Relief!

 

Update! 3 weeks from the original treatment, I have 95% relief! I got my bite guard today and expect to be at 100% soon. 

I deal with chronic nerve pain in my feet, legs, back, arms, and hands and have for years. Those I can manage with the occasional steroid epidural (I had one today) and a low dose of Flexeril at night. The pain can be severe at times, but is mostly an annoyance.

But, three weeks ago when I began to have severe trigeminal nerve pain in the right side of my face, I was almost incapacitated. I have had a LOT of surgeries and medical procedures, but this pain took the cake. I checked with my dentist to make sure it was not a regular dental problem. (When I had this on the left side, I needed a root canal at the height of the lockdowns when I could not get help for over a month!) Fortunately, a kind specialist in Jackson had a cancellation and got me in last week. 

Dr. Charles Ramsey specializes in oral appliances for sleep apnea and for people who apparently grind their teeth at night (I had no idea) and trigger point therapy. He treats TMJ, facial pain, and migraines as well as sleep apnea. He does not deal in narcotic medications. 

So far, I have experienced a 65% reduction in the pain, even without the bite guard, which is on order and I am SO thankful! I may need one more round of the trigger point therapy to get the level of relief I want, but that is OK. 

Unfortunately, neither Medicare, nor Aetna pays for these treatments. But, like most dentists, they give a discount if you can pay cash, and offer Care Credit. I would hock just about anything I have (except for the hubby) to have less pain. Fortunately, we got a refund on our income taxes that helped cover it. Dr. Ramsey's own story about having to change from a regular dental practice to his current one is inspiring in itself. If you want to check him out, go here. 

https://mspainandsleep.com

Normalizing

 Now that I have had both vaccine doses and have waited the requisite two weeks, I thought I was ready to reenter a more "normal" life. In some ways, I am. I had a lovely lunch with a vaccinated friend last week. I went to my favorite local boutique (Strut Boutique) and bought some new clothes. I imagine that running around town in the oversized T-shirts and pajama pants, that constituted most of my pandemic wardrobe, might not be my best look. I went to the grocery store late morning instead of getting up at 6:30 AM to hit the 7 AM "old people" hour. 

On the other hand, after attending a birthday gathering for my nephew this evening (participants were either vaccinated or had been quarantining in anticipation of the occasion) I realized that my tolerance for groups, even a relatively small gathering of 9, has decreased greatly over the last year. I am unused to the noise level of a half full restaurant. I found trying to converse with that many people, coupled with the noise, a bit exhausting. Don't get me wrong, I am fond of everyone who attended. But, it was overload for this admitted extrovert. 

Another thing I am noticing is that I don't feel ready to resume face to face relationships with some people that I have only "seen" on social media this past year. In the absence of physical proximity and being able to observe body language, etc, postings can come across as terribly intolerant, harsh, and just plain mean. If this is really what is in their hearts, do I really know them anymore? I'm not sure I'm ready to reconnect. 

It is going to take some time to "de-program." I find myself still avoiding aisles in the grocery store that are occupied by others. I still automatically put distance between myself and maskless people in public places. I don't want to go anywhere that is crowded, but I was already like that before COVID-19! 

Is anyone else having some difficulty getting back to normal? Or is it time for a new one? 

Covidaversary

Katrina scarred me forever. Caught coming back from vacation, I was not ready for the effects of this storm all the way to Vicksburg. We did not have the things we needed to weather that storm and it was scary. I did not have enough gas in my car. I did not have adequate food or water stored. I did not have batteries to power things that become invaluable during a prolonged power outage. 

Once things were back to normal, in Vicksburg at least, I vowed never to be caught like that again. We had gas logs installed for an alternate source of heat. I began to store jugs of water. I keep the pantry stocked with things that can be eaten cold. There are always extra loaves of bread in my freezer. I have a small power station to charge the gadgets or run a small fan. I keep at least half a tank of gas in my car.  And, yes, I always have extra toilet paper! 

Little did I know that all my preparations were going to be put to the test in March of 2020!

Like many, before I knew how this virus was transmitted, I was afraid to venture out to the grocery. I used "Instacart" for the first time. The shopper was only able to find about 1/4 of the things I wanted. She sent me pictures of the empty shelves and I was shocked. Thankfully, most of those things were "wants" and not absolute necessities. 

Once it was determined that the virus was airborne and that there were steps to potentially minimize the spread, I began going to Corner Market and CVS during "old people" hours. Carefully I got what I needed for a week so that I would not have to return until the next "senior" day. As someone considerably younger than my 90+ year old friends, I also became the self designated shopper for them. The sweet ladies at CVS would let me get two packages of toilet tissue so that I could divide it up between my friends who did not need to be out and/or who no longer drove. 

The quarantines were also not as bad for my husband and myself as they were for many. We are retired with a regular income. We are also used to spending a good bit of time at home and have hobbies and interests that keep us occupied. I discovered that I really do like to cook. I began making cards for my friends in nursing homes that I was no longer allowed to visit. Bill and I began watching old TV series that we had missed by either being too young or too busy at the time to watch them. What's my Line? and Perry Mason quickly became favorites. I can't imagine how difficult this would have been had we been younger and more active. 

The hardest part was losing friends. One of the first casualties was a dear friend and I miss her to this day. While some sneered at the death rate, to me, too many of those souls were people I knew and cared about. Others are still having issues months after having the virus and some will never be the same again. 

Hindsight is 20/20. There are things that could have been done differently. But, when dealing with a novel virus, people had to do the best they could with the information they had at the time. As knowledge improved, so did ways to deal with COVID-19, including the unprecedented miracle of a safe and effective vaccine. Contrary to some beliefs, it was not rushed. The groundwork has been ongoing for almost a decade. COVID-19 just put the theories into practice. 

There are some things that I hope will remain in place after COVID-19 is a bad memory. Extra cleanliness in public places has been lovely. Seeing people wash hands for 20 seconds while singing "Happy Birthday" under their breaths is reassuring. I use the chorus of a song by the Chainsmokers called "Closer" myself. I plan to wear a mask if I have to go to the pharmacy when I am sick and possibly contagious, and hopefully it won't be considered weird. I don't like crowds or a lot of people too close to me on a good day, so I hope some of the distancing becomes "habit" to some extent. 

Happy Covidaversary.