Hi, my name is Natalia. Since 2014 I've been living with chronic pain caused by trigeminal nerve damage.
My story started suddenly. I was barely 25 when, following surgery to remove a tumor, my nerve was damaged. Overnight, severe pain appeared in my jaw area — and it never left. It woke up with me and fell asleep with me.
I watched my peers finish university, start careers, build families. The world raced forward while mine stood still.
For nearly three years I bounced between offices and hospitals, waiting for someone to finally understand what was happening to me. There was no diagnosis. No answers. And when the diagnosis finally came, it brought no relief — I still didn't know what to do next. The hardest part was hearing "but you look fine" while my body was screaming something entirely different.
I call those first years "the dark ages of my personal history" — a time of wandering, helplessness, and profound loneliness. Because loneliness in pain can be harder than the pain itself.
What changed everything
Everything changed when I met other people living with the same condition — my "Trigeminal Sisters." People who didn't need to ask what it feels like because they already knew. I could finally say "it hurts again" and someone would answer: "I know, I'm going through it too, I'm here." The presence of another person who truly understands doesn't heal the nerve — but it heals the heart.
Over time I also learned a different way of being with pain. That I didn't choose this lesson, but I can choose how I walk through it. I started listening to my body, breathing, reclaiming a sense of control — because sometimes the most important change isn't getting rid of pain, but regaining a little power over it.
Why I created this blog
Because I know how profoundly chronic pain changes life — and how desperately we need a place where someone talks about it openly, in simple language. I want this site to offer three things:
- Knowledge — about trigeminal neuralgia and neuropathy, based on reliable sources and explained in human terms.
- Understanding — because I write from the perspective of someone who truly lives through this.
- Hope — and the feeling that none of us is alone in this.
If chronic pain is part of your life — I invite you to be here with me. Together we can find a little light even on the darkest days.
That's where our community talks, comments, and supports each other every day. Join — don't face this alone.
How I create this content
I write about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of trigeminal neuralgia and neuropathy in plain language — and about what can't be seen: daily life, emotions, and the strength you can find within yourself.
Every article is built on two pillars: reliable sources (including medical publications and materials from institutions like NINDS, AAFP, and the ICHD-3 headache classification) and my own years of lived experience with this pain. I include references under articles and update them when new information becomes available.
Contact
You can reach me through our Facebook page. I don't provide medical advice online — but I'm always happy to hear from you.