Miffybunny....Tendonitis in my achilles was a HUGE problem for me. First it was a few years of inexplicable stiffness and limited range of motion. (Doctors didn't know why.)
And then one day my achilles swelled to the size of a walnut. A large walnut. The sides of my foot were swollen too and oh....the pain...
When I learned of TMS I ditched my orthotics and heel lifts and began talking to my ankle. And then guess what happened...that other ankle started acting up. That was my moment of realization that what I was dealing with WAS TMS.
From day to day....even sometime during the day, I can see swelling in my achilles still. Then it goes back down. It's gone from being a HUGE limiting part of life to a mild and bored "oh, it's you TMS" acknowledgment.
I walk and hike now and still do stretching but ONLY because I tell myself it was the stretching I would have done back in my TMS days....I am NOT following any more physical therapy protocols. (Like that helped...ha!)
I know you've got more going on than I dealt with but I want to encourage you to treat it as TMS. I am so floored at how my ankles have improved. Especially the one that was so bad. One thing I do everyday is when I apply lotion to my legs (it's pretty dry here in the winter) I give thanks for my legs...thanks for their strength and carrying me all the places...and thanks for the future adventures. It sounds goofy I know but I believe it's playing a part in my healing.
I also remind myself DAILY and FREQUENTLY that I am getting strong every day. I've had so many years of pain messages, anger and despair, I know THAT'S a tougher battle (retraining my mind) than any PT appointment (I nearly passed out one time from the pain when he was massaging that swollen tendon!).
I hope you can find even just a little encouragement in my post. Hugs to you....
