NaNoWrimo Update!

Chapter 1 is done! 3,579 words!

It's 2006, the United States Navy has retired the F-14 Tomcat. Lieutenant Ryan T. Wolf is almost finished transitioning from the Tomcat to the classified hypersonic F/A-39 Crusader when the family curse strikes him. Wolf recovers and is transferred to Gotham Naval Air Station, New Jersey. He quickly finds a gall bladder attack and heart ache are nothing compared to a new pain that has arisen on the left side of his face.

A Wolf in Gotham

The insanity that is NaNoWriMo is nearly upon us. In a just over a week I will start for the third time. I’m nervously excited about it. I won last year, but the previous year I started on November 14; I lost. However, I consider it a win since I wrote 25,000 words. At that time it was the most I’ve written in years.

I’m a plotter and a panster. I can knock out a short story with little effort, but not for a larger type story, the plotter comes out. I missed a few days last year with TN pain caused by cold fronts; need the plot so I can feverishly type away with my nimble fingers while I can.

I originally started writing A Wolf in Gotham project back in 2007 and 2008. It never really flowed until I changed one of the female characters. I thought it was a decent first attempt, but rereading it… I wondered why it didn’t stand out from my other stories. The more I read it the more, I hated it. But it was a good launching point for my main character, Lieutenant Ryan Wolf, F-14 pilot upgraded to a classified hypersonic stealth fighter.

I gutted most of the story and throwing in my Trigeminal Neuralgia. I wrote lots of short stories with Ryan battling headaches, undiagnosed TN pain. My plan is to raise awareness of this rare excruciating condition. I plan on two follow up books, Teal Beast Rising (April 2017) and The Teal Warrior (NaNoWriMo 2017)

Teal Beast Rising will feature my short stories of 2009-2012, before I was officially diagnosed with TN. It will show how long it takes for most of us TN suffers to get diagnosed with our condition. It will end with my short story ‘Going Down’

Teal Warrior will be based on 2012-present day short stories and my experiences with prescription pain killers and battling TN with natural supplements, eating anti-inflammatory foods, and chiropractic care.

Maybe one day I’ll turn the background for A Wolf in Gotham teal. Write on!

Occipital Neuralgia

Over the last six weeks I have awoken to pain in my scalp. It's not a bad pain, more annoying, but it's progressively getting worse over this period of time. I have started neck therapy again, but it'll take a few more visits before it'll start helping with the pain.

It's making me think if I do have Occipital Neuralgia on top of Trigeminal Neuralgia. I can eat my usual foods and it helps with the pain, but not like it normally does. Pain stays in my scalp until early in the afternoon, it becomes a headache where I can take something for it. Occasionally I get the TN stabbing pains in the eye and ear as well as the ache in my jaw, cheek, and neck.

It's killed my writing muse, but I'm determined to write 'A Wolf in Gotham' for NaNoWriMo and complete a novel about a person suffering from Trigeminal Neuralgia.

2016 NaNoWriMo Project

It's 2006, the United States Navy has retired the F-14 Tomcat. Lieutenant Ryan T. Wolf is almost finished transitioning from the Tomcat to the classified hypersonic F/A-39 Crusader when the family curse strikes him. Wolf recovers and is transferred to Gotham Naval Air Station, New Jersey. He quickly finds a gall bladder attack is nothing compared to a new pain that has arisen on the left side of his face.

Characters: Lieutenant Ryan Wolf, Major Carol Angers (USAF), Colonel America, Wonder Star (Agent King), Power Star, Commander Quinn (USN), Admiral Doolittle (USN), Ensign Pike (USN), Red Hawk, Lady Cobalt, Tara and Red Wolf.

Citrus

Citrus has learned well from Shakespeare, it's been over a year since his passing and it appears that she has become my new TN buddy. The last three times I had to take a nap because of the unrelenting Trigeminal Attack Citrus followed me into the bedroom and jumped on the bed. She stayed with me until I got out of bed. Yes, Shakespeare taught her well.

Nitrates

I thought I was getting a firmer grasp on my TN pain, however, the last two weeks I have regressed. I have awoken to pain in my scalp, my main weakness; I can't fake a smile like I do lots of times or be productive, everyone knows I'm in pain. I can do nothing until the pain decides its done enough damage and radiates from my crown. Nothing will touch it, including cannabis.

I can eat broccoli, pineapple, or tart cherries and within minutes, if not seconds, the TN pain radiates to my temple, eye, or ear. But not this time, nothing worked. Walking did work, but to a point; pain would always rush back to the scalp. I tried applying peppermint oil to my scalp, but my mutinous body adjusted a few days later. I tried Bengay, my body rebelled after one application.

Late in the afternoon the ornery pain would finally come down to where I can take an over-the-counter pill to dull or briefly extinguish the pain so I could sleep, but would awake to pain once again in the scalp.

