October 11th, 2023

Just as the clock struck 7:45 am, I embarked on a telehealth adventure with not one, not two, but three doctors from the UAB Highlands Pain Clinic – a trio of medical knights ready to tackle my Trigeminal Neuralgia head-on. The star-studded lineup included Dr. Paul, Dr. Brooks (who was my precious daddy’s pain doctor), and Dr. Lauren Blair, an associate to Dr. Paul. A special shout-out to my sister Coe for pulling some strings and orchestrating this virtual medical symphony.

The evaluation began, featuring a series of questions and a light show of facial expressions – “open wide, give us your biggest grin.” These doctors are nothing if not thorough.

By the end of this digital rendezvous, the verdict was in – OXCARBAZEPINE 150 MG (2/day), an MRI of the brain (with and without contrast), and an MRI of the cervical spine were on the horizon. They also had a nifty pain block lined up.

From my mini-research expedition before this call, I had a hunch that the roots of this nerve conundrum might be tangled up in my cervical region. You see, I’ve been in a long-standing relationship with neck issues for the past decade or so.

After wrapping up my work for the day, I made a pit stop to visit my trusty chiropractor, Dr. Duca. We go way back, more than two decades of back (and neck) and forth, so to speak. As soon as I spilled the beans about my Trigeminal Neuralgia diagnosis, he instantly knew the score. The man is practically a mind reader. He worked his magic with some adjustments in the cervical area, and my jaw got a facelift of sorts. This was followed by a laser dance on my jaw and a tens unit symphony for my neck and shoulders.

The journey continues, and I’m learning that healing comes in many forms, from virtual consultations with medical maestros to the hands-on wisdom of long-time healers like Dr. Duca. Stay tuned for more tales from the road of Trigeminal Neuralgia.