Ganglion CystT(ms)

[donavanf]

This is a follow up to a thread I posted called "My Feet Are Crying". Been having foot pain for months, in both feet, and recently realized it's classic TMS. However, I have a new discovery & would love any feedback.

I recently found out that the "bunion" on my right big toe (which has been painless till now) is actually a small bunion with a (fairly) small ganglion cyst attached to it. It's about the size of a nickel. Maybe even smaller. It's on top of my foot (where the big toe attaches to the foot) and I always just ignored it. I first noticed it many years ago, and till now, it's never given me trouble, nor has it changed size. OCCASIONALLY, it would rub on a tight pair of shoes, but since I mostly wear sneakers, its has never bugged me much, if at all.

TILL NOW. OW.

(For those that don't know, a ganglion cyst is VERY common, and since it is filled with synovial fluid (the fluid that lubricates our joints) and not cancerous or from any kind of infection, it is harmless. Most people who get ganglions removed do so for cosmetic reasons. AND most people who have them drained or aspirated find that they "return".)

Anyway, I've had this ganglion cyst (and bunion) for a decade, and it has NEVER caused me pain. As a former acupuncturist, I've seen many ganglion cysts that did not cause pain, (and even seen them come and go, or reduce in size, if left alone) and every website from Mayo Clinic to the AAOS (American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons) says the same...

"Although many ganglions produce no other symptoms, if a cyst puts pressure on the nerves that pass through the joint, it can cause pain, tingling, and muscle weakness. Large cysts, even if they are not painful, can cause concerns about appearance...Ganglion cysts are usually painless and not dangerous. Unless the cyst is causing pain, or impeding movement, surgery is usually not recommended". And this is from a MEDICAL site!

But here's the "rub". Now that I have realized WHAT it is on my foot, and gone down EVERY RABBIT hole I can online (even scaring myself by watching gory (though relatively minor) surgeries and needle drainages for these things, my "Ganglion" is hurting. And it has NEVER hurt before. And of COURSE, I am "poking and prodding" at it and obsessing over it and worrying about it and OF COURSE, it is hurting. For the first time ever. Hurting a lot.

Last night, I began to wonder if it was TMS causing this, and I "talked to my toe" for hours. I also resolved a rather nasty family drama that has been going on and feel happier today than I have in a while.

Long story short? The pain is 80% gone today. It went from "OUCH! DAMN THAT HURTS!" to "That's kind of annoying". And weirdly, it hurts LESS when I walk. More when I am just sitting around, worrying. It's on top of my foot, so it really should not impair me. But it still hurts.

So my question is, should I treat this as TMS? I don't really have the money to see a podiatrist right now and/or get any kind of procedure done. I'm between jobs and don't have good insurance and am already dealing with MAJOR financial stress.

And even if I do have it "drained", I read that most of these things tend to recur and just require surgery and even THEN they sometimes come back. Ugh. I'm SUPER anxious about this and unsure how to proceed. I KNOW this is a "real" thing and I also know it has NEVER hurt before.

Why would it start hurting ALL OF A SUDDEN? I'm not going to believe that after years of being there, and never changing in size, or moving, it "suddenly" started "pressing on a nerve". The only "pressing" going on is me pressing on it and drawing my pressing thoughts to it.

Thoughts?

PS- My personality is TMS to the core, and I've had every TMS symptom from TMJ to IBS, Anxiety to OCD and depression, toe pain, leg pain, back pain, and most of all NECK pain, which I had for YEARS, and finally resolved using the SEP and journaling. I was diagnosed by several TMS docs as "TMS on Steroids".

Has anyone had experience with Ganglion cysts or Bunions or both?

 

[Anne Walker]

Hi. I have/had a cyst on my back for over 20 years. Recently it got really big and bugged me because it had suddenly grown to the size of a large marble. Then one day I woke up and it had exploded. I was convinced it was infected and drove my family crazy by asking them to take pictures of it 3-5 times a day. I put tea tree oil on it. Now about a month later it has all healed and seems like it is gone altogether. I do not think they are a big deal and very easy for doc to drain if its bugging you. Definitely TMS is either causing or exasperating your pain. I did develop an autoimmune disease recently PMR. It's a long story but has developed into an intense 2 week long shoulder neck spasm. Last night I reviewed Alan Gordon section on fear. Very interesting and seems to be helping me. I never feel safe, hypervigilant, and it is fuel for TMS!!! Even when you have something going on, it can turn it into a nightmare.

 

[JanAtheCPA]

I've realized that one of the joys of surviving well beyond what Nature originally planned (my parents always said about age 40, because that's when your teeth will fall out if you don't take care of them!) is that things start growing where they shouldn't. I had two minor surgeries this summer to remove two unrelated things that I've been putting off. The tricky one was a "schwannoma" which is a benign tumor of the nerve sheath. It was on my left ankle, near the Achilles, and extremely painful but only if it was touched a certain way, so it was really easy to forget about it 99.9% of the time, and I really kept hoping it would go away. But it was getting gradually bigger and it got to the point where I could barely wash around my ankle because it was so nervy, and when vacuuming, the cord would slap around my ankle and yeeowww! I had my very first MRI ever, after I let an ortho stick a needle in it and he decided it wasn't a cyst (10x yeeeeowwwww!!!) Anyway, now it's gone, and so is the completely benign and painless lipoma on my abdomen. Having lived with them awhile, I finally accepted that they were going to keep growing rather than go away on their own. I don't always believe in traditional medical advice (I put my foot down a number of years ago regarding osteoporosis drugs) but in this case, I agreed with the docs, and I have to say, I'm relieved to be rid of them.

But speaking of the stress we put ourselves through, it's been really interesting to observe my stress levels before and after each procedure, both of which involved short-term general anesthesia and stitches. Even knowing as much as I do about my TMS and self-talk and all that, my fear response was nonetheless very strong and my symptoms were obvious.