In Our Own Words is a new way for members of the facial pain community to share their story. Whether you had a successful surgery, found a medication that works for you, or you are trying to find a treatment option that helps lessen your pain — wherever you are on your facial pain journey, we hope these stories give you faith for the future.
In November 2022, I had an old molar filling changed at the dentist. In January 2023, I started experiencing pain in my teeth/mouth while walking with my husband during a cold windy afternoon.
I thought it was teeth sensitivity, nothing Sensodyne toothpaste wouldn’t fix.
A few days later, the sensitivity turned into excruciating pain, I couldn’t open my mouth and all of my teeth on my left side hurt. One dentist sent me to another dentist, then to a root canal specialist. I had my first root canal on a Monday, and by Wednesday, the excruciating pain was back. I couldn’t open my mouth again, so I had an emergency root canal that Sunday. By then I had a bad case of TMJ, and started treatment for that, but days went by and the pain in my face would not go away. I went back to the root canal specialist, who was a blessing at the time, and declined to take out all of my teeth. She assured me that nothing was wrong with my teeth and the pain would not go away by pulling them out.
She referred me to a neurologist, but without insurance, I was declined over and over.
I was miserable every time cold wind blew on my face, my ear hurt, I felt as if someone was pulling my face from the inside, it burned, my teeth hurt, I had migraines, couldn’t open my mouth, my neck hurt, my eye felt funny and I really wanted to disappear from this world, until a chiropractor and an acupuncturist realized that my pain was caused by the trigeminal nerve.
God works in mysterious ways and heard my prayers, because at that time I still didn’t know what I had. It’s funny, because I didn’t know the trigeminal nerve existed, so I started researching and came across FPA.
The guidance I got from the FPA’s book was a game changer for me, because I understood that I wasn’t crazy and that I wasn’t alone in this journey.
Two years later, I still have facial pain, TMJ, and all the extras that come with them, but I am living one day at a time.
Some days are cloudy, but the sun is shining more and more for me. I want to use this pain for good, and I know how lonely, frustrating, and exhausting this journey can be. So if I can help one person feel a little better, it will be worth it!
