Day 1 (And Day 2!) I'm impatient ;-)

I just finished Day 1 and Day 2 this morning.

I have had back/sciatica off and on since my early 20's (now in my mid 40's)

I had my worst episode ever 4 weeks ago today. 3 weeks ago today I read my first John Sarno book. I started to get some relief immediately, but still have some pain lingering, also numbness in my foot and calf and severe tightness in my left calf. Then luckily, I found this TMS Wiki!

What struck me in the Day 2 article (the St. John's one) is that the symptoms tend to move to the place you think would be least likely to be affected by stress.

My biggest problem right now is the severe tightness in my calf. After reading that line, I realized that because I didn't see anything in Dr. Sarno's book about tight calves, I thought there must be something else really wrong with me. But that is why the pain probably move there, because I didn't think a tight calf was part of TMS. Sneaky brain! But hopefully I will be able to outsmart it!!

So happy to read everyone's success stories! Gives me so much hope and also makes me so happy for all of those people that have ended their suffering!

 

Thanks for the reminder Lauren. TMS is a great artful dodger... trying to get us worry and fret over things that are just distractions. I have received so much from these forum discussions and support. Its been a little gift from heaven. Keep on keeping on and you'll feel better and better everyday!

 

Hi Lauren,

The tightness is serving the purpose of keeping you distracted with fear that there must be something else wrong because you don't fit a particular pattern. I just wanted you to know that after my first experience of sciatica, I also ended up with tightness in my calf. All other symptoms were gone but I was left with this calf issue and it did take a while for it to go away. This was during a time many years ago when I had not even heard about the concept of TMS. Perhaps it would have shifted a lot sooner if I had only known.

 

Yes, this forum has already been a huge blessing and I just found it a few days ago! How nice to find support and understanding when doctors (and well- meaning friends/family members!) can be so skeptical.

 

Thanks for letting me know about your experience. I was really trying to convince myself that it is part of the TMS, but it is so nice to hear confirmation from someone else!

 

This is great lauren4235- You are getting great advice and you are understanding. So important.
Remember no one in your family will probably believe this cause its you that has to believe.
Believing seems to be so hard for people cause of belief systems, they don't like change.
I don't know of any of us who don't have family doubting so your not alone.
Your already catching the tms in its tricks,
very well thought out. You keep like this and you will do great.
Bless you

 

Thank you. Yes, you are so right about family. They mean well and they don't want you to be in pain so they try to insist on MRI's, more treatments, different doctors, etc. I have found myself lying about the pain lately, which isn't good either, but I really want to give this method a shot. It is hard when fear and doubts start creeping back in, so I am so thankful that I have found this forum to give me courage.

 

lauren - wanted to give you another real life example of how TMS can impact your calf. I just recently had this same type of issues on my left calf. It all started from me becoming worried about a health issue that imapcts your leg. I became so focused on my left leg checking for symptoms I created them. My calf was the most impacted. I actually created two large knots in my calf that my Dr. could feel.

He too said Sciatica and stress. Well, I began to run again and now all pain in my left leg is gone. Mine has moved on to another area I am working on but it is proof TMS can cause it. I couldn't believe I didn't have an issue but once my energy was focused somewhere else it left.

 

Lauren, I hope you will try TMS. Dr. Sarno says even if tests show a problem it may not cause pain
and pain is coming from one or more repressed emotions. Lots of us have been through it...
believe and you will heal. Tell stress you're onto it and for it to go take a flying leap.

 

This is the attitude. Remember daily doses of this new paradigm will help you heal and yes it is courage inducing.
We are by your side to keep you strong -- we have courage from being healed and getting healed.
These programs have to be truth, bringing forth results in the wake of discouragement, and that it will do.
Bless You

 

This is truth.
Thank you

 

This is interesting. I really do believe that the pain can move around, but I'm not sure how you convince your brain to work on the NEW area? I have been doing Dr. Sarno's daily reminders and the back/sciatica pain has not come back, but I haven't had much change in the foot numbness or calf pain for almost 2 weeks. I have also had this mild, but constant shoulder/arm issue which I just assumed was structural, but now I am thinking that could be TMS as well.

 

I like the idea of telling it to "take a flying leap"!! I have been trying to "talk" to my subconscious and when I get angry or upset about something I just say to myself, "I know I am angry about this, but this has nothing to do with my back (or my leg, or my foot ...) It seemed strange to do that at first, but it is getting easier.

 

lauren...is the arm/shoulder pain on the same side as the foot and calf? I had that as well...funny how so many have the same symptoms.

At its worse, the front foot pads of both of my feet hurt when I stood shoeless. I paniced on that too....almost ran to foot dr. The only thing that fixed my calf and foot issues were jogging. Once I started running again they all but left.

Have you tried to jog?

 

No, opposite sides. It is my left calf/foot and my right shoulder.

No, I am embarrassed to admit that I haven't tried to jog or even walk briskly yet (it's been over 4 weeks). I know Dr. Sarno says that you can't be afraid of your normal physical activity, but I am unusually wimpy ;-)

But my poor dog is getting so lazy! So, if it is not snowing tomorrow, maybe I will try to go for a brisk walk and see what happens. The tightness is the worst when I wake up and after I have been sitting for too long.

 

The way you convince your brain is learning more and more about tms, then eventually through the law of habit you will become re-conditioned. Its like an onion with layers to peel -- each time you have an ah-hah moment and learn something new that you didn't know you'll be peeling off a layer of un-belief. Soon your brain will accept the paradigm of tms knowledge therapy and bam , you'll have it.

This is a success, your doing your work well. Remember what you are doing here and how you did it cause tms healing is universal,
it works for any part of the body that's in pain the same way ok.

Don't put time limits on your foot healing or your calf ok -- that'll just hinder your progress. Become outcome independent in which you do your methods of tms healing each day without checking to see if your healed yet. Just relax and do the work then in time just like your back you will see results in the other parts that hurt ok.
Thanks

PS- it really doesn't matter if its on the left side or right side cause tms will stay in 1 spot or run all over the place, Remember its objective is to get you to believe its not tms.

 

Just wanted to let you know that I did try going for a brisk walk and it did help! Thank you for the advice and giving me the courage to try! I have walked twice and actually did start to get relief from the calf pain. Yesterday I also got on the stationary bike and it went okay too. Still nervous to try jogging, but yesterday I tried to running up the steps (which is what I normally do, I never walk up the steps). I was a little "lopsided", favoring my right side, but one of my kids noticed that I had run up and said "Hey Mom, you're starting to get back to your old self!"

 

You are so right about not putting time limits on the healing, but I find it so hard not to evaluate how I feel each morning and sort of "rate" my pain on my mental scale. I guess you just have to focus on the progress you have made and on what you CAN do that you couldn't do before. I started to get some relief from my calf pain but then I started to get some tight, weird pain in my jaw! Crazy! I recognized it immediately as TMS though and it has almost gone away. It just amazes me how it moves around, but it makes me feel better because I know that it is just TMS.

 

This is it Lauren, this is what you remember and add to it as much as possible.
Then write these accomplishments down in a journal and if you ever have a set-back
Go back to your journal and see the accomplishments and let this re-enforce your belief again.
Bless You