| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| TaylorJoh |
Posted - 01/13/2013 : 12:52:08
Hi everyone,
It's been a long time since I've posted. I've been dealing with a lot of non-TMS related health issues. I just got back from a 6 day stint at the hospital due to bowel obstruction. It was the worst pain I've ever had. I also had a NG tube put in that was extremely traumatic.
I had to be held down (with my consent) to get it put in. I have a lot of sinus problems, I can never breath out of my nose as they are always blocked and swollen. So it was extremely painful and very uncomfortable.
I begged my nurse and anyone who would listen to me to take it out. Nobody would unless they had doctors orders. So, I took the ng tube out myself. I know, crazy.
After I took it out, I felt no residual effects except trauma lol. My nose or throat didn't hurt much. But now I think because of the trauma my esophagus is spasming and I'm having a hard time swallowing.
I'm going to be seeing a TMS specialist in Sacramento when I am cleared to drive. I ended up having a seizure due to severe dehydration.
But in the meantime, does anyone have any advice on how to deal with TMS related pain when you have real structural pain? I want to automatically just not think about everything that transpired during my hospital stay, but at the same time I want to deal with it. I just don't know how to when I have "real" issues such as hernias, infections, blockage, etc.
Any help?
Thanks,
Taylor |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| chickenbone |
Posted - 01/15/2013 : 10:24:27
Hi TT,
You are right about TMS. The protocol is to ignore it, when the pain forces itself upon my attention, I start thinking psychological and that usually works. At that point I know that I must feel my emotions. I need to examine what is bothering me and reinforce the notion of "you must either change it or accept it." I can honestly say that TMS doesn't interfere much with anything that I want to do. I am doing well with my TMS pain right now because I am trying to deal with my unhappiness in Panama emotionally, instead of just repressing it. I also have childhood issues, but I think I have resolved most of that. It has only been in the last 6 months or so, while working on TMS, that I have really had to admit to myself that, in spite of the obviously good things about being here, I really don't like Panama and I especially don't like Panamanians. Most expats don't last here for more than five years. The ones who stay end up having very low regard for the country or it's people and become quite cynical. There is absolutely nothing to recommend Panama or it's people. Those expats who stay manage to somehow mitigate the extreme depravity that is the Panamanian people, the Panamanian Government and Panama itself.
We have a beautiful property on the beach and a great Panamanian family that we employ to do the work. This has worked out great. I have several Panamanian friends, most of whom have lived in the US at one time or another. THEY all dislike and distrust most other Panamanians and Panama. They always ask me why we stay here, they are here because they have no choice. Unfortunately, we may be in that camp also because the corrupt Panamanian Government promised us in 2009 to give us title to our property, which we have improved dramatically. They have since reneged on the promise even though this is illegal. They want a huge bribe. So attempting to sell could be very hazardous. We now plan to wait for the next administration, which probably won't be any better than this one.
Oh and you might be interested in how we keep safe here. Our house was robbed several times when we lived in Boquete and because of it I was not able to sleep. When we moved here, we decided never to be terrorized again. We bought several guns and practiced firing them on the beach. When the cops arrived, we explained that the guns were licensed and we were just practicing. Our American friend was with us, who was a cop in the US. This exercise was to send a message what could happen if anyone tried to rob us. It really worked. I also have several attack dogs that would literally kill anyone who sets foot on our property. The Panamanians in the area basically like us, but are terrified to do anything to cross us. I also regularly tell different ones that our property is haunted and that I speak with the spirits all the time. This really terrifies them. The result of all this is that I can sleep at night. And, surprisingly, we mostly have a good relationship with them. Unfortunately, this is the only language they understand. I don't like dealing with human beings in this fashion, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I think this is mostly the reason for my TMS. It bothers me more than it bothers my husband. I think this is because of my childhood trust issues. The main problem with Panamanians is their STUPIDITY, not that they have bad hearts. They are mostly happy because they don't have the intelligence to be unhappy about anything. There is so much truth in the statement "Ignorance is bliss".
I try to stuff my true feelings around my husband, who feels really bad when I tell him how much I dislike living here. I don't want to make him feel badly.
To give you an example. When we first came here, we were always told, "do not give any money to a Panamanian". This is equivalent to "don't feed the bears when in the park". The reason is the same, if you feed the bears or give money to the Panamanians, they will come after you. They will never leave you alone. Some people have to find this out the hard way. Last night, a dirt poor Panamanian family showed up at my gate. My husband had given them money several times while in town. We were very unhappy that they had found out where we lived because we had to wonder if they planned to rob us. I smiled, told them how happy I was to see them, but alas, my dogs are so vicious that I cannot let you inside the gate.
We do have some good times here, it is not all bad. We have many friends, but most of them are Canadians and other Americans, some are wealthier Panamanians, who have nothing but contempt for their poorer counterparts. In fact they are so class conscious, they we have to be really careful when inviting Panamanians to our parties.
