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swmr1
USA
118 Posts |
 Posted - 05/28/2008 : 12:26:37
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It's been a little over a year since I read Dr. Sarno's books. Just reading the description of the books convinced me that my suspicion about my chronic pain being connected somehow to my mental state was right. My piriformis pain I'd suffered with since 1999 and even my foot and shoulder pain I'd dealt with here and there are not any problem for me now. Occasionally I feel a twinge here or there but I acknowledge it, challenge it by continuing to do what I would do if it didn't bother me, and it goes away.
Last summer, I decided to believe what I had suspected and behave as if my pain were not an issue. I gave up my many physical therapy stretches and exercises I'd been doing for months. I quit icing my piriformis all the time. I started doing sports I'd been avoiding for fear of pain. I started training for a swim meet (which I hadn't done in 20 years).
Just this last month I went to a championship meet (for the older crowd) after training all year and swam all of my events without any problems. I had two or three times during my training where I thought I might have aggravated something in my shoulder and my knees. I even had "tennis elbow" one day where I couldn't bend my arm (I assumed this was a result of painting 4 rooms in my house). But none of those things hung around for more than a day or two. I went ahead with my training and found that my body took care of everything. It was really an amazing process.
I still have issues with tying my physical problems to past emotional events. I don't really journal at this point. I do acknowledge that I have personality traits that predispose me to anxiety or stress. I also try to do a better job of realizing what things may be making me more prone to have stress-related pain on a day to day basis. For me, the fear of losing what I love to do most (exercising) and the doubt (about whether or not I've really hurt something) are the things that caused most of my pain. Just knowing that a twinge of pain here or there is nothing to freak out about has made a world of difference.
I actually had a major medical problem this fall. I was hospitalized with blood clots in my lungs as a side effect of birth control. Somehow my body let me know something was wrong at the right time. I got to the ER, got the medication I needed and came home a few days later no worse for the wear. It made me think about not freaking out so much about little aches and pains. Might as well wait until you have a serious situation before you start obsessing and freaking out about getting one!
I still get a bit nervous about those twinges of pain. Mostly the ones that tie in with my pulmonary embolism episode. But admitting my nervousness, deciding to get on with my day, and letting the chips fall where they may has helped me tremendously. |
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 15:01:30
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Congratulations!
I appreciated your thoughts on our bodies letting us know when something is very wrong. I find that I trust my body and my self more as a result of working through TMS issues, and I think that's an important aspect of the healing.
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It's not 100% belief that's required, but 100% commitment. |
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johnaccardi
USA
182 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 21:42:06
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| Wow, great job. It seems that I have a lot to learn from you....It's not easy at all to do what you have done here. |
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positivevibes
204 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2008 : 00:05:01
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| It's encouraging and wonderful to read a success story like yours, swmr1! Your story is an excellent example of how to beat TMS! Congrats, and I hope you continue to be pain free for the rest of your life! |
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swmr1
USA
118 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2008 : 06:00:41
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Thanks all. I know I may have more work to do here in the future. I've read Dr. Brady's book and think it has some good things to say (though I don't agree with some of the spiritual aspects). I may need to journal at some point if only to process my own thoughts and deal with stress better.
I am really grateful to Dr. Sarno and for this board. Funny, I now realize my episodes of pain all started just after I had my second child. I had two kids under 3, many new sources of stress and less time to do those things that comfort me and keep me sane :-) I think it's fortuitous that I came across all of this before I had my embolism as knowing about TMS has made me better able to handle my recovery.
Sorry if I sometimes come off as impatient. I'm so convinced that challenging TMS (my pain) is the key to defeating it that I think I get a little preachy. I realize not everyone has the same issues and their TMS experiences are different. John--you sound so very young and you have your whole life ahead of you to enjoy. Don't ruin what you have now worrying about what could happen down the road. Let the future take care of itself. |
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Pain-free for a year
