| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| bryan3000 |
Posted - 02/08/2013 : 21:54:34
This is long. But illustrated something very well, I thought...
So, a coworker brings a friend into the office and we're all sitting in my office chatting for quite a while. It becomes obvious this friend of his we'll call Matt has been through a real spell of health concern. Essentially, he's had two very minor blood clots in his leg. Neither were threatening and both treated right away. But, he had to be on medication and he was extremely nervous about it. Said the medicine gave him side effects, etc. He thought it made him an old person. He was obviously nervous about the condition and took it personally, as well. He mentioned he had lost weight due to worry, and felt weak. (He had been a runner prior to the clot.)
Through conversation, it also became clear that he was an anxiety personality. (Takes one to know one.) He fit the bill. Creative guy (musician).. very intelligent, very caring and seemed like a good person. Pretty much the standard profile for anxiety. He seemed consumed with the effects this could have on his life. He hated the idea of wearing a little bracelet because of the medication. He also spoke of various aches and pains that moved around his body. (Sound familiar?) He essentially admitted to having great anxiety over the problem, though it was apparent he had great anxiety in general. (He also spoke of financial worry, etc.) This man was inside his head... often. Wasn't hard to recognize.
After all, I am in the process of recovering from a myriad of health issues, mostly stress/anxiety-created and sustained.
So, just then I remember... hey, another co-worker of ours we'll call Pete had blood clot issues. I thought, hey... let's call him down into my office and see if he's wiling to share a bit. (He's a very cool, laid back guy.) So, we call Pete down. He comes in. I take the lead to ask some questions for Matt's sake, since the two didn't know each other...
Me: So Pete, you had a couple of blood clots, no?
Pete: Yeah, two big ones, one in each leg.
Me: So how is it now?
Pete: Oh, fine. No problem.
Me: But are you on meds?
Pete: Oh yea, meds for life or until I hear differently.
Me: No issues?
Pete: Nah.
Me: But, don't you worry about bleeding issues if you cut yourself?
Pete: Not really. They wanted me to wear this stupid bracelet but I threw it away. If the mediation is doing its job, I'm where I need to be anyway. I'm not worried about it. The only annoying thing is the compression sock I have to wear, but I just take it off when I play basketball.
Me: Oh right! You play ball at lunch twice a week here outside right?
Pete: Yeah. You've probably seen my calves after I play. They swell up like a fat old lady. (Laughs)
Me: So is that dangerous? Aren't you worried about playing?
Pete: Nah. It goes down after a while.
Me: Wow, but didn't you tell me you were close to losing your leg after one of your blood clots?
Pete: Yeah. But here they are.
Me: That could have seriously affected your basketball game.
Pete: No, probably not. (Laughs) .... anyway, awesome meeting you Matt, I have to jump back to work. Have a great visit!
--
Pete walks out, closes the door... we all just sort of sit quiet for a minute looking at each other.
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| 13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| bryan3000 |
Posted - 02/10/2013 : 01:59:47
quote:
Originally posted by shawnsmith
quote:
Originally posted by bryan3000
Shawn,
Sorry, I thought the point of my story would be plainly obvious.
Blood clots are obviously medical issues to be dealt with immediately.
The story was about the differnce between a TMS personality type, and a non-TMS type.
Well, I read it as one need not be concerned about a blood clot and that it can be treated as a TMS symptoms like any other. Blood clots are potentially deadly.
Yeah, that wasn't it at all. Way off. |
| pan |
Posted - 02/09/2013 : 11:37:23
Oh, I'm not referring to that particular story but the Daily Mail have a long standing reputation in the UK for the quality and standard of their health related reporting. I gave up looking at the front pages of the Daily Mail and Daily Express a long time ago. :)
Wake me up with your amphetamine blast
Take me by the collar and throw me out into the world
Rock me gently & send me dreaming of something tender
I was brought here to pay homage to the beat surrender
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| shawnsmith |
Posted - 02/09/2013 : 11:23:17
quote:
Originally posted by pan
Shawn...you lost me at the Daily Mail with that link you posted. All the UK members will understand that. ;)
What do you mean Pan? That the girl did not die of a blood clot because the Daily Mail reported on it? I am not clear regarding what you are inferring. |
| shawnsmith |
Posted - 02/09/2013 : 11:21:39
quote:
Originally posted by bryan3000
Shawn,
Sorry, I thought the point of my story would be plainly obvious.
Blood clots are obviously medical issues to be dealt with immediately.
The story was about the differnce between a TMS personality type, and a non-TMS type.
Well, I read it as one need not be concerned about a blood clot and that it can be treated as a TMS symptoms like any other. Blood clots are potentially deadly. |
| pan |
Posted - 02/09/2013 : 09:55:45
Shawn...you lost me at the Daily Mail with that link you posted. All the UK members will understand that. ;)
Wake me up with your amphetamine blast
Take me by the collar and throw me out into the world
Rock me gently & send me dreaming of something tender
I was brought here to pay homage to the beat surrender
|
| bryan3000 |
Posted - 02/09/2013 : 09:43:14
Shawn,
Sorry, I thought the point of my story would be plainly obvious.
Blood clots are obviously medical issues to be dealt with immediately.