I really want to come back to the US, but it will be at least several years before we can manage it.
I hope this serves as a warning to anyone who thinks the "grass is greener" and wants to move to a third world country. To have an adventure is great, but to get stuck somewhere like we did can be a mistake.
Thanks, TT for letting me vent. I feel so much better. I hope I haven't bored everyone. |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 01/15/2013 : 07:12:45
quote:
Originally posted by chickenbone
It is reasonable to suppose that we can never be sure which pains and discomforts can be attributed to one or the other. I think one contributes to the other and visa versa. All we can do is continue to follow our TMS protocol and peel back the layers. Eventually the light will come.
Hi CB,
The TMS "protocol" is ignore it, it's benign, get on with your life. What are your plans to do after the "light comes"? What do you do down in Panama for kicks? How did you wind up down there? I would open a business called "Locks and Bagels". How do they kill the mosquitoes since the banning of DDT? Is malaria making a comeback down there? How did you give yourself the name Chickenbone? |
| chickenbone |
Posted - 01/14/2013 : 12:01:34
Hi Mala,
I had a somewhat similar state of affairs last year. I was doing well with my TMS back pain and anxiety about 2 years ago. Then I gradually began developing more and more distressing symptoms. I developed frequent urination, tendency to become easily dehydrated, frequent sore throats, bad allergies and nasal congestion and GERD. I was also becoming more and more forgetful and cranky. Since I have Hashimoto's, I decided to see an Endocrinologist to find out if there was anything up with that. Well there wasn't. The Endo did tests for serum calcium and PTH. It turned out that I had a parathyroid tumor (always non-cancerous) and that was causing my serum calcium to be too high and it also caused osteoporosis. I had the surgery done last September. It was simple and I recovered well. However, I really didn't know which of my symptoms were parathyroid and which were TMS or both. However, for about 3 month after my surgery, my TMS back pain got much worse. Maybe this was because of the health anxiety caused by the parathyroid issue. Anyway, eventually, I figured out which were related to the parathyroid because those went away. The only thing I was left with was the TMS issues that I had all of my life: anxiety, back pain and sleep problems. So now I am working on the TMS again. However, now I am making a lot of progress with my TMS. I am not completely sure why, but perhaps because I am much more relaxed than before and I found this forum which is wonderful.
It is reasonable to suppose that we can never be sure which pains and discomforts can be attributed to one or the other. I think one contributes to the other and visa versa. All we can do is continue to follow our TMS protocol and peel back the layers. Eventually the light will come.
I not sure if this helps. I wish the best for you. |
| mala |
Posted - 01/14/2013 : 04:24:07
Taylor, I'm so sorry to hear about everything you've been through. Coz we hadn't heard from you in a while, I emailed you a couple of times but maybe you didn't get the messages so no worries.
I don't know how you would deal with TMS issues when you are experiencing pain from structural pain. Do they overlap or do you feel them as entirely separate? Seeing a TMS specialist is a good idea . But I imagine you would still need to see non TMS specialists for your other problems & to get proper pain management & treatment for your infections.
Would it be better to recover & heal from the 'real physical issues' first. Then when you are stronger then you can go back to focusing on TSM issues? Just a thought?
Take care.
mala
Mala Singh Barber. I'm on facebook. Look me up
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| tennis tom |
Posted - 01/13/2013 : 17:23:27
quote:
Originally posted by TaylorJoh
I'm going to be seeing a TMS specialist in Sacramento when I am cleared to drive.
Sorry to hear about your travails, I'm sure some folks here will post in about your issues. Who is the TMS specialist in Sacto? Never heard of one there, we can put him/her on the practitioners list. Can't you get anyone to drive you there to expedite things?
G'luck!
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DR. SARNO'S 12 DAILY REMINDERS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0dKBFwGR0g
TAKE THE HOLMES-RAHE STRESS TEST
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_and_Rahe_stress_scale
Some of my favorite excerpts from _THE DIVIDED MIND_ :
http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2605
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"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." Jiddu Krishnamurti
"Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional." Author Unknown
"Happy People Are Happy Putters." Frank Nobilo, Golf Analyst
"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint." Mark Twain and Balto
"The hot-dog is the noblest of dogs; it feeds the hand that bites it." Dr. Laurence Johnston Peter
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"If it ends with "itis" or "algia" or "syndrome" and doctors can't figure out what causes it, then it might be TMS." Dave the Mod
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TMS PRACTITIONERS:
John Sarno, MD
400 E 34th St, New York, NY 10016
(212) 263-6035
Here's the TMS practitioners list from the TMS Help Forum:
http://www.tmshelp.com/links.htm
Here's a list of TMS practitioners from the TMS Wiki:
http://tmswiki.org/ppd/Find_a_TMS_Doctor_or_Therapist
Here's a map of TMS practitioners from the old Tarpit Yoga site, (click on the map by state for listings).:
http://www.tarpityoga.com/2007_08_01_archive.html |
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