sunday and starting a war. A war with pain, life, friends, family, school, and more. I woke up and there were tears in my eyes, my right ear hurt so bad. This is coming from someone who had ruptured both eardrums a few summers back. I now know that pain is so minuscule. That day I went to the pediatrician and they told me I had bilateral ear infections and a sinus infection. They gave me antibiotics and told me to take Tylenol for the pain. For about the next week I was back at the doctor every other day. They were saying the infections were clearing up but I was just crying I was in so much pain. Finally I was put in the hospital for pain control. Two days later I was diagnosed with TN. It was so clear it was if I had been reading a medical text book. Then they had second thoughts because I was so young. So I was treated for TN and was in the hospital for ten days. While I was there, there was one attack that stands in my mind. It was three hours long. It just couldn't be broken. By my last day in the hospital my pain was down to a "2" on the 1-10 pain scale. |
|
I went on home, but then a day or two later the pain came back. I went way up on my meds and began trying alternate methods. I tired chiropractic, acupuncture, acupressure, pain specialist- NETT treatments (a combination of chiropractic and acupressure with a chiropractor), ear nose & throat specialists, and went to two pain specialist. I also went to two dentists, two ear nose & throat, neurosurgical, neurological specials. Nothing helped. I eventually went to see Drs. Janetta and Casey and I asked them if they could help me, they told me yes. And I knew I could believe them. So I had surgery and they found 3 nerves involved. After that I felt good, almost no pain on the right. Then 5 months later I had the left side done which was a "mess." After that surgery I was just about pain free. For 7 months I was enjoying life, it was great. Then in the middle of January I came home from school one day and was in more pain and realized that it was the start of another battle. Right away I went up on my meds and on more meds so much I couldn't even walk or eat. I went to see Drs. Janetta and Casey again. We decided for me to have another surgery. I can't say that it has helped as much. I am just about 2 months out of surgery and still having a fair among of pain, but I am able to eat, walk, dance and go to school. During that time while I was sick I missed almost all of my eighth grade year then went back for part of my ninth and was out for the rest. For 10th grade I was only out for about 3 months. I missed my life though. I can't have the same mindset though. If I go to a party where there is loud music I suffer the next day. If I'm in a cold breeze the pain begins so I can't go skiing with friends. And I'm missing HIGH SCHOOL. I never know what each day will bring, but having TN has made me stronger. I just recently underwent my 4th brain surgery in the beginning of my senior year of H.S. I was trying a form of chiropractic in hope to ease the pain, but this made it worse. I am currently 18 years old and still fighting the battle with TN after 4 surgery's. I am still trying to find something to help. I am going to try another med. But I am thinking of having MVD again this summer in hope of trying to help the pain because it is getting hard to "live with". |
||
