Circa September 2023

Picture this – it had been a sunny day near the end of September. I’m now relaxing in the evening, with my head lying in Dennis’ lap binging on Netflix. Out of nowhere, an unexpected guest decides to visit. This guest, however, is not of the friendly, drop-in-for-tea variety. No, it’s a searing pain that made itself right at home on the left side of my chin. Just an inch or so, but it might as well have been a mile. I distinctly remember the moment because it was that intense. It’s like my chin decided to throw a little tantrum, and it wasn’t taking no for an answer.

What made it all the more perplexing was the location of this pain. There was no recent chin-banging incident or an overly enthusiastic food fight, so I couldn’t blame it on clumsiness or culinary adventures gone wrong. It was an uninvited mystery.

The pain, sharp as a hawk’s talon, was like a lightning bolt striking out of the blue. It pierced through, leaving me puzzled, bewildered, and, well, in pain. It came, it saw, and, thankfully, it left. But it didn’t go quietly. A few days later, it returned with a vengeance, and I thought, “Hmm, this isn’t just a one-time thing, is it?”

Indeed, it was not. It kept coming back, like that friend who never gets the hint to leave the party. It was becoming a regular occurrence in my life, and it was getting old fast. Like an unsolicited text, it arrived unannounced and unwanted. The duration was as unpredictable as a box of chocolates – seconds, minutes, or, if it felt particularly inspired, hours.

After this ongoing saga of chin pain and unwanted surprises, it dawned on me: it’s high time I booked an appointment with my friendly neighborhood doc.

So, dear reader, that’s how my journey with Trigeminal Neuralgia began. Buckle up, because it’s going to be a bumpy but enlightening ride. If you’ve ever had a similar experience or are just curious about what comes next, stick around. We’re in this together, one quirky chin twinge at a time.