TMS, Family, Dental Surgery

[Waterbear]

I went in on Fri to get an impacted wisdom tooth removed. It was pretty bad so they put me under. The surgery went great and I was actually excited to get it done. I was pleased that I’d get one low risk procedure, hurt for a few days, and then be pain free for the rest of my life.


My family, however, wanted to “help me out”.


Dad: “You gotta watch out for that dry socket. It’s the worst pain I’ve ever felt.”

Uncle: “Oh that dry socket, you know your father gave it to me since he told me about it?” (Yeah, actual quote there, TMS much?)

Mom: “Your father and uncle got dry socket. It’s terrible.”


Yesterday, I mentioned I was hurting pretty good.


Family members: “You must have dry socket!”



So I called the surgeon this morning and described all my symptoms. I was told that given my circumstances, dry socket was highly unlikely.


The pain immediately started to subside. Then, I knew exactly what it was. I told the doctor that I wasn’t going to come into the office early and that I was going to work like normal.


So far, so good.


My question is, what do you do in this situation? I was confident that I would be fine. I was fine, but after days of being told about this awful thing that would happen to me, I began to doubt and then, the pain came, of course.

My family has always been a guiding force, but they get a lot wrong (at least with my health "issues"), and are very confident that they don't.

 

[Ellen]

Sarno states something to the effect "knowledge is the penicillin that inoculates against TMS". So when the kind of thing happens that you describe above, I'd take a dose of knowledge penicillin--reread the parts of Sarno that discuss how TMS is contagious and can occur in epidemics. It's about you 'knowing'. I wouldn't worry about whether or not they know.

And congratulations on overcoming this episode! Well done.

 

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

I had to get an operation for a double hernia several years ago because the doctor who looked at it said
"You're either pregnant or you have the biggest hernia I've ever seen."

I wish I had been pregnant, because the news would have made me rich.

Before I had the operation, my older brother said, "You're going to be more pain than you ever have been before."

That was all I needed to worry in anticipation of the surgery and recovery.

It left me pained, but I survived. He didn't tell me I would survive the pain, but I had faith I would.

 

[North Star]

Waterbear, friends and family can be so helpful, eh? haha I've had to learn to shut my trap, especially with my kids. "Be careful you don't hurt your back!" or "Wash your hands so you don't get sick!" or any of a thousand variations of helpful advice that sow the seeds of TMS symptoms.

Bravo to you for recognizing what was at work. I had what I called a demon tooth extracted over a year ago. I was terrified before hand. It was such a non event it blew my mind. And the recovery was a breeze because I was free of the wicked nerve pain. The tooth has a couple of fractures right down to the root that weren't picked up on the xray…no wonder I was in such pain.

Guess what happened a few weeks later? I felt a stab of the old familiar pain. I told my brain to knock it off…and it did. Every once in a while, I'd feel a tingle and I'd remind myself that was my amazing body healing the socket.

You're going to continue to heal beautifully!