My wife reminded me of the sandwiches we had been eating a lunch and a light bulb went on, nitrates; a migraine trigger for me. Yuck. We stopped eating sandwiches and the pain is decreasing in intensity, but I'm still awakening to pain in the scalp. Hopefully the pain will subside in a few days.

Ryan's Mighty New Year Snippet

I started writing this story for 2014 NaNoWriMo, it's mess. However, it's got a major Trigeminal Neuralgia subplot. I will NOT abandon this story. It's not family friendly either, so here a snippet of it.

***

I awoke to a knock at the door. I rolled over onto my side and gazed at the clock, it was 0600 and I was pain free. I was very grateful for that, usually I would awake to some sort of trigeminal pain on the left side of my face. Another knock sounded, “I’m coming,” I said as I walked over to the door and opened it.

My jaw hit the floor the moment I saw who it was. Mighty Meagan was standing in front of me wearing a little black dress. It was little alright, it hugged every curve the good Lord gave her. It covered her bubbly backside and stopped about an inch down. I momentarily lost my ability to talk as I gazed upon the shapely heroic blonde. I was too mesmerized to see her beige boots.

“Really, lieutenant,” Meagan playfully smiled. She placed her index finger under my jaw and put it back in place.” She walked in and closed the door as I continued to gawk at her sexy appearance. She placed her hands on her hips and shifted her weight to one hip. “Honestly, lieutenant, you’ve been hanging around the League for how long now? We wear LESS at HQ!”

“I know, I know,” I replied, “But they’re not Mighty Meagan, especially after what just transpired…”

“Thank you, that was sweet” she said and put her hands on my cheeks. She removed one, pointed at her eye, and told me something that I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve heard from sexy heroines, “Remember my eyes are up here.”

‘Aye, aye!”

***

Ever the officer and gentleman I held the car door open for Meagan. The statuesque blonde smiled, “Thank you Ryan,” and sat down in the passenger seat. I caught myself looking in the wrong place; I stopped ogling her longs legs and made a concerted effort to look at her pretty face. I shut the door after she strapped her superhuman body in.

The Texas sky was turning grey, an ominous sign for those of you reading in Port St. Sushi, Florida. I could feel that blasted nerve stirring as the sky darkened. I sat down in the front seat and buckled myself in; trying not to stare at the gratuitous amounts of leg that Melinda was showing. I looked in her eyes, “I love your dress.”

“You’ve said that four times already,” the woman answered.

“I’m going to tell you a fifth time that I love it,” I said as I awoke my Crossfire from its sleep. It roared as I awakened it. I put the car in reverse and twisted my body to see as I backed the car away from the now vacant hotel. I turned back around and knew that this was going to be a very difficult trip, besides her long legs calling out to me; her arousing perfume permeated my adenoids.

‘Amarillo by Morning’ is a popular country song, it’s one of those rare songs that never make it to Number 1 and then later the song dwarfs all other ones in the annuals of time. We were headed for Amarillo when the weather changed in an instant. The skies turned charcoal grey and the temperature plummeted, snow fell; little did we know that we wouldn’t make it to Amarillo by morning.

My left eye started to ache as though someone was plunging a butcher knife in it. I pulled the car over onto the side of the whitening road and put my prized Crossfire in park. “Excuse me,” I said as I reached over the top of Melinda’s smooth toned thighs and opened the glove compartment. (On a side note, those sexy legs of hers didn’t help as they spiked my blood pressure) I took out a plain looking plastic bottle and closed the compartment. I set aside a red pill and a white pill, the red was an arthritis strength Tylenol and the white was an extra strength aspirin.

“Lieutenant, are you alright?” my worried friend asked.

“I won’t be if I don’t take these,” I replied as I opened the console between us. I pulled out a Coca-Cola and took the two pills. It was a poor man’s version of Excedrin, but it works just as well; plus the Coke taste wonderful.

Her soft hand wrapped around mine and gently squeezed it. It caressed my hard hand as I tried to visualize the pain leaving my aching left eye. “I’m a walking barometer. I should’ve felt this blasted weather hours ago,” I said as I winced in pain. She released my hand. Her soft fingertips massaged my temples, “I’m sorry Ryan. Would you like for me to drive?”

I closed my eyes; her velvet fingers relieved some of the pain. I took a deep breath, “Please.”

She opened her door as I reached behind me and grabbed my ski cap. I put it on and opened my door. I met her behind the car. Her full cherry red lips gently kissed my eyebrow, my eyes instinctively closed. The pain retreated into my ear canal. That was fine with me; I could tolerate the pain better.

“Thank you,” I weakly stated and walked over to the passenger side. We finished playing our musical chairs; Meagan put the car in drive and drove back on the deserted snowy highway. I reclined my seat and closed my eyes. I lost track of time as I visualized the pain leaving my aching left ear.

I opened my eyes and looked over at Meagan. She warmly smiled, “Better?”

“Yes, still in pain, but the edge is off,” I replied.