Background and information on TN

http://www.tna.org.uk/

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/trigeminal_neuralgia/detail_trigeminal_neuralgia.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigeminal_neuralgia

These links explain what TN is.

My TN started on 24th December 2002. I was watching TV and it was as if someone stuck a cattle prod to the side of my face - knocked me to the ground.

After the pains kept coming and having physio and valium from the GP I was refered to a neurologist, who diagnosed TN.

In 2003 I had an operation called a Micro vascular decompression to remove a blood vessel compressing the nerve root as it leaves the brain stem. This op worked for about 6 months at which point the pain returned with avengence. I then had another MVD that had no effect, and left me with constant shape, migraine like pain over the bridge of my nose and around my left eye. Later I had a third MVD during which the teflon padding placed inside my skull in the previous operations was removed. This gave me a good year of reduced pain, and life was getting back on track. However, the condition got worse again, and in searching for further treatment I made contact with Prof Tipu Aziz, who is confident that his Deep Brain Stimulation procedure will leave me pain-free. Wonderful!

No - I live in Wales. Health Commission Wales, who have the say in who gets funding for what treatment outside of Wales, have denied me funding.

So that is where I am today. I have hope of a pain-free life, but thanks to a postcode lottery, the lack of £40k of money, that hope is not to be realised.

So we fight!!

Niki x