Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for running this forum. I have been diagnosed with TMS by a Sarno-trained doctor in New York. I did one-on-one lectures with him about five weeks ago, and have been studying and journaling. I'm starting the wiki program because I would like to have more guidance, support, and affirmation in this process. I'm very hopeful but not quite there yet.
Some background: I started having bouts of sciatica in my teens, around when I was applying to college, and have been living with it for just short of ten years. Most days I would say my back was just stiff/ache-y. During an episode I was sometimes unable to walk more than a block without resting. Getting out of bed in the morning was the worst. I gave up running in high school, stopped wearing shoes without arch support, wore an SI-joint belt on and off, carried a backpack instead of a bag on one shoulder, and avoiding lifting heavy things, standing for a long time, sitting in mushy chairs, and sleeping on soft mattresses. I didn't realize how many accommodations I had made for the pain until I read The Mindbody Prescription.
And, I didn't realize how many other people experienced these symptoms. The doctors I had seen led me to believe that I was just about the only one. My reaction to this was frustration more than acceptance, but it was an isolating period, one that I think a lot of teenagers must go through, given that they are so young that most doctors have absolutely no explanation for their chronic pain.
This has been a year of transitions (I'm in my twenties now), and with that has come a lot of stress, resentment, sadness, excitement, and flat out confusion. And pain. I've realized that I need to take ownership of this problem and teach myself how to live without pain.
At this point I am re-reading The Mindbody Prescription and journaling for 20-30 minutes a day. I have been following my normal exercise routine, and working my courage up to start jogging. I am making some major decisions about my career, due on Monday, so these last few weeks have been unusually stressful, and I've had sciatic, psoriasis, dizziness, even caught some sort of flu. It's wild! But, I'm likely to be in stressful situations in the future, so I am hoping to learn how to deal with them without TMS flare ups, for the long run.
Anyway, looking forward to meeting you, and thank you so much again for the support and resources this site provides. It's already been a huge solace.
Thanks so much for running this forum. I have been diagnosed with TMS by a Sarno-trained doctor in New York. I did one-on-one lectures with him about five weeks ago, and have been studying and journaling. I'm starting the wiki program because I would like to have more guidance, support, and affirmation in this process. I'm very hopeful but not quite there yet.
Some background: I started having bouts of sciatica in my teens, around when I was applying to college, and have been living with it for just short of ten years. Most days I would say my back was just stiff/ache-y. During an episode I was sometimes unable to walk more than a block without resting. Getting out of bed in the morning was the worst. I gave up running in high school, stopped wearing shoes without arch support, wore an SI-joint belt on and off, carried a backpack instead of a bag on one shoulder, and avoiding lifting heavy things, standing for a long time, sitting in mushy chairs, and sleeping on soft mattresses. I didn't realize how many accommodations I had made for the pain until I read The Mindbody Prescription.
And, I didn't realize how many other people experienced these symptoms. The doctors I had seen led me to believe that I was just about the only one. My reaction to this was frustration more than acceptance, but it was an isolating period, one that I think a lot of teenagers must go through, given that they are so young that most doctors have absolutely no explanation for their chronic pain.
This has been a year of transitions (I'm in my twenties now), and with that has come a lot of stress, resentment, sadness, excitement, and flat out confusion. And pain. I've realized that I need to take ownership of this problem and teach myself how to live without pain.
At this point I am re-reading The Mindbody Prescription and journaling for 20-30 minutes a day. I have been following my normal exercise routine, and working my courage up to start jogging. I am making some major decisions about my career, due on Monday, so these last few weeks have been unusually stressful, and I've had sciatic, psoriasis, dizziness, even caught some sort of flu. It's wild! But, I'm likely to be in stressful situations in the future, so I am hoping to learn how to deal with them without TMS flare ups, for the long run.
Anyway, looking forward to meeting you, and thank you so much again for the support and resources this site provides. It's already been a huge solace.
