Jules
Well known member
(Long) First some background info:
I have been dealing with chronic pain for 20 years now. I have been diagnosed with all the gamut of syndromes you can think of, that deal with pain. For example, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, costochondritis, Tietze syndrome, as well as Hypermobility, vertigo, thoracic outlet syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, PID, IBS, interstitial cystitis, etc...
About four years ago, I was at my wits and and found Dr. Sarno's books. I devoured them and saw myself on every page. I did all the journaling, I did pyschotherapy, and mantras, you name it. At that point, I wasn't taking any medication that I had to withdraw from.
Fast forward to today, and I still have the pain. It has been a very rocky road, trying to get my brain to finally accept TMS. The reason being is that my kids, especially my son, didn't believe in TMS and kept telling me that it was some type a structural problem or genetic problem. Suffice it to say, it brought me around to the doubts again. In fact, before my daughter's wedding four days before Thanksgiving in 2013, I started with the carpal tunnel on my right side. My shoulders and everything on that side started hurting. I determined it was TMS and after a month or so of wearing the brace, it all the sudden got better. Of course, then I ended up with more of my rib pain.
Now I have bilateral problems with both of my wrists and shoulders, and I've been to physical therapy, chiropractors, and even started on Lyrica, hoping that things would lessen up, because my doctor said I had TOS, a real medical condition (his words), of course I listened and did what he told me to do.
It's now been almost 7 months, and I still have the pain. My doctor wants me to do two MRIs, one with the T-spine and one of the C-spine, which is 45 minutes each, and me on my back, which tends to make things worse. But, I also feel like this test two will be negative. Of course, that also got me to thinking it must be TMS. I have been seeing a new therapist because my insurance stopped covering my old therapist this year. She did notice that a lot of my pain seemed to stem from trauma accumulated from childhood all the way to when my last daughter was born and I almost died. And in fact, that's when my chronic pain started, after her birth.
Anyway, I am a freelance writer and because of that, every time I go on the computer to write, I end up with major pain in my wrist and my rib cage, because of just the act of typing. I can't vacuum, and I can't scrub floors, without my muscles screaming at me in protest. I have had every test known to man and have been to probably 15 doctor/specialists. Every test that I've had done has always come back with nothing.
Anyway, sorry this is so long, but I thought you needed to know everything. I am at this point in my life, middle-aged and with two grandchildren, to where I need to finally, once and for all, get rid of this pain. I keep wondering what it is I am missing. There is one thing I've noticed, since going to this therapist, my pain has gotten worse. We have really dug into some traumatic events that happened to me and to my family, which has stirred up a lot of very
uncomfortable emotions. That has to be good, right?
I have seen so many success stories that have given me hope, but there still that elusive thought in the back of my head that I'm never going to get better because I have been doing this work now, off and on for the last four years, and I don't seem to be making progress.
I figured there are many people on here who are in the same situation or they wouldn't be on this forum. Any thoughts, advice, suggestions, whatever would be helpful at this point.
TIA and wishing you all happy holidays and peace.
I have been dealing with chronic pain for 20 years now. I have been diagnosed with all the gamut of syndromes you can think of, that deal with pain. For example, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, costochondritis, Tietze syndrome, as well as Hypermobility, vertigo, thoracic outlet syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, PID, IBS, interstitial cystitis, etc...
About four years ago, I was at my wits and and found Dr. Sarno's books. I devoured them and saw myself on every page. I did all the journaling, I did pyschotherapy, and mantras, you name it. At that point, I wasn't taking any medication that I had to withdraw from.
Fast forward to today, and I still have the pain. It has been a very rocky road, trying to get my brain to finally accept TMS. The reason being is that my kids, especially my son, didn't believe in TMS and kept telling me that it was some type a structural problem or genetic problem. Suffice it to say, it brought me around to the doubts again. In fact, before my daughter's wedding four days before Thanksgiving in 2013, I started with the carpal tunnel on my right side. My shoulders and everything on that side started hurting. I determined it was TMS and after a month or so of wearing the brace, it all the sudden got better. Of course, then I ended up with more of my rib pain.
Now I have bilateral problems with both of my wrists and shoulders, and I've been to physical therapy, chiropractors, and even started on Lyrica, hoping that things would lessen up, because my doctor said I had TOS, a real medical condition (his words), of course I listened and did what he told me to do.
It's now been almost 7 months, and I still have the pain. My doctor wants me to do two MRIs, one with the T-spine and one of the C-spine, which is 45 minutes each, and me on my back, which tends to make things worse. But, I also feel like this test two will be negative. Of course, that also got me to thinking it must be TMS. I have been seeing a new therapist because my insurance stopped covering my old therapist this year. She did notice that a lot of my pain seemed to stem from trauma accumulated from childhood all the way to when my last daughter was born and I almost died. And in fact, that's when my chronic pain started, after her birth.
Anyway, I am a freelance writer and because of that, every time I go on the computer to write, I end up with major pain in my wrist and my rib cage, because of just the act of typing. I can't vacuum, and I can't scrub floors, without my muscles screaming at me in protest. I have had every test known to man and have been to probably 15 doctor/specialists. Every test that I've had done has always come back with nothing.
Anyway, sorry this is so long, but I thought you needed to know everything. I am at this point in my life, middle-aged and with two grandchildren, to where I need to finally, once and for all, get rid of this pain. I keep wondering what it is I am missing. There is one thing I've noticed, since going to this therapist, my pain has gotten worse. We have really dug into some traumatic events that happened to me and to my family, which has stirred up a lot of very
uncomfortable emotions. That has to be good, right?
I have seen so many success stories that have given me hope, but there still that elusive thought in the back of my head that I'm never going to get better because I have been doing this work now, off and on for the last four years, and I don't seem to be making progress.
I figured there are many people on here who are in the same situation or they wouldn't be on this forum. Any thoughts, advice, suggestions, whatever would be helpful at this point.
TIA and wishing you all happy holidays and peace.