The story was about the differnce between a TMS personality type, and a non-TMS type.
|
| Ace1 |
Posted - 02/09/2013 : 06:23:43
Hi Shawn, I agree, I don't know if you saw my previous discussion with Andy on this board saying that they should be treated medically as they can be life threatening. I think however they should also be treated psychologically too. One day when I have more time ill give you all some real life examples of cases where it makes it pretty clear its a severe form of TMS. |
| shawnsmith |
Posted - 02/09/2013 : 05:56:01
A blood clot is something to seriously worry about as they are unpredictable. Don't mess around with this kind of stuff as they can kill you if left untreated. My wife had one in her leg and her doctor freaked out right away. She was immediately sent to a blood clot clinic and it had to be closely monitored for several weeks.
I have read that as many as 25,000 people every year die in the UK due to blood clots, which is more deaths than from breast cancer, HIV and road traffic accidents combined.
See also: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2072113/Our-daughter-died-fatal-blood-clot-just-hours-doctor-sent-home-antibiotics-say-grieving-parents.html#axzz2KPGRS7Pg |
| pan |
Posted - 02/09/2013 : 01:36:05
As another little aside to this and somewhat relevant I recall reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as a young lad and being struck by a small piece that seemed to reflect my personality. This became hugely important to me when my health issues surfaced 25 odd years later.
The main character at one point notices a rattle coming from his handlebar on his bike and this starts to annoy him, the rattle seems to get louder and being unable to locate the source of the rattle is starts to increase his anxiety and then eats into his enjoyment of his bike and the trip he is taking...in short the rattle becomes all encompassing. Finally his companion locates the source of the rattle and gives him a metal shim made out of a Coke can, this shim slots into a small gap on the handlebar and the rattle is gone. The main character is happy but a few miles later it starts eating at him that a piece of old Coke can is 'holding' his bike together and the whole of his bike seems devalued and the trip once again becomes pointless. Finally he stops at a dealer and buys an official handlebar shim for $100 which is exactly the same as the Coke shim but now all is right in his world once again.
I suppose many people will think what the hell is that to do with TMS/stress illness but for me it was hugely significant and if we can see the thought and behaviours we bring to life aspects and then how we could be using them on judging our health and bodies then this can be truly enlightening.
Whilst Sarno talks about the significance of specific personality types developing TMS I also think it hugely significant in how personality types allow TMS/stress illness to become chronic. I think the think is once we fall victim to the condition we then often try and solve this 'problem' with all out problem solving skills that we have built up over the years and which we believe have served us well....we all too often never realise that it's often the problem solving skills that have caused the issue in the first place and then we end up standing by totally bewildered as the latest problem totally fails to respond in the way we assumed it would.
For me, the huge barrier and what made my condition chronic was the constant idea, belief and demand that I wanted my health issues to go and that therefore this was enough and that then all would be well. It didn't even register to me at the time that the craving for the 'return to normality' and my constant appraisal of my symptoms and wishing on them to go was the very thing giving them oxygen and keeping them alive. Once I did realise this and allowed myself to finally just sit and be as opposed to think I owed it to myself to constantly research a cure and be proactive improvements came along very quickly.
Wake me up with your amphetamine blast
Take me by the collar and throw me out into the world
Rock me gently & send me dreaming of something tender
I was brought here to pay homage to the beat surrender
|
| pan |
Posted - 02/09/2013 : 01:02:05
Yep, funny isn't it.
I see the good old splinter as a good litmus test indicator as to how people define their bodies, their health and levels of body perfectionism.
Some people will get a splinter, notice it in there and just think no worries and will just wait for that bad boy to work its way out. Now, the next set of people will immediately feel that splinter, see it in there and get anxious. That splinter is inside their body and is destroying the idea of bodily perfection and they just cannot allow that and cannot just sit and be with that tiny sliver of wood. They will squeeze it, suck it and soak it and then often will dig at it with a pin hoping to just get at it and remove it.
During my health anxiety periods and frequent tri weekly doctor visits he would remark as to how different people could be regarding health perception. Some people would literally have to have blood pouring from every orifice before they 'bothered' him whilst others would be there in panic over any tiny newly perceived body symptom or noise. He also indicated that the level of health perception often appeared to be closely tied to personality type and life experience.
Interesting stuff.
Wake me up with your amphetamine blast
Take me by the collar and throw me out into the world
Rock me gently & send me dreaming of something tender
I was brought here to pay homage to the beat surrender
|
| alix |
Posted - 02/08/2013 : 23:00:43
At my worst, I had blood clots in the area of my symptoms (right thigh). Not on the other asymptomatic opposite leg amazingly enough. |
| bryan3000 |
Posted - 02/08/2013 : 22:45:39
Oddly, Ace... my co-worker had specifically wanted me to talk to this friend about mind/body issues. (My coworker was aware of my struggles and some success.) It was hard for me to bring myself to say that I thought his clots were anxiety/TMS. But, here's an interesting point... Matt himself believed it was related to stress. He said he didn't know how, but he was just sure it had something to do with what was going on in his life. Unfortunately, he wasn't approaching the issue like Pete, and I predict he'll have to get down to serious work before things get better. But, he's open... that's the start of it all.
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| Ace1 |
Posted - 02/08/2013 : 22:29:56
Well, do you remember that I have maintained that blood clots are a more severe form of TMS? i see this kind of stuff all day. Which is why I came up with my conclusions. IF you truly understand TMS and are exposed to sick people, I don't think it takes much skill to recognize this. The problem is most tmsers don't see ths, thus don't believe. |
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