I am a first-time buyer and moved into my new place a few months ago. Now that the weather is nice, I would like to clean up the long-neglected wood slats which were overlaid the concrete terrace. I have no access to a nearby water spigot, but do have an outdoor electrical outlet.

What is the best way to go about cleaning? The reason I am asking here, is because most deck cleaning advice online is for suburban homes.

Quick background

I am a 35-year-old man who was diagnosed with TN1 five years ago. During a horrible flare up toward the end of last year, a friend of a friend--who is a practicing anesthesiologist--recommended I consult with a neurosurgeon for MVD. The next day, I requested a referral and booked an appointment.

Before meeting the neurosurgeon and his PA, I was advised to get fresh MRIs with and without contrast. Who knew this simple act would prevent me from getting an invasive MVD and a simpler procedure instead?

Diagnosis

My neurosurgeon's PA reviewed my MRI during our appointment and asked me a question, "How are you breathing right now?"

"Fine," I answered. I never had any known respiratory issues, nor did I ever feel severely short of breath while exercising.

"Your sinuses are completely filled and look inflamed. You also have a severely deviated septum. Get that checked out first with an ENT to see if that reduces any of the facial pain you're feeling," she suggested.

About a week later, I met with an ENT who agreed that the MRIs showed severe chronic sinusitis and a very deviated septum. He put me on a 10-day course of antibiotics and steroids to see if they would lessen my symptoms and clear up the sinuses. A CAT scan showed no significant change. He then took a closer look at the images and noticed a bone spur on the left side of my nose near the trigeminal nerve that acted as a contact point. He hypothesized that was the reason I could barely touch my nose or left side of my face.

A month later, I was scheduled for the following outpatient surgical procedures:

• Septoplasty
• Ethnoidectomy
• Turbinate reduction

Post operation recovery and results

I am 1.5 weeks post-op and feel significantly better. The first few days were rough, but I am glad I am through the woods at this point. I was initially concerned that all of the surgery would upset the trigeminal nerve and make recovery terrible, but it has been the opposite so far.

During early post-op recovery, I had a few TN episodes. But when they happened, they felt more like brief sparks rather than lighting bolts across the left side of my face and mouth. I still have a compressed nerve, but I do not feel the need to pursue the majorly-invasive MVD at this stage of my life based on the pain reduction.

I had a pain-free day for the first time in YEARS. Today, I bit into a slice of pizza without worrying about triggering an attack. I even blew my nose with confidence instead of fearing a lightning attack across my face. It was a stark contrast to the week leading up to surgery, where I had such a bad flare I could barely chew or talk without 8 out of 10 pain.

To be clear, the surgery did not cure my TN, nor was that the purpose of the surgery. The surgery reduced the pain so much that I feel like my old self. I still get occasional pain, but nothing like before.

My ENT is not ready to call this a success yet since it's so soon, but he has a very positive outlook.

What this means for you

If your TN is triggered by nasal issues, such as blowing your nose, sneezing, or other related activities, consider seeing an ENT who can conduct a nasal endoscopy + order detailed images of your sinuses. They may find chronic inflammation and a contact point that are exacerbating the pain.