Brainstorm
New Member
Hi everybody, thanks for reading.
This is my first post, so I'll briefly introduce myself as a fit 30 year old male, elementary school teacher.
(Here is a brief description for those who don't want to read the long version below (tingling arms and leg, uncoordinated right arm, burning arm muscle pain, "fog", testicle and groin pain))
Just under 5 months ago I took a blow to the head--I did not black out or even feel that much pain. Forgot about it, and had just the slightest of headaches the next day. The day after, my headache began to increase, until it was nearly constant. I'd have sharp, rippling pains in my head, or pressure feelings. They were rarely severe, and gradually faded over 2 - 3 months. However, after two or three days my right arm began to feel uncoordinated (weak, but not weak, heavy but not) and tingly. However, I can still lift a normal amount, type, play the drums, etc. Eventually my leg began to tingle as well. Later, I developed a burning pain in my left arm-sometimes bicep, sometimes tricep--sometimes in both arms. Sometimes in my right thigh. Only my left leg has been wholly unaffected. Also, even though my initial headache was gone, I would sometimes get a mild, strange-feeling headache that would be accompanied by a strange "fog" that didn't make me dizzy, but did make me feel sort of desperate and far way. I could still function, but it made it more difficult and was a disturbing feeling.
Perhaps relatedly, perhaps not, I was diagnosed with "epididymitis"--and had pain in my left testicle and groin area (like the vas deferens, below the belly button). I was prescribed antibiotics, twice, and both times it did not help. The pain has been fading very much, but today it is back. It has done this several times.
I never feel all the symptoms at once, it seems, but they seem to change in intensity from moment to moment, and change combinations from moment to moment. I have had stretches of a few days where I'd feel 90% normal, which was great until the symptoms returned.
It's hard for me to accept these symptoms as TMS, because I know the head and spine can be very mysterious. It's also not hard not to obsess over pain in your own genitals--very suspenseful stuff.
Also, yesterday I began to have tingling in my left arm, for the first time, and I have pain in both my pinkies, close to the knuckle on the sides of my hands. Getting new symptoms is also discouraging.
So lately I've been doing yoga, trying to relax, weight-lifting, exercise, jogging, etc. in an effort to prove to myself that my body functions the same as ever, and to help myself relax and be more in touch with myself. I've also been journaling (though not as much lately because honestly it gets very boring), and going to therapy (I see a social worker to talk about problems---I have told her I believe I have TMS and I want her help uncovering and accepting unconscious emotions).
I've read Mindbody Rx and am almost finished with Divided Mind.
However, today my right arm feels extra floppy, and my testicle is hurting after feeling better for almost a week. So I'm very discouraged.
Reading about people with tingling limbs, uncoordinated/"weak" body parts, etc. has really been helpful for my acceptance of all this as a psychosomatic occurrence. I'd really like to read about and talk with people who have dealt with and hopefully recovered from these silly, hysterical symptoms. If I don't get some lasting relief I may return to the doc to get my reassurance that I am structurally sound.
Thanks for reading: keep up the good fight, everybody.
This is my first post, so I'll briefly introduce myself as a fit 30 year old male, elementary school teacher.
(Here is a brief description for those who don't want to read the long version below (tingling arms and leg, uncoordinated right arm, burning arm muscle pain, "fog", testicle and groin pain))
Just under 5 months ago I took a blow to the head--I did not black out or even feel that much pain. Forgot about it, and had just the slightest of headaches the next day. The day after, my headache began to increase, until it was nearly constant. I'd have sharp, rippling pains in my head, or pressure feelings. They were rarely severe, and gradually faded over 2 - 3 months. However, after two or three days my right arm began to feel uncoordinated (weak, but not weak, heavy but not) and tingly. However, I can still lift a normal amount, type, play the drums, etc. Eventually my leg began to tingle as well. Later, I developed a burning pain in my left arm-sometimes bicep, sometimes tricep--sometimes in both arms. Sometimes in my right thigh. Only my left leg has been wholly unaffected. Also, even though my initial headache was gone, I would sometimes get a mild, strange-feeling headache that would be accompanied by a strange "fog" that didn't make me dizzy, but did make me feel sort of desperate and far way. I could still function, but it made it more difficult and was a disturbing feeling.
Perhaps relatedly, perhaps not, I was diagnosed with "epididymitis"--and had pain in my left testicle and groin area (like the vas deferens, below the belly button). I was prescribed antibiotics, twice, and both times it did not help. The pain has been fading very much, but today it is back. It has done this several times.
I never feel all the symptoms at once, it seems, but they seem to change in intensity from moment to moment, and change combinations from moment to moment. I have had stretches of a few days where I'd feel 90% normal, which was great until the symptoms returned.
It's hard for me to accept these symptoms as TMS, because I know the head and spine can be very mysterious. It's also not hard not to obsess over pain in your own genitals--very suspenseful stuff.
Also, yesterday I began to have tingling in my left arm, for the first time, and I have pain in both my pinkies, close to the knuckle on the sides of my hands. Getting new symptoms is also discouraging.
So lately I've been doing yoga, trying to relax, weight-lifting, exercise, jogging, etc. in an effort to prove to myself that my body functions the same as ever, and to help myself relax and be more in touch with myself. I've also been journaling (though not as much lately because honestly it gets very boring), and going to therapy (I see a social worker to talk about problems---I have told her I believe I have TMS and I want her help uncovering and accepting unconscious emotions).
I've read Mindbody Rx and am almost finished with Divided Mind.
However, today my right arm feels extra floppy, and my testicle is hurting after feeling better for almost a week. So I'm very discouraged.
Reading about people with tingling limbs, uncoordinated/"weak" body parts, etc. has really been helpful for my acceptance of all this as a psychosomatic occurrence. I'd really like to read about and talk with people who have dealt with and hopefully recovered from these silly, hysterical symptoms. If I don't get some lasting relief I may return to the doc to get my reassurance that I am structurally sound.
Thanks for reading: keep up the good fight, everybody.
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