Time to make a change!

Hi all! I have been looking at this forum for a while, and I thought I would finally make a commitment and join the site!

These past few years have been very tough for me. I was a classical pianist for many years in my undergraduate studies when it all began. I developed many injuries in my wrists and elbows, injuries that no matter how many NSAIDs or rest I took never really went away. I tried getting my mind off things and took dance classes, and developed what felt like tendonitis in my knees. I managed to hurt my shoulder that same year at the gym, another injury that never went away. I tried resting, but unfortunately I knew my dreams of being a professional pianist were not a possibility because of the pain. Instead I focused on academics, and I am now in medical school.

In the 6 months before starting medical school however, my life took a turn for the worse. I was reading a lot, and developed pain in my pelvis from sitting. I tried doing light exercises and developed hip tendonitis in both hips. I hurt my knee and couldn't walk for weeks. I then developed plantar fasciitis in both of my feet. Finally, over the past 6 months I have felt back pain with tingling in my feet and upper legs. None of these have gotten much better. I am 24 years old, this doesn't make sense. I'm too young for this!

I saw 2 rheumatologists, 2 orthopedists, a neurologist, a neurosurgeon, and nothing came back of significant meaning. They all said it must be a coincidence, all my tests are negative. I tried everything, and as a medical student, also did research on my own and could not find anything to explain it. Until I came across this forum...

I tried the TMS theory a few times, but within a week or two I gave up and was too scared to continue doing any activity. I fit the personality description of a TMS sufferer perfectly. I am a perfectionist, overacheiver, always trying to please others. I easily get fixated on things and obsessed, and my pain was no exception to this.

I know this was a long introduction! But I want to change my life for the better. I want to get over this pain and have control in my life again. If anyone has had similar experiences or words of advice I would appreciate it immensely! I failed to stick to this program a few times, so encouragement would be much appreciated! Thank you so much everyone!

 

Hi, Bchicken. I love your waddling penguins photo.

You you have been under a lot of emotional pressure in recent years, especially from medical school studies. You admit to having some of the main character traits for getting TMS emotional pain, being a perfectionist, overachiever, and trying to please others. Those are common reasons for getting TMS pain. You should start taking the Structured Emotional Program, free in the subforum of this web site, to learn how to handle those emotions. You don;t have to change totally... just modify the emotions. The SEProgram teaches us how to live more in the present moment and calm ourselves by not putting others first. We need to put ourselves first, then we can be helpful to others.

Here are a few quotes on living in the present:

Joan Rivers: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is God’s gift, that’s why they call it the present.”

Oprah Winfrey: “Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure. Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”

 

Since you saw all the docs and they didn't find anything structural then you are free to pursue TMS/psychosomatic. See a TMS doc if you want more reinforcement. See a TMS therapist or start learning about TMS by reading the books. Dr. Sarno was the doctor who doctors went to to be "cured".