donavanf
Well known member
I have a LONG history of TMS, diagnosed by Dr. Schecter. I was able to finally completely heal from YEARS of shoulder and neck pain, using a combination of journaling, re-reading Steve O's book, and the SEP. About two and a half months ago, I sprained my left fourth toe. My GP Doctor told me it would heal in a few weeks. It took almost two months. I FINALLY realized that it was TMS, and after affirming, "I am willing to feel uncomfortable emotions. Stop the toe pain"...and COMPLETELY ignoring my toe pain and not babying it (I was in a surgical shoe limping around, despite X-Rays and scans showing nothing wrong)...it healed.
But during that time, I began to really feel something was really wrong with my health. I am a TERRIBLE hypochondriac (TMS) and constantly battling symptoms all over my body.
During the sprained toe episode, I asked my doc to do some blood-work. Everything came back normal, except for a SLIGHTLY elevated ANA (auto-immune/inflammation) test. Doc ran further tests for Lupus (mom had it) and 11 other auto-immune issues. ALL negative. Phew. He told me that "a slightly high ANA without symptoms of an autoimmune disease, and all other sub-tiers of the test as negative, is almost 100% likely to be clinically irrelevant". When I asked him to explain, he told me about 5-10% of the healthy population has a positive ANA, and it's often a false flag. He suggested a re-test in 6 months.
But he also mentioned (casually), "You know, you should see a podiatrist. You have hammer toes and a bunion, and might need orthotics...also when we re-test that ANA, we'll check for Rheumatoid factor. I know you mentioned your sister has it. You might have very early onset Rheumatoid Arthritis, but still, in the absence of symptoms and with an ANA that close to negative, I doubt it...because if it WERE RA, well, you'd have pain not just in one toe, which was a sprain, but ALL OVER both feet, and in all your joints".
Well..I didn't think much of it, and I was happy that my sprain was getting better. But I did begin to go down the rabbit hole of studying up on Rheumatoid Arthritis. My sister has it, but it's very mild. She also has SEVERE TMS. Though, she completely refutes it.
I now realize that it's a family trait. Dad's "back went out" whenever he was stressed about money and my mom had ALL kinds of pains and stress. Sadly, she died of lung cancer. I watched her die. Lots of deep sadness there. But I digress.
Back to my feet.
Both my feet are hurting. Started in the toes, and it's "spreading" into both feet now. All toes. I recently went to a shoe store and they looked at my feet and talked me into buying an orthotic because they told me I "have problematic feet, to be sure".
Since putting the orthotic in my shoes, my feet feel even WORSE. My "bunion" which has been there for 10 years and never caused me ANY pain at all, is excruciating. My feet "burn" and now, much like when my neck and shoulder was hurting in 2015, whenever I become "upset" or get anxious or sad, my feet light up like I've poured gasoline on them, and it's getting WORSE by the day. I called my doc and he said, "Go to a podiatrist, but for sure this doesn't sound like Rheumatoid Arthritis, thats a very slow onset disease. This might be tendonitis, or you might need bunion surgery". I got off the phone and limped around, and my feet hurt as I write this.
Is this TMS/Symptom imperative? Should I return that orthotic and go for a walk? I am thinking of my feet (and scaring myself) 24/7.
Feet feel worse from exercise, so I've become as sedentary as I've been in months. My friend (who actually has terrible Rheumatoid Arthritis) told me this does NOT sound like RA. She says she feels better from exercise, and when I described my pain (aching all over both feet like muscle soreness and burning) she said, "Oh, mine is just pain in the joints. It usually gets better the more I walk around, and it's mostly stiff first thing in the morning". Mine (much like my neck and shoulder was) is BETTER when I get up and WORSE as my day progresses. In other words, worse as I get more engaged with stressful life factors. And worst at night, as I lay in bed, after thinking about my feet ALL day long, and as I lay there worrying about my life.
