A Teen with TN

Well considering most of your peers can’t even pronounce it, how are they going to understand it? Yes, TN is very difficult to understand for anyone, but it makes it really hard when you are a teen and when an attack coming is always on your mind. Where as many other teens don’t have to worry about such things, but more of what are they going to go tonight or whose party are they going to.

I have had TN since I was 13 so I have “grown up” as a teen with TN. It is hard when I can’t go to the football game because it is too windy, or a concert because loud noise brings more pain. Most drugs make school much harder, making you dizzy nauseas, tired, and unable to remember things, or any miserable combo. When I hear people say they have a headache and they want to go home it makes me aggravated. I have a knife stabbing me in the face and I am drugged and barley making it from class to class, but I am still here. Now let’s re-examine...who wants to go home? If you are even able to do something on a free night, TN is still there. It is hard when I have to worry about not getting over tired, even if I can sleep in the next day. Getting over tired causes so much more extra pain, why would I want to stay up late and be in extra pain for the next few days!

Explaining TN to people is very hard. Everyone knows that there is something wrong, but nobody knows what. No, it is not an ear infection, a sinus infection or a migraine. When people ask what is wrong, what do you say? You can try and tell them that you have a rare nerve disorder that causes you tremendous amount of pain and feels like you have a knife stabbing you all over your face. Many people will just say OK, and have a blank stare on their face, or I am sorry. Do they really understand? Probably not since they have not asked any more questions. And when you come back to school if you were out and kids ask, were you sick? Yes and no. Wouldn’t have the stomach flu or something like that be so simple?

 Isn’t their enough stress for any teen? From midterms, friends, school, work, college, how you are going to get into college and extracurricular activities. Having TN makes all of these decisions much harder. You can’t devote as much time to these things as you would like and sometimes they just seem so miniscule compared to TN pain. Ever since I have had TN many of my major decisions have been medically related. Like am I going to have surgery? What will I miss? Or can I try this medication now? Or do I need to wait until I don’t have to take major test?

Life with TN is not easy for anyone, when you are a teenager it is supposed to be a carefree time, so they say. TN makes you and helps you look at life differently. Please just know that you don’t have to go through this alone, without someone there to talk to who understands how upsetting it is that you didn’t get to go to a dance or go out with friends. There is support here for you!! Please use it and together we can make it through.