Numbness and loss of sensation

Hello,

I have had a long history of TMS symptoms which include IBS, back pain, siatica, panic attacks, blured vision, stomach pain and vomiting, jaw pain, IC and most problematic of all, insomnia and vulvodynia. Having successfully treated them as TMS, I was free after 10 years of pain and suffering.

Feeling confident of my progress, I felt confident to try for a baby. Unfortunately my pregnancy coincided with a set of very stressful circumstances which led to a relapse in my symptoms and me feeling unable to attempt a vaginal birth.

My baby was born by cesarean section 2 months ago and since then I have had loss of bladder sensation and numbness and loss of sensation in my stomach, vulva and vagina. It is very disturbing. Obviously I am very worried that after years of being told my vulvodynia was nerve damage (it was TMS) that I genuinely do now have nerve damage following the cesarean delivery but I don't want to asume the worst if there is a chance these symptoms could be TMS too?

It seems people report varying degrees of numbness following a c section. Some say they have none, some say they have lots. Some say they get feeling back, others don't. I have even heard reports of some women having numbness in their stomachs after having their first c section and then the feeling returning after their second one a number of years later.

I would be very grateful to hear your thoughts on this.

Many thanks,
Kathryn

 

Hi Kathryn,

Congrats on becoming a mother! What a wonderful blessing.

I can’t say definitively whether your symptoms are from a true physical cause or TMS, but what I can say is that in either case, it is amazing how our minds can initiate real physiological/chemical changes so that even if your symptoms are caused by the C-section, your body can heal. If it's TMS, it could be that the stresses of having a new baby (although joyful) could be manifesting in physical symptoms in those specific areas since they are directly related to the baby, and that your worrying about the symptoms is reinforcing the neural pathway causing them in the first place. If the doctor who performed your C-section is pleased with how you are recovering (from a purely physical standpoint), that would be a good indication that your symptoms are caused by your brain. But whether the cause is the brain or body, there is always hope for full healing, and the more strongly we believe this, the more quickly our brains and bodies follow. These resources have helped me immensely in my own mind-body health education:

Dr. Lissa Rankin - The Nocebo Effect: Negative Thoughts Can Harm Your Health
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/owning-pink/201308/the-nocebo-effect-negative-thoughts-can-harm-your-health?amp (The Nocebo Effect: Negative Thoughts Can Harm Your Health | Psychology Today)

Alan Gordon - We’re All Just A Bundle of Neural Pathways (Like Mind, Like Body Podcast):
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/were-all-just-a-bundle-of-neural-pathways-alan-gordon-lcsw/id1265323809?i=1000401313878&mt=2 (Like Mind, Like Body by Curable: The program for chronic pain recovery on Apple Podcasts)

Dr. Eric Robins's YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrEricRobins/videos (Eric Robins)

Recommended books:
Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself - Dr. Lissa Rankin
Counterclockwise: Mindful Health & the Power of Possibility - Ellen J. Langer

Wishing you hope and a full recovery!

 

Thank you so much for your reply. I was very much in need of hope yesterday and so your message meant a lot. Thanks again.

 

Glad it helped, Kathryn!

 

I agree with MJA.

You have a history of emotionally-driven symptoms (aka TMS):

Having a child is a major life event - as wonderful as it is, even the greatest parents are stressed out. Your pregnancy was stressful. This would be a lot of anyone to handle. And you're clearly incredibly worried about symptoms:

Stop fearing, stop obsessing, forget the stories you've read, and don't try to be perfect. Relax and know you are OK today.

 

Hello,

I thought it might be good to give a little update on my situation now my daughter is 2!
I am happy to report that I have made a good recovery after my c-section. Everything is back to normal apart from a very slight loss of feeling just above my scar line which is hardly noticeable.

I suffered very bad postnatal depression after my daughter was born but both that and my symptoms have healed as time has gone by and I am now really enjoying my daughter and watching her grow...even if somedays I’d rather not be having yet another battle over teeth brushing!!

Thank you for sharing your hope for my recovery at a time when I had none for myself. It never ceases to amaze me how crafty and ‘real’ TMS symptoms can be!

Kathryn

 

Thank you so much for sharing! I am so happy you and your daughter are doing well!