Day 42 The beginning of the end to pain - My journey so far and some tips for fellow TMSers

Like most people, I wanted to be able to tell an incredible story of healing when I finished this program, bordering on the miraculous. But of course, the more we want our lives to be perfect, the less satisfied and the more enraged we are, and this is just one of the important lessons I learnt while following this program.

So I shall write anyway, despite the occasional aches and pains I still have here and there.

I can still say that discovering about TMS saved my life. I had been suffering from multiple 'injuries', which wouldn't heal, and before I discovered about this, I thought that I either had some degenerative disease which would eventually kill me, or that I'd be limited for the rest of my life.

I could not walk for longer than 5 minutes without getting piriformis, thigh and hip pain in both legs. I could not stretch my arms up, and one of my shoulders was blocked and painful. The nerves in my arms and elbows were on fire. A neurologist told me to give up on sports, a pain specialist told me that sports wrecks havoc on the body. I used to love trekking and rock climbing, and losing those it felt like life was not worth it anymore. In fact, it wasn't, not as I was living it.

I am still angry that I got to discover about TMS almost by coincidence, just because I happened to type the right key words on google. I'm angry that I visited so many doctors, and none hinted at it, although the tests I had were normal. Of course, I consider myself lucky that I discovered about TMS only eight months after the first symptoms appeared, though at the same time I shudder to think what would have happened if I hadn't.

Sarno's discoveries gave me plenty of answers, and the SEP helped me embark on this journey one step at a time. One week after I started it, my symptoms decreased by 60 %; three weeks later I started going to the gym, and seven weeks later I went on my first rock climb WITHOUT PAIN.

The best I can do to try and give something back to this wonderful community, is post a list of approaches that have and are helping me:

i) I talk to different painful parts of the body, in the same way that I would talk to a stubborn child. For example, "Oh come on don't be silly, you know it's pointless... OR... well we're going for the walk anyway - you can tag along if you like, but it won't make a difference really!"

ii) I stopped whining about my pain with other people. I noticed that my mother had been helping me inflate the problems, so suddenly I just stopped complaining with her about them and decided to deal with this myself. Other people might also mention this or that other person suffering from something similar which ended in physical limitation etc... I didn't want or need to hear those stories.

iii) I worked out - steadily and gradually. If I feel a twinge of pain while working out, I try to notice it without judging it as 'bad'. I give my body time to get used to the new movements, or to the new weights, so as to try not to give it an 'overload' of excuses to react.

iv) I started meditating - still got to work on my patience a lot, and I still can't stay still for more than 15 minutes, but I guess it's a good start.

vi) I no longer 'look forward' to any point in the future... before I used to live solely for my holidays, and work my way through the rest of the days. Now I try to do something I enjoy each day. I do have a holiday planned, but I'm not constantly yearning for the day to arrive.

vi) I remind myself how lucky I am to have gained this insight and relish this fact. I no longer look upon the past pains as a curse or a blot in my life, but as a bridge to a better and healthier life.

Apart from the decrease in pain, I've noticed that some skin problems which I've had for years have also started to disappear... I've also gained some (needed) weight. This work has been the hardest thing I've ever tackled, but I know now that it is and will continue to be all worth it.

I cannot thank Dr Sarno or the designers of the program enough, and do hope that one day TMS will become common medical knowledge. My heartfelt thanks also goes to all those who have provided support on this forum - thank you ever so much!

All the best X

 

Amazing! Congrats! You should add this to the success stories so more will see it.

 

Hooray for you, Adventureseeker. You have found TMS knowledge to be so helpful in healing your pains. Keep working on the emotional causes of your pains and you will find even more healing success. You've come a long way and will keep progressing.

 

Thank you so much for this post, Adventureseeker. I am on Day 1 and just learned about Dr Sarno a couple weeks ago. I am very encouraged by your progress and can only hope I am as successful. A 60% reduction in pain even sounds wonderful. Plus I need to gain some much needed weight as well, so I am hoping that will occur too. Thank you, also, for the tips you have provided. They are very helpful for someone just starting out. I hope you continue to heal and seek every adventure life holds for you!

 

Hi,
I am on Day 42 of the Structural Educational Program as well. I have been looking forward to completing this program, and yet feeling sad that it is "over". It has been my friend for 7 weeks (I took a few days off throughout the 42 days). But I understand that this work, the work WITH my TMS, will be life long work. I came to this program from a referral from a dear friend that completed this work as well. I read Dr. Sarno's Healing Back Pain, sent to me by my same friend. At the time, I was in excruciating sciatic pain down my right leg when I decided that this was it. I needed to get to the bottom of this pain. I would say that I have a long history with TMS- I think it started when I was 13 years old with a variety of issues over the past 28 years including back pain, leg pains, abdominal pains, fertility challenges, passing out during competitions, etc. I believe through the work of reading Sarno's book and following the SEP, I can now with 100% clarity say that I have TMS. In the past week, I have been feeling unusually exhausted and then I started getting strange pains in my abdomen. I took a deep breath and said, NO, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU, but thanks for showing me that I still have work to do. One thing I learned from this program is a deeper sense of awareness that so many others that I encounter each day, suffer, unknowingly, (in my opinion) from TMS. When I think about the suffering of others, it reminds me to be a better listener to myself as well as others. I also find that I am more present in general. I don't feel as rushed and stressed. And I am also working on answering this question that was posed in one of the "questions to ponder" prompts: What do you do for yourself that brings you joy (working out does not exactly count)? I now can say that reading trashy novels, dancing, sitting outside, buying or cutting my own flowers for the inside of the house, and learning Spanish are some of the things that I do for myself for no other reason that that they bring me joy. These simple pleasures bring me closer to my creative side, which I have stuffed down and not paid the attention my creative self deserves. I have learned all this in 7 weeks! Thank you. Walt, I know you suggested that I laugh when I express my appreciation for this healing, but I still cry (with joy and sadness) when I think of my journey with TMS.
For those of you just starting out or feeling doubt, be kind to yourself, be patient with yourself. I had to learn that too!

 

Hi, NWWU. Your post above is wonderful. I'm so glad you found the SEProgram helpful. The things you are doing to put joy in your life are terrific;. You've learned a lot about yourself and it's good for you to know that your TMS journey is not at an end. You will keep learning new things about yourself and others that will keep you well and happy. Keep us informed as to your progress.
Happy times to you!

 

Hi Adventureseeker,

Great to read your post, with the list of things which you believe are helpful. This is a remarkable list.

This jumped out at me, thinking of how this probably effects the Inner Child, and how much we suffer when we put off enjoying our precious human lives. Inside, we all want to enjoy this brief life, yet our pushing and striving keep our nervous system activated/agitated trying to "accomplish," even if it is to accomplish a resting time, or moment of relaxation in the future.

It seems your list of practices has indeed opened you to new, important ways of living. This is one of the "gifts" of TMS.

Andy B