Facial Pain Awareness Month

October is Facial Pain Awareness Month! 💙

I have had facial pain for thirteen years now. Developing it at age seventeen (though I often wonder if I have been experiencing symptoms as young as thirteen), was a huge impact on me. It has not only caused chronic, at times unbearable pain, it has also affected me emotionally and mentally. Facial pain may be in the face and head but the whole body is effected.

Facial pain awareness is needed not only for cures, but for others to understand the struggle that I and so many other rare facial pain patients go through on a daily basis.

Having facial pain requires a strength that many of us do not realize we have until we start fighting this ongoing battle.

It's a fight that we are not alone in.

I'm thankful for the facial pain community, you all have been a light to me on days when the pain felt like it would drown me. Finding everyone a few years ago was the game changer I needed. I love and appreciate each of you.

We are warriors.

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Comments

Disabled and Loved

ID for accessibility: Photo of couple lovingly holding hands. There is a myth that needs to be broken. That myth is that people with a disability and chronic illness shouldn’t fall in love or be in a relationship. I have had chronic health conditions since my childhood. In my teen years my conditions became more severe and multiplied, I developed the rare condition of trigeminal neuralgia (though I would not receive my official diagnosis until almost a decade later). I remember the fear that struck me, "Who would want to be with someone with so many health conditions and who may not even be able to kiss them?" From an early age, I was taught I was a burden and undeserving of love. I was a "burden" to my parents, my pastor, my Sunday school teacher, and even to a supposedly loving god. Once my health conditions started showing up and getting worse, I was then a burden to a future spouse, if I should even date or find someone who wanted t...

Angel

Many people don’t understand the depth of virtual friendships. Virtual friendships are real friendships. Just because they come about from connecting with someone online doesn’t make them less of a friendship. Those of us with rare chronic illness, our virtual friendships are formed from the chronic illness world itself. You connect with those who already understand what you are going through. These friendships are special. The chance of coming across someone in person that has the same rare condition, is rare like the condition itself. Because of that, these virtual friendships are that much more meaningful and impactful. They touch your heart and life. Angel. When I think about her I always think of three things. Butterflies, makeup and how much I thought her name fit her. We met through a support group for Trigeminal Neuralgia. The funny thing is she messaged my identical twin asking for advice and looking for someone who wou...

Serena's Story

Serena Huffine smiles with her hand propped against her face. S he is wearing a black blouse, black hair band, silver hoop earrings, and silver round glasses . Hi, my name is Serena Huffine, and I'm 28 years old and live in the south-eastern United States. I had my first trigeminal neuralgia attack on September 1st of 2021. I was so scared in those first moments of having TN. The pain was so bad that I thought I had a brain tumor. Prior to my first attack, I had never heard of trigeminal neuralgia. I did a lot of research and began my tiresome journey of trying to convince doctors that I had this condition. I went to the ER probably 10 times total before I received a diagnosis. I was dismissed by at least four medical professionals who claimed that I didn't have TN. However, I knew I did, simply because my symptoms were spot on and I knew I wasn't having migraines. Because I have bilateral TN on ...

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