capegirl
New Member
Hi Gang,
I joined this group about a month or two ago when I stumbled upon Andy B's story online. (http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/foot-pain-remarkable-recovery.1988/) I felt inspired and encouraged by this and even made a few contacts with people after commenting on his thread. The support has been great. Thank you all for sharing your stories. I felt that I needed to add a little of my story to the forum as I feel I am reaching a great point of what will ultimately be a great success story.
To start, I have been struggling with plantar fasciitis for 16 years!!! An avid runner from about the age of 10 to 17, I had to give it up when the pain became too unbearable. Fast forward 16 years--many doctors seen, treatments tried, physical therapy, Extra Corporeal Shockwave Therapy, lots of rest, orthodics, sneakers (even at my wedding!), along with finishing high school, college, getting married, becoming a teacher, masters, having children, starting a business--and here I found myself STILL with the pain.
I thank God for bringing me to this "diagnosis," and for the relief and victory I have found in such a short time. The BIG news I have is that after challenging my symptoms and fears of symptoms, for which I was only aware of once I started challenging them, my pain has been subsiding. For example the morning after my first real run I had LESS pain than I normally did. I believe that through running that with each step I validate myself as a runner and confuse all the other pain pathways that are normally at work. I have also experienced tingling while running, headaches and shoulder stiffness, but I know that this is my nerves just being confused.
One thing that has been helpful for me is that I created an alter-ego version of myself--like a superhero version of the person I remember being before pain set into my life. Her name is "Running Girl." Running Girl believes in anything empowering and positive. She is young and carefree. Running is just one of her superpowers. I got some new running clothes and when I put them on it helps me to get into character, so to speak. (I know it sounds silly, but I heard Beyonce say she does the same thing when she performs since at heart she feels shy.)
After a triumphant run at my favorite old running spot and beach two weeks ago, I decided that I needed an event to train for to keep me focused on my recovery. SO, I am running the Falmouth in the Fall road race tomorrow. It is 7 miles! A little long, but it's the best race and one of the last races to do around here before the winter sets in. It is going to be my chance to ultimately "slay" my plantar fasciitis, although I know I will need to continue to learn about TMS and myself.
The amazing thing is that I have been learning so many new things about myself and the situations in my life since I started this whole process. I believe I can now start to build a new mindset and set of expectations for myself that will be much healthier for the me-of-the-future. I know I am going to do things a little differently, and while I figure out what that will look like, I am simply going to DO LESS. Everyone around me will just have to be patient with that. And while I figure out how to do less, I may just REACT more to the chaos around me. And everyone around me will just have to be patient with that.
But, so far, it actually hasn't been so bad. It hasn't been such a bad or difficult thing to say "no" to this or that, and no one seems to even notice or mind! And I've just been more aware of my emotions and stresses, and that has not been so bad on the world either, although at times it's been, well, "inconvenient."I will share more of my story on another day. I am eager to help other chronic pain sufferers look into the possibility of TMS as the main culprit of their pain.
God Bless!
