Now 5, he has spent every day of his life in pain and knows no other existence.

Today, OCTOBER 7, is Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day and as fate would have it I am going through a terrible flare right now. I am not looking for pity or sadness, but instead trying to bring awareness to this terrible condition.

I am 48 and I am a Brazilian citizen. I have been dealing with TN for 15 years. Read more about my story below.

My day began with a severe toothache and my only panic was, "Do I need another root canal?" After a dental appointment, OPG scan and GP appointment, I was relieved to think I only had a sinus infection. After dinner, the headache began, but just on the left side - same as the toothache and sinus pain. So I applied heat and took brufen and it eased. For 5 minutes. And the headache continued to increase in severity, so I did what anyone else would do - called it a night to sleep it off. But the pain became intense, stabbing pain throughout my entire head. If someone split my head open, it would have been less painful. After 5 hours of suffering, it was off to the ED but frustratingly (and thankfully) the pain had gone but the attending initially diagnosed TN and prescribed Lyrica. I got back home and the pain was back. Thankfully the Lyrica (an anti-convulsant) eased the pain enough that I could sleep for a few hours. Happy Australia Day!

My story is not like most. I am 31 and have Trigeminal Neuralgia. The pain started in late March of 2013. It was not all the time, but very debilitating when it struck. I lived with this until early summer, when the attacks became more frequent, went to my primary doctor who thought that I had some knots in my muscles on the left side of my face. I was prescribed muscle relaxers. They did nothing. His next thought was TMJ. I tried the NSAID medications and saw my dentist (as my primary doctor asked me to). My dentist said definitely that what I have going on is NOT anything he can treat and to go back to my primary doc. When I went back with this information, I saw him and his partner, who also did a full evaluation. They both agreed that the symptoms I have are caused by Trigeminal Neuralgia. That was in October of 2013.

My story of severe facial pain that started in 2012. I woke up one morning with a feeling that I had a needle in my eye, the worst sinus infection ever and my teeth hurt and I had an electric shock in my mouth. I had no idea what this was. I went to my primary doctor; he sent me to the eye doctor and the eye doctor said it was a sinus infection and sent me back. I was treated with antibiotics. As you know, that did not touch this severe pain I had in my face.

Today is Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day and teal is our colour of choice!

Most people have never heard of it, neither did I till I was diagnosed in 2019. It is completely life changing and most of us suffer in silence. Today is all about just starting that conversation and shedding some light on this invisible monster.

I’ve been trying to think of a way to explain the pain after a few bad days and also working on a dairy farm at the same time.

You’re sitting in the paddock beside an electric fence.

Sometimes a cold breeze blows and the fence touches your face…