Wow! This is such a great load of information! I just discovered the mindbody/TMS thing last night, as I was researching my pain and discomfort that has been plaguing me and ramping up since last December. I really am thankful for sites like this one that spread valuable information instead of scaring a person half to death, only to lead them from doctor to doctor, chasing a diagnosis that never comes. Funny thing is, a good friend of mine who now lives out of town sent me a link to a video last night regarding Sarno. It was after I'd already been reading about all this for a couple of hours. It was like the universe wanted me to come to this conclusion and was forcing it upon me. I'm really grateful!
Like I mentioned, my odd symptoms that got me searching began last December, whilst in the midst of a sinus infection/flu-type bug that had me sidelined for a few days. On this particular day, I noticed that my feet were suddenly ice cold. When I pulled off my slippers to investigate, they were ghostly white. I went to the shower to warm them up and they turned purple then bright red. Thankfully, that never happened again. but after that, my feet were constantly cold and achy, as if I was standing on blocks of ice all day. It was as if I could feel cold from the floor seeping up through the soles of my shoes. Fast forward a month or so, and I'd learned to live with the foot thing, as it seemed to come and go, even though I was still searching for an explanation. Once I was okay with that, I was at work one day when a surge of cold enveloped my entire anus, perineum, and genital area. This wave lasted for a good minute or so, and then passed. It then returned in a lesser intensity and lasted about a half hour or so. During this period I seemed to be urinating every few minutes. It happened on another occasion maybe two months later. But this time, without the frequent urination. At this point, the cold feet were seeming to plague me even more. That eventually led to neuropathic symptoms where my feet would tingle, sometimes up to the knees. There were a couple of times at work where the numbness and tingling would envelop all of my limbs and even my face. After these episodes, I would be completely drained of energy. The neuropathic feeling eventually became more permanent and was constantly manifesting from the feet up to the mid calf area. Sometimes it was so uncomfortable that I was unable to cover up with blankets while in bed, and wearing shoes and socks seemed to really get it going. If I wore sandals, things seemed to be better. The burning cold then began in the left side of the penis, and lasted for a couple of days then subsided. The foot/lower leg issue remained. I noticed that the symptoms would come and go. But I could find no correlation for anything. Then and the feet began to improve, the burning moved to the perineum/anus/penis area. The same place the cold wave had hit me months ago. These symptoms suddenly seemed to intensify and worsen after ejaculation. And they still do. That's where I'm at now. And I've managed to rule out any blood sugar issues. Since the pain and discomfort comes and goes as well, I could never fully accept that it's a structural/mechanical thing either.
After reading more about TMS, I'm wondering if a bout of "prostatitis and epididymitis" about eight years ago could contribute to all of this. I was never convinced that the condition was bacterial. Upon diagnosis, I was given a round of antibiotics that sent the pain from nagging to unbearable. One day, I actually had to pull over because of a similar cold burn in the region. The pain was also manifesting in the left testicle. I have no doubt that something really was awry during all this because the prostate was definitely irritated, along with a palpable inflammation in the left epididymis. The inflammation and discomfort lated for about three years. After being fed up with physicians and specialists, and undergoing ultrasounds, prostate exams, and rounds of antibiotics with no clear solution, I finally turned everything over to father time and told myself I'd wait it out. During this time, I discovered a naturopath in my area, who with some diet modification and supplements, was able to resolve my issues within a few months. Maybe it was merely my belief in his methods that cleared this thing up. But I do find it interesting that the same area is seeming to be affected again.
The last couple of years have been quite a ride. My best friend since childhood passed away just about two years ago. A week later, I came down with a case of the shingles. Almost a year ago, my father passed away unexpectedly, shortly after my job that I'd been at for thirteen years fell apart. At the time, I was living in my father's house, helping him tend to the place. So once he died, it was difficult to have a proper time to grieve, because I was instantly in panic mode trying to buy a house, figure out the logistics of moving all of his things, dealing with everything myself because my only sibling lives hours away. It was more stress than I've ever felt. So it really is no surprise to me that these symptoms could have manifested as a result of all that. Even if they didn't manifest until months later. Though when they did manifest, I had just bought a house, but hadn't yet had the energy to move everything from my father's place. I was still pretty much consumed with worry about the logistics of it all, and seeing my childhood home being turned over to strangers. Along with that, I was missing out on some emotional support from a friend of mine because he was suffering a great deal of depression at that time due to losing his sister. With all the death surrounding me, and seeing what it causes the surviviors, I was worried about my own mortality, and consumed with every little detail and "what if". My new job had also been a rocky mess. And the boss told me one day that they weren't sure if they could keep me due to not having enough business. The nature of this job is so boring, that it allows me to stand there and stew all day on any negative topic that comes into my mind. There is no talking, no fun, and the work is mind numbing. I think this contributed to it a lot. All of it was a perfect storm of emotional distress, now that I think back on it. Some of it still is a mess. But I don't know if it really is, or if that's just me holding on to unfounded worry.
