In May, 2010, I had the onset of severe and chronic facial pain, also known as trigeminal neuralgia.

My journey in the system was complicated and frustrating. On November 15, 2012, the diagnosis of MS was officially confirmed by a neurologist at the UBC MS Clinic. There are at least two lesions on the part of the brainstem (right pons) that correspond to the pain I had  in my face.

Previous diagnoses were ‘trigeminal neuralgia’ by an oral medicine/oral-maxillofacial surgeon (May 2010 — now retired) and subsequently ‘idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia’ by two neurologists at Vancouver General Hospital, the first one in June 2010, the next in July 2011. The variability of my symptoms along with a chronic sinus infection and hypersensitivity to acidity in my mouth made management of my pain an exercise in frustration and stress for both me and my patient and loving husband.

If you are interested in knowing more detail, the chronology of symptoms to diagnosis and subsequent surgical pain relief can be found on the page Facial Pain/MS , with links to relevant blog posts.

There are two reasons I am documenting all of this publicly.

First of all, I want to be able to refer health professionals to my website for my history instead of going through long interviews with subsequent errors in the ‘official’ reports. I am also hopeful that there will be something for people to learn from my story, whether they be health professionals or people struggling with complex health issues.

Family History

My family history is also complicated — this seems to have presented a problem to some of the medical people involved in my care. I decided to post it on this website to set the record straight.

One of the medical specialists we saw in the hospital in December 2011 gathered information from me and my husband separately and did not always make it clear what he was looking for, whether it be genetic history or psycho-social history. As I have worked in health care, I did my best to simplify my complicated background and report on the relevant ‘genetic’ history. My husband was asked a completely different question, “have there been any emotional upsets in her life?” This led to a consultation report that said, “Her husband did tell me that her mother died last year, but the patient herself stated that her mother was alive at age 86.” Unfortunately, that medical specialist (who was unbearably rude to me) made no attempt to clarify or ask about the discrepancy. In fact, not a single physician/psychiatrist, nurse or any other health professional inquired about it. The irony, of course, is that both my husband and I were correct — my adoptive mother died in 2010 and my biological mother was still alive. (died April 26, 2013)

Both of my mothers were sisters. They were both born at St. Paul’s Hospital, in Vancouver, B.C.

Me with my biological mother, May 17, 2012

Me with my adoptive mother, October 3, 2010

Jennifer Sweeney, born Jennifer Fleming
Adopted by John Gregory Sweeney and Maureen (Evans) Sweeney

Biological Family (New York)

James Fleming –born 1930, d 2000 (lymphoma)
Elizabeth (Evans) Fleming — born 1925, d 2013 (died of ‘old age’ at 87)

Full Siblings:
Delia Fleming
Miriam (Fleming) Rollock
(Jennifer)

Half-siblings:
Dianne (Fleming) Beadle
Ed, Jim — fraternal twins

Adoptive Family (Vancouver)

John (Jack, Jake) Sweeney, born 1929, died 2005 (esophageal cancer)
Maureen (Evans) Sweeney, born 1933, died 2010 (lung cancer)

John Paul Sweeney (biological son)
(Jennifer)
William (Bill) Sweeney (adopted son)
Thomas (Tom) Sweeney (adopted son)