| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Sam Perry |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 11:55:40
I am pleading for help. I have been in bed for 7 weeks anf facing surgery in 3 weeks. It will be my 4th operation in my lower back. I have had hardly andy problems since my last surgery 7 years ago. I am a swimmer and was ranked 3rd in the world in my age group (30-35) last year. I am completely debilitated, can't stand, sit, walk or drive. We have tried epidural, oxycontin, percocet and jsut about everything else. This past Wednesday I went into the emergency room for what we thought was a blood clot to my heart because I couldn't breathe. It turns out after all hear exams you can imagine nothing was wrong, but my stomach is inflamed b/c I have been lying down eating for the past 7 weeks. I am not a hypochondriac I am a very healthy person. I have now lost 20 pounds I am 6'3" and have gone from 180 to 160. I am desparate and am pursuing surgery b/c don't believe I have the time due to my other health issues and permanant nerve damage. I have the classic TMS personality, and want to pursue this but don't believe I have the time. Please let me know if what I should do. Thanks for rading this... |
| 17 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 12/04/2004 : 16:40:20
Sam, I re-read your post and was struck by your thought that you feel you are running out of time. Sarno's TMS cure takes only the amount of time it takes to read his 200 page book and for your mind to accept his "controversial" viewpoint on the body. He believes the human body is strong and with the help of the mind can recover. You, as a world-class athlete, must know how strong the body and the mind are. Sarno's TMS theory is the real deal. His book title says it all: "THE MINDBODY PRESCRIPTION". This is the real mind/body connection, not some new-age, airy-faire, mumbo-jumbo.
You DO have the TIME to be "cured" through TMS. You do not have to see a TMS doctor, although many find the white-coat seal of approval reassuring. All you need to do, to get the TMS ball rolling, is to READ the book. The time it takes you to be healed, is dependent upon your understanding TMS theory intellectualy and then it settleing into your subconscious--sleeping on it, so to speak. I experienced much immediate relief, reading the Good Doctor's book in the aisle of the bookstore. It rang true, after everything else I'd tried failed. The only time you need is the time it takes to read the book. |
| Baseball65 |
Posted - 12/04/2004 : 12:09:36
Hi Sam
I think one of the reasons some of the responses seemed like shouting was that the text of your message seemed a bit frantic,and everybody responded in turn.
Even as I read it,I wanted to calm you down with a cup of tea and a xanax...relax....things always work out the way they are supposed to.
I'm a little unclear after reading your message,and perhaps you can clarify?
You've been symptom free for 7 years.
Since you can't stand walk or drive,you are Seven weeks bed-ridden?
You have posted on the board because you think we can help you,so I assume you have read or are familiar with TMS.???
None of us are Drs except for Dr Fatteh,so obviously we wouldn't be so arrogant as to assume that you don't really need surgery...the possibility of real Medical need always exists.Both of my Children were saved by Modern medicine and my wife and I almost lost our second son to a miscarriage,saved only by the help of Medicine and surgery.I know sometimes we go Dr Bashing,but it's not alway wrong,and I believe Sarno would agree with me.
What exactly is the Diagnosis exactly,as far as the necessity for surgery?
I re-scheduled my surgery once....I was supposed to be cut in November,but postponed it until January due to a lucrative Job where I didn't need to do anything physically.I couldn't afford to NOT work,so I took the job....I also got worse.
However,I was not willing at the time to take the little bit about sarno I knew seriously.I sometimes wonder if I would have been as open minded had the surgery been effective...it was not.
Since you're bed ridden,why don't you shoot me an e-mail and I'll send you my phone #.If you are bed ridden it can't be comfortable coming to the computer or schlepping a laptop into bed.
I can't type as fast as I can talk,and perhaps talking to a fellow surgery veteran/TMS type might be helpful...I always had doubts and second guessing when I did the do,and it would have been nice to have a person around who had recovered....the guy (a well known caricature actor) who turned me on to the book was shooting a film in Washington when I finally started to read.
By the time he came home I was 90% recovered,but he sure helped excorcise the last little demons......I had never asked him what his diagnosis was in all of our discussions about back problems...he has 4 herniated discs,the smallest of which was 6mm.
He plays no pads tackle football every sunday,wins golf tournaments,and is the consumnate "stud"...and never had the surgery.
relax...
Marc.
Baseball65 |
| Carol |
Posted - 12/04/2004 : 11:30:59
Hi Sam. I hope you are still listening and haven't gotten off the message in frustration. Your desperation is coming across loud and clear, and there is help for you here. Nobody intends to scream at you except to try to shock you into NOT getting another surgery.
By the way, exactly what is being done during the operations? Do you have multiple herniated discs? I just can't imagine four back surgeries!
The best advice you have gotten so far is to contact a TMS doc and get yourself to him/her by whatever means you can find. Please stay on the site. We are all concerned to know how you are doing.