That's my story. It feels like I've finally landed in the right spot.
Like I mentioned, my odd symptoms that got me searching began last December, whilst in the midst of a sinus infection/flu-type bug that had me sidelined for a few days. On this particular day, I noticed that my feet were suddenly ice cold. When I pulled off my slippers to investigate, they were ghostly white. I went to the shower to warm them up and they turned purple then bright red. Thankfully, that never happened again. but after that, my feet were constantly cold and achy, as if I was standing on blocks of ice all day. It was as if I could feel cold from the floor seeping up through the soles of my shoes. Fast forward a month or so, and I'd learned to live with the foot thing, as it seemed to come and go, even though I was still searching for an explanation. Once I was okay with that, I was at work one day when a surge of cold enveloped my entire anus, perineum, and genital area. This wave lasted for a good minute or so, and then passed. It then returned in a lesser intensity and lasted about a half hour or so. During this period I seemed to be urinating every few minutes. It happened on another occasion maybe two months later. But this time, without the frequent urination. At this point, the cold feet were seeming to plague me even more. That eventually led to neuropathic symptoms where my feet would tingle, sometimes up to the knees. There were a couple of times at work where the numbness and tingling would envelop all of my limbs and even my face. After these episodes, I would be completely drained of energy. The neuropathic feeling eventually became more permanent and was constantly manifesting from the feet up to the mid calf area. Sometimes it was so uncomfortable that I was unable to cover up with blankets while in bed, and wearing shoes and socks seemed to really get it going. If I wore sandals, things seemed to be better. The burning cold then began in the left side of the penis, and lasted for a couple of days then subsided. The foot/lower leg issue remained. I noticed that the symptoms would come and go. But I could find no correlation for anything. Then and the feet began to improve, the burning moved to the perineum/anus/penis area. The same place the cold wave had hit me months ago. These symptoms suddenly seemed to intensify and worsen after ejaculation. And they still do. That's where I'm at now. And I've managed to rule out any blood sugar issues. Since the pain and discomfort comes and goes as well, I could never fully accept that it's a structural/mechanical thing either.
After reading more about TMS, I'm wondering if a bout of "prostatitis and epididymitis" about eight years ago could contribute to all of this. I was never convinced that the condition was bacterial. Upon diagnosis, I was given a round of antibiotics that sent the pain from nagging to unbearable. One day, I actually had to pull over because of a similar cold burn in the region. The pain was also manifesting in the left testicle. I have no doubt that something really was awry during all this because the prostate was definitely irritated, along with a palpable inflammation in the left epididymis. The inflammation and discomfort lated for about three years. After being fed up with physicians and specialists, and undergoing ultrasounds, prostate exams, and rounds of antibiotics with no clear solution, I finally turned everything over to father time and told myself I'd wait it out. During this time, I discovered a naturopath in my area, who with some diet modification and supplements, was able to resolve my issues within a few months. Maybe it was merely my belief in his methods that cleared this thing up. But I do find it interesting that the same area is seeming to be affected again.
The last couple of years have been quite a ride. My best friend since childhood passed away just about two years ago. A week later, I came down with a case of the shingles. Almost a year ago, my father passed away unexpectedly, shortly after my job that I'd been at for thirteen years fell apart. At the time, I was living in my father's house, helping him tend to the place. So once he died, it was difficult to have a proper time to grieve, because I was instantly in panic mode trying to buy a house, figure out the logistics of moving all of his things, dealing with everything myself because my only sibling lives hours away. It was more stress than I've ever felt. So it really is no surprise to me that these symptoms could have manifested as a result of all that. Even if they didn't manifest until months later. Though when they did manifest, I had just bought a house, but hadn't yet had the energy to move everything from my father's place. I was still pretty much consumed with worry about the logistics of it all, and seeing my childhood home being turned over to strangers. Along with that, I was missing out on some emotional support from a friend of mine because he was suffering a great deal of depression at that time due to losing his sister. With all the death surrounding me, and seeing what it causes the surviviors, I was worried about my own mortality, and consumed with every little detail and "what if". My new job had also been a rocky mess. And the boss told me one day that they weren't sure if they could keep me due to not having enough business. The nature of this job is so boring, that it allows me to stand there and stew all day on any negative topic that comes into my mind. There is no talking, no fun, and the work is mind numbing. I think this contributed to it a lot. All of it was a perfect storm of emotional distress, now that I think back on it. Some of it still is a mess. But I don't know if it really is, or if that's just me holding on to unfounded worry.
That's my story. It feels like I've finally landed in the right spot.
