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TV legend Denise Drysdale, 73, speaks openly about her rare and debilitating brain condition: ‘It was a nightmare’
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TV legend Denise Drysdale, 73, has revealed shocking health issues dealing with the painful painful facial condition trigeminal neuralgia (TN).
According to the Mayo Clinic the condition affects the trigeminal nerve, which carries searing pain to the face.
Denise told Now to Love on Tuesday it is great to be ‘laughing again’ after dealing with the pain for the past year.
TV legend Denise Drysdale, 73, (pictured) spoke openly about her rare and debilitating brain condition during an interview with Now To Love on Tuesday
‘It’s great to be laughing again. I haven’t really laughed in over a year – my life had become a nightmare of agonising pain and fear,’ she told the publication.
The two-time Gold Logie winner said she was crippled by a deep depression due to the debilitating condition.
‘I feared the crippling pain was going to be my life. That I couldn’t go out, couldn’t have fun with friends, couldn’t smile, couldn’t cuddle my grandkids or go to work.’
‘It’s great to be laughing again. I haven’t really laughed in over a year – my life had become a nightmare of agonising pain and fear,’ she told the publication
In the last couple of years Denise has gone through a knee replacement, detached retina, blood clot in the leg and a Staph infection.
Denise went public with the condition in September last year during a segment on Studio Ten.
Showbiz reporter and Denise’s good friend Craig Bennett broke the news on the show.
‘Why you’ve not seen her on the show for a little bit is because of this reason: last week [Denise] was taken to hospital after suffering “unspeakable agony”,’ he said.
Craig recalled how Denise had told him the pain was the equivalent of ‘being struck by a lightning bolt’ or touched with ‘a white hot poker’.
Denise was taken to hospital following her diagnosis with the nerve disorder. She said it felt as if she had been struck by lightening
‘It turns out she’s suffering from a rare nerve disorder that affects the face, trigeminal neuralgia,’ he explained.
‘Trigeminal is the name of the nerve that stretches through the brain and spreads across the face. Neuralgia, of course, is nerve pain,’ he added.
Craig said he was in regular contact with Denise, who ‘is slowly on the mend’.
‘I know we all share in wishing our Denise Drysdale the speediest of recoveries,’ he concluded.
‘We need our regular dose of Ding Dong. We absolutely do.’
Craig added that Denise was joined by her family in hospital and had the nurses ‘in stitches’ during her stay in the hospital.
Denise has been a regular on Channel Ten and Studio Ten. Seen here on the show