recovered from 12 years of disability

I had a disability of my arms and ankles for twelve years, diagnosed as a repetitive-stress injury. I also developed some fatigue and soreness in my back after a while. Unlike many other people, I did not have severe pain except early on, because I managed it with a system of time limits on arm activity, standing, and walking -- but the limits kept me really confined and somewhat isolated. So for me, the mental distraction was not severe pain, but was instead my effort to constantly keep track of all my different limits and to try to always stay within them.

Working for a living at my computer was problematic. It was depressing whenever I had setbacks and had to reduce my limits. I relied on paratransit to get around, and spent almost all my time at home. It was frustrating to try to explain my limitations to people, to try explain why I couldn't do this thing or that. Eventually I read Dr. Sarno's Mindbody Prescription, and at first was very skeptical and reluctant. But as I kept reading it, I eventually concluded that it made some sense and was worth a try. I reached full recovery in 2018. When I started actually doing the recovery program, I soon started seeing unusual fluctuations and rapid shifts in the symptoms, and saw new symptoms coming up as my brain started looking for other outlets: headaches, skin rashes, knee pain, etc. So I knew I was on to something. I kept working at it for an hour and a half every evening, and over time steadily raised my activity limits, and after several months reached full recovery.

I felt exhilarated walking from my apartment up to the top of a nearby mountain, about a 900-foot climb on roads and trails. It took about an hour, and I took a lunch break at (I think about) 54 minutes, which was my limit at that time. I was astounded to have walked up that far, to be enjoying a view of the city just by walking up from my apartment, on my own two feet. After the break it took me just a few more minutes to reach the peak. I was amazed that I didn’t feel exhausted walking up a mountain after those years of disability ― probably I was still a little bit in shape because I always walked up four flights of stairs every time I went home to my apartment. Another great triumph was walking to the beach from my apartment, a distance of 5.5 miles ― it took 1 hr 46 min to reach the water. And I had never walked either of these trips previously, even before the disability. Then I was able to use a computer all day long with no worries, and I could go on long walks for hours at a time.

It's hard to fully sum up in words how exhilarated I have felt at my recovery: Life is so much better being physically active and not being disabled. All the best to those of you who are discovering this now and starting out with Dr. Sarno's recovery program!

 

Congratulations on your recovery, Scott! Your story strikes a chord with me as I don't have much pain either but for me there is a lot of fear which keeps things going. Best wishes, Stradivarius.