Rare: A Life Interrupted by Extreme Pain

For fans of Brain on Fire, a mom of two young children tells her story of finding strength through her love for her family as she battles a rare and incurable chronic pain disorder ominously—and aptly—nicknamed the suicide disease.

At thirty-nine, recently retired Denice looked forward to a future full of possibilities with the love of her life and two young children. That is, until a coughing attack delivered a sudden shock of pain to her face so severe that it dropped her to her knees. The agonizing bolt of electricity lasted mere seconds. But the zaps kept coming—and soon, Denice was living in constant state of dread.

Rare chronicles the emotional roller coaster Denice rode in the months following her diagnosis with trigeminal neuralgia—a condition that causes a pain so ferocious and life-consuming that it’s earned the moniker “suicide disease”—while she searched desperately for a solution to her pain. Through countless doctors, multiple procedures, and catastrophic surgical complications, and in the face of unimaginable suffering, Denice’s fierce devotion to her family was often the only thing that gave her the strength to carry on and continue to advocate for herself.

A story of perseverance, resilience, and unbreakable love, Rare is a raw and inspiring testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of hope—and one woman’s triumphant account of reclaiming her life.