Carol |
| UK james |
Posted - 12/04/2004 : 02:58:31
DO NOT HAVE SURGERY. Before learning about TMS i had some othotics made by a top specialist - when my back started to hurt I would use them out of desperation. This flies in the face of TMS theory. Surgery will not help - someone else interfering with your body? You have the capacity to heal yourself - be strong.
James
PS Sam, when I was 16-19 I used to have severe groin strains - messed up what should have been an outstanding football career. I had a mesh hernia repair (by a top surgeon who treats all the Manchester United players) to give the muscle more elasticity. I felt AMAZING straight away - within an hour of waking. After I started to play football again the tightness returned and I was DEVASTATED. It was the PLACEBO effect - temporary relief. I know its hard but you must forget all physical remedies and search deep for what is causing you rage. As per my other post you are maybe enraged by the fact your sporting career is finite. I know I am.
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| plainchant |
Posted - 12/04/2004 : 02:25:33
Actually amigo: you abolutely need "sarcastic screaming responses" . You should be doing that to yourself. Lot of posters here have found relief by berating their mind for causing them pain. Even I have shouting things in my car such as, "I KNOW THIS PAIN IS TMS AND I ORDER MY MIND TO SEND FLOWING BLOOD AND OXYGEN TO MY MUSCLES RIGHT NOW!"
And TMS is about reconditioning your mind, so if you haven't even read Dr. Sarno's books, you're not going to have the whole story about what your pain's about and what to do about it. So as my fellow posters said, read the Mindbody Prescription right away or watch Dr. Sarno's videos. |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 12/04/2004 : 00:48:46
Sam, Dr. David Scheckter is a TMS doctor in the LA area. Give him a call. |
| menvert |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 21:41:27
In many ways, it doesn't seem like I'm getting your complete story...
does not entirely add up.
but unlike surgery TMS requires effort on your part. Unfortunately/fortunately , it is not a solution you can buy or somebody gives to you TMS is about healing yourself.
It does require work!
At the very least read MBP and actually allow yourself to believe it. Also , make sure you read many parts of this website also there are many stories similar to yours.
It does seem like you actually want the surgery. As you(I may be very presumptuous here) are really after an instant cure someone else will give you. TMS healing is really something only you can achieve people can help you, but they can't do it for you.
If you do get the surgery, are you still going to pursue TMS? or are you going to be happy with the relief it gives you and continue life as usual? I would suspect without the pain there to help you, you would quickly forget about TMS.
I'm sorry about your predicament, but the more and more I read the more I feel lucky that my pains have never had surgery as suggested cure.
And remember we are all just ordinary people who have accepted Sarno. We are not necessarily going to provide the solution you want... we're going to express our opinions as we feel them. And yes, many of us have been 'paralysed' as you say, far longer than you have, seven weeks is not long to many of us here.
And in any case, whether you have the time or not start your TMS work now.
Please post further questions |
| mala |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 19:50:05
Sam,
Do as Polly says and just calm down. If you read the posts carefully, you will realise that people here are trying to help. There is a lot of good advice being given here and the fact that you are reading it all wrong and getting into a great big huff is highly indicative that
a)you are most likely suffering from tms
b)despite reading Sarno, you are still not receptive to the idea that your pain could be tms.
I have been "cut open" already 3 times. My last surgeon was phenomenal and I went home the day of the operation. I now am realizing it is a temporary solution. You don't understand this pain has made me paralyzed.
You use the words 'cut open'. This already sums up your feelings about surgery. You say your surgeon was phenomenal and yet here you are after 7 years absolutely debilatated. You also keep saying that we don't understand. What you need to understand that there are people who have varying degrees of pain here some not as bad and some even worse. You are not exclusive. Read what they post carefully and read all the old posts that may be relevant to your situation. This is the best thing you can do for yourself.
Listen to yourself. You say you know that you are a classic tms personality but say you don't have time to do the work. What does that mean ? I thought you said you were almost bedridden. Wouldn't that situation allow for time to read and reflect? Also you say you can't see a tms doctor yet you are willing to go under the knife again?
If I were you, this is what I would do. Postpone the surgery, get an appt. to see a tms doctor like Marc Sopher or anyone else near you. Dope yourself up to your eyeballs in order to get there if you have to. If your case is not tms, the dr. will tell you and then you can think of alternatives. In the meantime order Sarno's Mind Body Prescription video real quick and start reading like you really mean it and keep posting.
I am very sorry that you are in such pain and I hope that you feel better soon.
