The pain that began with a toothache ended in his brain! He couldn't even drink water: 'Learn to live with it'
Betül Topaklı / Milliyet.com.tr -Çağla Irmak Yıldırım was born in Bandırma in 2001. Çağla, whose mother retired from the courthouse and father from a health officer's job, has an older brother and an older sister. The young woman had a very happy life with her family and loved ones until two and a half years ago. Living in Istanbul, Çağla developed a toothache, but she was afraid to go to the dentist. She moved her child to her family in Sakarya, and unable to bear the pain any longer, she went to the dentist with her mother. Çağla describes the nightmare-filled days she experienced as follows:
After my teeth were X-rayed at the dentist's, the doctor told me, "There's nothing wrong with your tooth. You're imagining the pain." Of course, I refused to accept what he said. The pain in my face was unbearable. The dentist said, "You have a very small cavity that doesn't even touch a nerve; let's treat that." He gave me a numbing injection. After about a minute, I was in agony. My face was numb, but the pain doubled. Because they were touching the nerve, it hurt even more. The dentist said the pain wasn't dental and that I needed to see a neurologist. I made an appointment the next day and explained my experience to the neurologist. He asked me, "Do you feel anything like an electric shock in your face?" I said, "Yes, I feel it especially in your jaw."
'I BEGGED YOU TO HELP ME'
Everyone thought Çağla's condition was MS or a tumor, but the doctor she saw immediately diagnosed her condition. Her condition was trigeminal neuralgia. The doctor immediately referred Çağla to a training and research hospital. There, she was put on medication for four months, but this treatment didn't help. It didn't relieve her pain; instead, it worsened it. The unfortunate girl went to the emergency room every day for an IV drip. The persistent pain kept her up at night. It even got to the point where she couldn't sleep, eat , or even drink water for three days. Çağla, who explained that she went to her doctor without even scheduling an appointment due to the pain, said, "I begged my doctor to help me, but he didn't seem to care, and because I didn't schedule an appointment, he didn't even take action." Çağla made an appointment with another doctor the next day. The doctor told the young girl, "Every possible medication has been used on you, but you haven't seen any benefit," and referred her to an algiology ( pain ) clinic.
NO MEDICATION OR TREATMENT WORKED
The algiology (pain) clinic doctor told Çağla, " We've never encountered someone this young with this condition before," and immediately began a blockade treatment. This treatment involves injecting medication into Çağla's face, effectively blocking the nerves from transmitting pain. However, a week after the initial blockade, Çağla's pain recurred, and another procedure was performed. This time, the unfortunate girl's pain returned a month later. Consequently, the decision was made to cauterize Çağla's nerves with radiofrequency therapy. However, this did not alleviate the young woman's pain. Through research, Çağla discovered that these procedures provided temporary relief.
"I went to the doctor and pleaded, 'Isn't there a surgery for this?' Every doctor I went to told me, 'There's no surgery; you have to learn to live with it.' This illness is often referred to as a dementing and suicidal disease. It's true, because it makes you lose your mind and lose all rational thought. Your entire life is restricted. Because I had no other option, I constantly went to the algologist and got injections. Having so many procedures led to facial paralysis. The right side of my face collapsed. Because it was detected early, I was given intravenous cortisone. This helped my locked jaw open a bit. During this time, I compressed my face with hot water and used cortisone injections. With massages and exercise, I managed to recover, albeit with difficulty."
'I EVEN CONSIDERED SUICIDE'
Çağla was going through a difficult time due to her illness, but she also wanted to work. She had a boyfriend and was planning an engagement. However, the pain recurred, and they couldn't go through with it. Unable to bear the pain any longer, the young woman even considered suicide. One day, while browsing social media, Çağla's mother saw that there was a surgical treatment for trigeminal neuralgia , which was being performed at Sivas State Hospital. The entire family, especially Çağla, was overjoyed. They said, "If it's done in Sivas, it must be done in Istanbul," and went to see her brother in Istanbul. The young woman immediately went to Göztepe City Hospital, where the doctor examined her and referred her to Associate Professor Mehmet Sabri Gürbüz, saying, "I don't perform this surgery, but I have a doctor who does." After the consultation, Çağla's surgery was initiated. She had to wait, but the pain was no longer bearable. She was taking six or seven painkillers a day, but they were having no effect. When Çağla explained her condition to her doctor, she was taken into surgery without any delay.
'I WAS BORN AGAIN AT 24'
Çağla, who said she was reborn after the surgery, called her doctor, Associate Professor Mehmet Sabri Gürbüz, and said, " You saved a life because I had already given up on my own life ." Explaining that she can now sleep soundly thanks to him, Çağla said, " I would like to thank him from here as well. He brought me back to life. If I hadn't met him, I would still be struggling with this unbearable pain ."
'I HAD THE MOST SEVERE CHRONIC PAIN'
Çağla, explaining that the trigeminal nerve is the fifth main nerve in the brain and extends to the face, said, " It controls the sensations and motor functions in our face. It helps you bring your finger to your eye, blink, and chew. Trigeminal neuralgia can occur due to a vein pressing on the nerve root. It's described in medical literature as the most severe chronic pain. Therefore, trying to control trigeminal neuralgia attacks is actually very difficult. You never know when they'll strike. Even though I'm a very heavy sleeper, I'd wake up in pain and take painkillers or be taken to the emergency room by ambulance four days a week. " She described the difficult days she faced:
Trigeminal neuralgia patients can't brush their teeth, wash their faces, or eat hard foods. They can't eat or drink anything very cold, can't shower, or rinse their mouths. All of these factors I've listed are factors that trigger trigeminal neuralgia and exacerbate attacks. The nerve reacts instantly to the change in temperature and cold, and this reaction triggers an attack. You wake up, can't eat, and even long for water. Even the slightest toothache triggers an attack. Because I couldn't bathe or fulfill my feminine needs, I couldn't even look in the mirror and hated myself.
'I HAD SURGERY AND BACKED MY HEALTH'
Çağla, who stated that this condition usually develops on one side of the face, said, " However, I had it on both sides of my face. For this reason, I had brain surgery on both the right and left sides. I'm doing very well now and slowly returning to my normal life. I urge those with this condition to never give up. Like every other illness, this one has a treatment. Never be afraid of surgery. When you find a competent specialist, go for it with peace of mind ."
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