1. Contact the festival in advance: Music festivals have become increasingly good at dealing with disabilities. Although I left this to the last minute, I got a response immediately offering solutions to my concerns about attending - including an offer of a space in a quieter camp site.
2. Energy levels: I brought a huge supply of multivitamins and made sure my breakfast was no different to that at home even if i was making it in a tent, so my resilience was good every day from the outset. I took much longer sleeping times than the people I was with so I could be on par with their energy levels while I was out and about. Consider some high energy snacks to supplement the food on site, there are some really healthy options available but the queues might not suit your schedule.
3. Communicate: My immediate social group were informed of my condition in advance and if I needed to I'd just disappear and let them know by text message or a tap on the shoulder to say I was done for the evening or I'd reached the camp site. Also through the TN forum, one user who lived close to the festival was kind enough to offer me some space at their nearby home should I need to leave the festival completely.
4. Wrap up: Even though the weather was great I wore a hat almost constantly, so that the trigger areas didn't get too fatigued too early. Bring all your favourite hats, neck gaiters, scarves, sunglasses. No matter how hard you try you will never be the weirdest dressed person there. Bring spares of everything. Check outdoor stores both locally and online, they offer a wide range of compact outdoor clothing which you'll be able to wear comfortably round your waist till you need it.
5. Rest: So important!! You consume a huge amount of energy dealing with Trigeminal Neuralgia. Pick a time to take a nap every day till you feel refreshed. Sleep longer than the people you are with, they aren't burning up energy anywhere near the rate you are. Don't expect to be at the jungle tent at 3am, Stay close to your sleeping pattern. Half a festival is much better than no festival!! Make sure you have enough sleeping bags to block out facial drafts and a pillow you are comfortable with. I found a camping pillow wrapped in a fleece worked really well.
6. Plan: You aren't going to make it to every act on the bill, but with a bit of planning you can make sure to see all your favourites. Keep an eye on festival timetables and be realistic about how long you can spend outdoors being subjected to a huge amount of light and sound.
7: Consider ear protection: Professional or domestic earplugs will reduce the sound pressure on your ears, if this is a trigger for you then it could help you see and hear a lot more. You'll get either in most pharmacists for not too much money. Get accustomed to them before you go though, they might not suit you physically.
8. Use all your best tricks: You may have heard about the chewing gum trick. Chewing is a trigger for a lot of people, but timed right you can completely fatigue the nerve and enjoy a few hours of moderate attacks that you can spend exploring the festival without any big surprises. Everyone has their own triggers and sometimes you can use them against themselves.
7: Consider ear protection: Professional or domestic earplugs will reduce the sound pressure on your ears, if this is a trigger for you then it could help you see and hear a lot more. You'll get either in most pharmacists for not too much money. Get accustomed to them before you go though, they might not suit you physically.
8. Use all your best tricks: You may have heard about the chewing gum trick. Chewing is a trigger for a lot of people, but timed right you can completely fatigue the nerve and enjoy a few hours of moderate attacks that you can spend exploring the festival without any big surprises. Everyone has their own triggers and sometimes you can use them against themselves.
9. Consumption: Alcohol is a no-go with many of the medications that go with Trigeminal Neuralgia and a music festival is not the place to experiment with this. Enjoy the music and the social buzz but know your limits and respect them. If anything else crosses your path, make sure you know what it is and how it will effect you in regard to TN as well as what effects everyone is so enthusiastic about.
10: Enjoy yourself. If you've gone to a music festival with Trigeminal Neuralgia, you are already beating the odds.
10: Enjoy yourself. If you've gone to a music festival with Trigeminal Neuralgia, you are already beating the odds.
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