Good Luck & Good Health
Mala |
| Dave |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 19:09:02
quote:
Originally posted by Sam Perry
...It will be my 4th operation in my lower back...This past Wednesday I went into the emergency room for what we thought was a blood clot to my heart because I couldn't breathe. It turns out after all hear exams you can imagine nothing was wrong, but my stomach is inflamed b/c I have been lying down eating for the past 7 weeks...I am desparate and am pursuing surgery b/c don't believe I have the time due to my other health issues and permanant nerve damage. I have the classic TMS personality, and want to pursue this but don't believe I have the time.
Sam, there are so many problems with your way of thinking that I don't know where to start.
First of all, did you really read Dr. Sarno's book? From your message, it doesn't seem like it. If you did, then you didn't absorb (or believe) the concepts.
What do you mean by you don't believe you have the time to pursue TMS treatment?
If you believe that surgery will ease your pain, then you don't believe in the TMS concept, period. Surgery is a placebo in TMS cases.
If you believe that your pain is due to permanent nerve damage, then you don't believe it is TMS.
Based on your message there is a good chance you are suffering from TMS. But also based on your message, there is little chance that you will be successful in treating it, because your thinking is totally inconsistent with the concept of TMS. I strongly suggest you re-read The Mindbody Prescription more carefully. |
| polly |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 18:38:13
Sam,
Take a deep breath and start all over again. The pain is overwhelming you. There is a way out and it's not surgery. You know that. That's why you found this board. For people with TMS, the surgery makes you worse. I'm in that boat now and paddling my way through rocky waters that have been made worse by surgery.
You have to start telling yourself that you can make yourself well. Keep saying it until you believe it and it starts working.
You want relief. It's out there. But, it's not on an operating table. Sarno prescribes pain medication for people so that they can stay clear and focused to do the work. I take pain meds now and I'm trying to get off of them because a)they don't work, b)they cause all kinds of stomach problems and c)it's another crutch I want to be free of.
Keep reading posts here. Get Schecters workbook to start journaling. Do things you don't think you can do.
I'm praying for you,
Polly |
| Sam Perry |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 18:31:01
I don't want to sound rude or unappreciative, but I really don't need sarcastic screaming responses. I am truly searching here, if all I get are judgmental responses that all medical treatment is the devil, then I am sorry I ever came here. I have been "cut open" already 3 times. My last surgeon was phenomenal and I went home the day of the operation. I now am realizing it is a temporary solution. You don't understand this pain has made me paralyzed. I can't travel to a TMS doctor. It's not as if this pain is temporary or manageable for 3-4 months. |
| plainchant |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 16:02:49
I think that reading is only half the story in hardcore TMS cases. I've found journaling to be a powerful pain killer for TMS pain. I think that all these people who are filled with doubt and are consumed with pain, should just starting writing down everything in their life that causes them anger, fear, guilt, and shame whether in the past or present. I'm fairly certain if they wrote until they are exhausted they would find dramatic improvements in their pain. Less thinking, and more writing would be my advice. |
| holly |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 15:47:37
get SURGERY to temporarily relieve the pain? SURGERY??
I DON'T THINK SO! You want to get cut, heal for however long and then do the Sarno thing.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! |
| Sam Perry |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 15:25:51
Thanks for the responses. I am really at my wits end. I have read the Mind Body Prescription and know where I need to be. My question is do I get this surgery to TEMPORARILY relieve this pain and then pursue the TMS approach as a long term solution. I know it sounds unbelievable that I say I am healthy, all of my friends here (I live in Arizona) are dumbfounded with this situation. |
| Kavita |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 14:13:20
Dear Sam,
I am sorry you are in so much pain. If you have not yet done so, you must read Dr. Sarno's books, as it will take some time for you to get an appt with a TMS doctor. The fact that your doctors have no diagnosis for you, compounded with the inability of the painkillers to have any effect, along with the stomach distress, is all indicative of TMS. The personality is the clincher. Read the MindBody Prescription, and you'll see what we are all talking about. The first thing you must do, if you are ready, is accept that there is nothing structurally wrong with you. Your emotions have triggered a physiological response in your body (via the release of stress hormones by your brain, among other things) that account for your symptoms.
If you peruse the forum you will see entries by many people who deeply regret having surgery, so I urge you to think long and hard as to whether you want to go down that road again. And before you have surgery, you must ready Sarno's Healing Back Pain, which includes many letters from patients who were once bedridden with pain and now are very physically active.
If you accept TMS, disconnect yourself from all the people who are looking to find or fix a structural problem in your back. Look inside, see what kinds of things in your life are upsetting you. You'd be surprised at what you uncover.
Welcome to the forum. |
| UK james |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 13:27:16
If you live in the usa why not see dr sarno or another tms doctor? |
| holly |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 12:57:32
Four surgeries on your back at your age??? You say your a very healthy person, yet so many problems! Now you find yourself here. Your just waiting for one us to tell you what you already subconciously know. I am no doctor(doesn't mean much if you are one on this site anyway)but sounds like your ENTIRE situation is TMS!!!Welcome ! |
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