I am a complete mess, and CONVINCED I have a serious autoimmune disorder, or might need "bunion surgery" despite it NEVER hurting before, my conscious mind knows that my foot pain is obviously the symptom imperative at work. But my feet are crying and REALLY doing a good job of distracting me from my life being broken.
I appreciate any thoughts or help, particularly from people who have had foot pain.
But during that time, I began to really feel something was really wrong with my health. I am a TERRIBLE hypochondriac (TMS) and constantly battling symptoms all over my body.
During the sprained toe episode, I asked my doc to do some blood-work. Everything came back normal, except for a SLIGHTLY elevated ANA (auto-immune/inflammation) test. Doc ran further tests for Lupus (mom had it) and 11 other auto-immune issues. ALL negative. Phew. He told me that "a slightly high ANA without symptoms of an autoimmune disease, and all other sub-tiers of the test as negative, is almost 100% likely to be clinically irrelevant". When I asked him to explain, he told me about 5-10% of the healthy population has a positive ANA, and it's often a false flag. He suggested a re-test in 6 months.
But he also mentioned (casually), "You know, you should see a podiatrist. You have hammer toes and a bunion, and might need orthotics...also when we re-test that ANA, we'll check for Rheumatoid factor. I know you mentioned your sister has it. You might have very early onset Rheumatoid Arthritis, but still, in the absence of symptoms and with an ANA that close to negative, I doubt it...because if it WERE RA, well, you'd have pain not just in one toe, which was a sprain, but ALL OVER both feet, and in all your joints".
Well..I didn't think much of it, and I was happy that my sprain was getting better. But I did begin to go down the rabbit hole of studying up on Rheumatoid Arthritis. My sister has it, but it's very mild. She also has SEVERE TMS. Though, she completely refutes it.
I now realize that it's a family trait. Dad's "back went out" whenever he was stressed about money and my mom had ALL kinds of pains and stress. Sadly, she died of lung cancer. I watched her die. Lots of deep sadness there. But I digress.
Back to my feet.
Both my feet are hurting. Started in the toes, and it's "spreading" into both feet now. All toes. I recently went to a shoe store and they looked at my feet and talked me into buying an orthotic because they told me I "have problematic feet, to be sure".
Since putting the orthotic in my shoes, my feet feel even WORSE. My "bunion" which has been there for 10 years and never caused me ANY pain at all, is excruciating. My feet "burn" and now, much like when my neck and shoulder was hurting in 2015, whenever I become "upset" or get anxious or sad, my feet light up like I've poured gasoline on them, and it's getting WORSE by the day. I called my doc and he said, "Go to a podiatrist, but for sure this doesn't sound like Rheumatoid Arthritis, thats a very slow onset disease. This might be tendonitis, or you might need bunion surgery". I got off the phone and limped around, and my feet hurt as I write this.
Is this TMS/Symptom imperative? Should I return that orthotic and go for a walk? I am thinking of my feet (and scaring myself) 24/7.
Feet feel worse from exercise, so I've become as sedentary as I've been in months. My friend (who actually has terrible Rheumatoid Arthritis) told me this does NOT sound like RA. She says she feels better from exercise, and when I described my pain (aching all over both feet like muscle soreness and burning) she said, "Oh, mine is just pain in the joints. It usually gets better the more I walk around, and it's mostly stiff first thing in the morning". Mine (much like my neck and shoulder was) is BETTER when I get up and WORSE as my day progresses. In other words, worse as I get more engaged with stressful life factors. And worst at night, as I lay in bed, after thinking about my feet ALL day long, and as I lay there worrying about my life.
I am a complete mess, and CONVINCED I have a serious autoimmune disorder, or might need "bunion surgery" despite it NEVER hurting before, my conscious mind knows that my foot pain is obviously the symptom imperative at work. But my feet are crying and REALLY doing a good job of distracting me from my life being broken.
I appreciate any thoughts or help, particularly from people who have had foot pain.
Last edited:
