PERSEVERANCE

"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other." (Walter Elliot)

When I think about the options available to us to help the pain, to stop the pain, I immediately think of my first surgery.

The neurosurgeon, Dr. Osterholm, did not want to operate. He agreed only after my neuroophthalmologist convinced him it was what I needed. After it was over I was immediately better, 100%, (only for 3 months but it was a wonderful 3 months.).

The problem with always going back to that operation is that no other procedure has worked that well. Of the ones that did help most were very short lived. Although I no longer have the spontaneous, triggered, and constant pain from the trigeminal neuralgia nothing, except for Dr. Osterholm's procedure, has ever effected the disabling remaining eye pain.

The quote about persistence speaks to me. I expect the great step, the gigantic step, the out of the box that is the answer to the eye pain question. I do not have the patience or desire to work on the small steps.

Sometimes luck and life is with us and all it takes is the gigantic leap.

Most times, though, it takes the smaller steps, trying the drugs, doing therapy, physical and sometimes psychological, to deal with the pain and it's effects. Seeing other doctors, getting second, even third opinions, trying a smaller version of a procedure, like a TENS unit before deciding on an implanted stimulator.

It really takes 2 P words: Patience. And persistence. You need to be patient to be persistent. Our race, like the one between the rabbit and the hare, will more probably be won when we let go of our inner hare and, like the turtle, plod on and forward, towards the answer we desire and deserve.