The holidays are here and you are rushing around picking out gifts for those you love, preparing for travel or for travelers, and many of you may be under more stress than usual. As all of us who suffer from Burning Mouth Syndrome or other chronic pain conditions know, stress is not our friend.
What can you do to cope with the gulf that may exist between what you want to do and what you can do?
Press the pause button. Continue reading
Many of us go through what I think of as the “thrashing stage” when we first start experiencing the pain of Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS). It is a time of anger, sorrow, guilt, and confusion as we try to determine what is going on, why it happened, and what we can do about it. You may have thought, “If only I hadn’t done this, or if only that hadn’t happened…I would not be in pain.” It isn’t logical, but often, neither are we at this stage of our journey. Continue reading
Yesterday as I grabbed my morning coffee at the neighborhood shop, I spotted an acquaintance. I had seen her around the gym where she is always intense and focused but had only spoken with her once or twice over the years. I said hello and reminded her who I was (You know when you get that feeling that they know they know you but might not remember your name or the context?) and we stood together waiting for our orders.
“My God,” she said, looking at me intently, “You always look so glowing. Why is that?” Continue reading
As I described in a previous post (Weighty Decisions-Life with BMS), Burning Mouth Syndrome has added weight to my body, mostly from stress, but also because eating feels good. The pain stops momentarily, and after a meal, for even up to thirty minutes or so. Unfortunately, that means that we are tempted to eat too often and too much. Continue reading
Another Mother’s Day is past and I enter my tenth year with Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS). It is my constant companion, the first thing I think of when I rise and the last thing I think of when I go to sleep. Continue reading
Yesterday, an old friend reached out to me through Facebook and said she had a friend who was having a “burning tongue,” and she remembered that I had said something about that at some point.
Yes, my friends, this is how awareness often happens. Continue reading
In a recent post, I talked about my upcoming visit with my neurologist. You can read that post at Burning Mouth & Neurologists.
The meeting went fine, and as I expected, there was nothing new for Burning Mouth Syndrome. He refilled my prescription for Klonopin ODT and I will continue my present therapy, which has helped better than anything else I have tried.
I mentioned in that post that I was going to ask about the migraines that I have been having at a rate of 8-17 per month for about sixteen years. He told me that the Botox therapy has improved, and offered to check into insurance pre-approval for that procedure, but also said there was something new that I could consider. Continue reading
Our younger daughter just got engaged.
It was a dream proposal (at the highest lookout of Kauai’s Waimea Canyon) and it will be a dream wedding next fall. They are wonderful young people who have loved each other for nearly seven years, and the next stage of their lives together is right around the corner!
I, like many of my fellow Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) sufferers, have put on weight from the stress of chronic pain and the transient relief of eating. I have resolved to change that trend, both for my health and to feel better about myself. Continue reading
I have been writing about Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) for years now, and recently a reader reached out to me and said she had been dealing with this chronic pain for over fifteen years. She had read one of my blog posts and has been keeping a pain diary for the first time ever.
“Hallelujah, sister!” I wrote. Continue reading
A Burning Journey 