We just got back to the hotel after my first laser therapy treatment. I am feeling super tired. I was half asleep through the treatment. The doctor saw me first. He’s 86 years old and still works about 4 days a week! He talked to me about why I was there, we went over a bit of my history, my medications, and a quick physical exam. When he looked at my medications, he said, “oh, they’re throwing everything at you aren’t they!” There was a nice woman with him (not sure if she was a nurse or technician) and as he was asking me to do various things, like turning my head, moving my neck, etc., he was telling her to set this infrared to such-and-such and this other thing at something else. He listed all of these numbers and settings and she wrote nothing down, she was just nodding as he talked. However, when she took me to the room, she remembered everything he said and explained it to my mom and I. I guess that  different types and colours of light penetrate to different levels in your body (through the muscle, to the veins, bones, etc.) She was very very nice. Actually, the whole feel at the clinic is very comfortable and positive. It was just a nice atmosphere at the clinic. I almost fell asleep and I generally have a difficult time sleeping. The light pad things (obviously not a technical term!) were just laid against my skin on my neck and face and upper cervical spine.  They put dark, protective goggle things in my eyes (& my mom had to wear dark glasses. Then they laid the lights on me. They were warm, but not uncomfortable in any way. Every so often she moved them around. They also use a laser probe thing which they hold in certain spots and move around. These are more targeted and a stronger or higher intensity, so they go deeper into your body, sort-of…I’m not sure I’m explaining it 100% accurately. Please don’t quote me, I am most definitely not an expert!! All of these extra photons in my cells are supposed to almost energize the cells. This promotes healing and increase immune response. I don’t really feel like I’m explaining this very well.   Hmmm…It’s like sending microscopic energizer bunnies into my cells to get things moving again!!🐰🐇🐰🐇 

Right now I feel exhausted. (I guess it can make you tired.) So, I’m going to have a little nap before we run out to get food. I go back tomorrow and Friday for more sessions. He was funny. He wants me to do 5 days in a row, especially since I am just starting with laser therapy. The way he said it is what was funny. He just stated this, more like a fact, not a question. He said, ” stay until Monday.” My mom said that we have flights booked that we can’t get out of. He just said, “that’s okay. I’ll just write a note for you stating that you have to stay for medical reasons.” I’m pretty sure that we’d have to pay anyway. We didn’t get insurance for the flights, not to mention hotel and food costs! And, my hubby works on Monday!  The good news is that they have units that can be rented. But…it always feels like, at the end of the day it’s cost…money, money, money!! These units are just the red and infrared lights, not the laser probe things. It’s something like $350/month, with a $350 deposit that you get back when you return the unit. We have to figure out what we’re going to do. If  for some reason the airline lets us change our flight, I may be needing one of my beautiful friends, who is reading this right now, to watch my little man on Monday. Highly unlikely though, it’ll probably cost too much!! It just feels like we came all the way here and we came to get treatment from the guy who came up with this type of therapy and now we may not be able to follow through with it in the way he recommends. Huh…

To help with research and treatment for Trigeminal Neuralgia please go to http://www.tnnme.com (Trigeminal Neuralgia and Me) to sign a petition to have the World Health Organization (WHO) add Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) to their “Health Topic List”!     

Hopefully one day I’ll get it right, or at least have fun, while about it I write!!