So, back to the face, which is what this blog is all about. I went back to Dr. Flip-Flop and whined some more. He showed me the MRI of my brain which indicated (in his words), that it is "stone cold normal". He pointed out some calcium in an artery, again normal, and showed me the spot where MS is diagnosed. He told me if I had white sprinkles in the area, it would indicate the disease. Again, stone cold normal.
Okay, normal is not my face pain. I am operating on a 7 out of 10 most days and it is difficult to go outside because I know I will be on fire. He was most understanding and said that there is another option before I try yet another drug. He ordered 20 mg of Paxil in addition to the 400 mg of Lyrica. I must of looked skeptical because he said, "I know, you're not depressed, but sometimes these drugs interact and can really help. It's worth a try for a month."
The pain subsides some when I can be engaged in doing something I need to concentrate on, like golfing, carting or a good book. So, I try to stay as busy as I can, which is why I agreed to see the musical play, "Pippin" and then the Nutcracker. The play was three days after my new med cocktail and I felt pretty good sitting through the two hour performance. I got home late, but fell asleep easily. The next day, I took my niece, Leah, to see the Nutcracker. My sister had learned the hard way that the concession didn't open for the schoolkids' attendance. Not even beverages, but there were drinking fountains. Okay, I can go three hours without water. (You couldn't pay me enough to drink anywhere those germ laden midgets might have been.)
Lily had packed snacks for us, so I figured that although it was noon and I had a good breakfast, I could nibble and be okay without water. Yeah, until I saw what she packed; chips, crackers, and beef jerky. Why didn't she just throw in a salt shaker, too? But, surprisingly, this was okay and all was well. The performance began and even though there were lots of "shhhh"ing going on by parents, coughing, sneezing, loud crying and general uninterest by mostly male children, I enjoyed the show. I only glared at the boy kicking my seat once and decided to ignore him and his snotty nosed brother. I wondered at all of this. Then I realized that my face didn't hurt, much. Probably a 4 out of 10. Remarkable. Less pain and more tolerance. I like this new med mix, yes, I do. I had no desire to yell, "Shut up, you Fucktard" to the more boisterous and I even ate some crackers.
What was really telling was my calm while driving in the Mercer mess on the way home. I was polite, letting cars merge and not inwardly fuming at the delays. Normally, I would be yelling, "Go, you Pigfuckers!", but I didn't. Of course, having one's nine year old niece in the car is somewhat preventative, but really, I just grooved with the flow.
So today was the real test. I went to see my friends' horse and spend time with her in the freezing could for about 2 hours. No pain!!!! I can't believe it! It's quite a relief.
I'm thinking about lobbying for Paxil in our nation's water supply.
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