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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
 Posted - 09/29/2005 : 17:07:38
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Hi all,
I have been on a huge medical roller coaster diagnosed with everything to acid reflux, gallstones, costochondritis.
It began with pain under my sternum that radiated and moved into diffrent areas from my ribs.
It started when I was sitting down and eating went away then came back a year and a half later and has stayed with me for almost a year now
I have lower and upper rib pains that come and go all day. I went to a specialist a thoracic surgeon to rule out what i thought it might be "Slipping rib syndrome".
The doctor did a test called the hooking manuver to try an ellict the pain but it didnt happen. He said I should get a ct scan of my chest to see what more is going on. He said my sonogram wasnt really good enough.
I visited him today and I feel relief that it isnt what I thought it was but now the search continues.
The funny part is I think that is my last dr visit I dont think iam going to get a ct scan I have already had ultrasounds and xrays as well as endoscopys.
I met Dr Sarno onTuesday. He asked about my history emotionally and psysically. He wrote everything down to a tee and didnt want to exclude any physical problem.
He examined me touched certain areas but it didnt hurt me accept when he touched areas on my ribs. He kind of new where they would be tender by saying "Of course thats where you hurt".
After examination I went back to his office and he proceeded to tell me that I have nothing wrong with me and that I have TMS. He scheduled me for the lectures but also said I would need pyschotherapy so he gave me the number of therapist he only wants me to work with.
I feel things popping and doing wierd things in my rib cage he didnt feel they caused alarm he said my problems are 100 percent tms and that it will take me awhile to get better.
I have been on such an emotional band wangon regarding doctors and diagnosis and just plain lies to get me out of there office.
I trust Sarno but another part of me doesnt and thinks he only wants my money (probably because of my past with doctors).
Dr.Sarno told me to stop reading possible diagnosis and not to take anymore tests or see anymore doctors. He is certain I have tms and he said the inflammation and minimal edema near my ribs is a normal process that will happen to me and that isnt my problem.
He said things they find there would not cause me pain here etc.
I mentioned that I use to have stomach problems maybe 3 times a year since I was 17 where I would puke for 1 day straight and would be dizzy for days after that, I also use to get colds all the time. Since I have had this pain I have had no stomach problems or colds!!! Which makes me want to beleive it is TMS!
Anyway Dr.Sarno gave me a paper and said it was my homework. I started doing it yesterday and I notice the pain is slightly duller. I took out an old notebook I had when I had attempted to journal many years ago and noticed my first entry was about how I did not get along with my brother.
Now this was the last thing on my list of pressures and problems infact I havent even thought about it but instead I decided to write an essay about how I felt that day in 1998 regarding my brother. I got so upset at him for the first time in years! There was just so much to write that I couldnt finish at all last night so I will contiue to do it tonight.
So my question is Dr.Sarno diagnosed me with tms 100 percent and nothing else can I take his words to heart? I just have some trust issues that I have to get over.
Everyone mentions back and knees but can ribs also be tms?
Thanks for reading my story |
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marytabby
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2005 : 17:38:02
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If Sarno says ribs is TMS, he knows best. I'd go with his RX of reading homework and whatever other work he prescribes. What do you have to lose by simply giving it your 100% determination? Nothing. You have nothing to lose except whatever you spent on the book(s) which is not much. If I had the chance to meet Sarno and get a personalized diagnosis, I'd do whatever he suggests, because thus far nothing else has helped. Your search may be nearing an end. He's helped a lot of us who have never seen him, just read the material!
Good luck. |
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Stryder
686 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2005 : 20:17:20
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Yes, the medical biz will keep you on the treadmill forever and never diagnose your true affliction, TMS. Dr. Sarno has written 3 books, you might want to read all three just to see how his diagnosis has evolved over the years.
The best part about Dr. Sarno's treatment plan is that you have nothing to loose but your pain. Its not based on surgery, or meds (except maybe painkillers in some cases), or saying, "Mr. So and So, we really don't know what is causing this."
I invite you to read back thru the posts archived here on this forum, and you will see how many different types of afflictions are caused by TMS.
So, do the work that Dr. Sarno has given you, keep journaling if that helps you, and keep the faith, you are on your way.
Take care, -Stryder |
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n/a
560 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2005 : 20:39:12
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I agree with Stryder that "you have nothing to loose but your pain."
Try Dr. Sarno's method for one month and see what takes place. Read the Psychology and Treatment Chapters in his "Healing Back Pain" book over and over again and allow the message to sink in. I think with all the tests you have had you can rule out anything serious. Yes, for the TMS sufferer the pain is real but the source of that pain is not the body but buried deep within in the psyche.
Best wishes. |
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Jim1999
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2005 : 22:20:24
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About 15 or 20 years ago, I had an incident of severe rib pain. The pain was located at the border between the ribs and the sternum. The doctor told me that I might have strained something; I think it was the muscles. Fortunately, the pain went away on its own.
That was several years before I learned about Dr. Sarno. I now consider that chest pain to be TMS. I've had that type of rib pain at least once since applying Dr. Sarno's techniques. The pain was very short-lived, which I attribute to Sarno's treatment.
Take care,
Jim |
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redskater
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2005 : 09:17:56
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From what I've gathered about Dr. Sarno is that he isn't about the money at all! Most of the time he tells people to read the books. I'd have given anything to have known about him when my symptoms first started. I'd have gladly paid his fee, moved to NY for the lectures and still been way ahead of the game financially. And on top of that been pain free. Sarno has given me my life back and I've never met him. YOu are lucky to have gotten the chance. TMS can and does strike anywhere. I've had it in my elbow, tailbone, mid back and ribs too. Believe it, do the work, do it everyday and you will see the difference. Journaling is a tremendous help, and conquering the fear is in my opinion the most important thing that helped me.
Good luck on your journey,
Cheers,
Gaye |
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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2005 : 10:07:55
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Whoa thanks for the input guys!!! I really thank you all for the info.
What bothers me regarding the mind is my mother has mingraines and I beleive that her problem is all TMS 100 percent from what I read.
She is a very emotionaly battered woman who had to drink vodka just so she could yell at everyone!!!
My brother had prostatis which after 3 years we relized it was a mind body problem. He had every test known to man and they couldnt find anything wrong with him to the point where he was urinating just a drop and was in such a burning pain!
He was diagnosed with stds, prostadinia, prostatis until one day a new doctor and my new current doctor decided he would put my brother on paxil and in a matter of 2 weeks his pain was gone!! It was also coincidently the same day as 9-11-01.
My brothers doctor put me on zoloft and paxil and that didnt help a bit, it just made me angry and the paxil made my stomach hurt.
I admit I have been thru alot emotionally regarding family etc then my brother has.
I guess I just need more mental convincing then paxil or any anti whatever can offer. But it does scare me that nothing subsided when I took it.
My mind played a little game with me this morning making me think I had some type of tumor or some sort. Now I am much better because I reflected on how this came about and it was caffiene that initiated all this.
Its obvious this is a mind body disorder but what can I do so I can stay on the mind set all day that it is nothing more then tms? I am fine towards the end of the night knowing it is tms but then when I wake up i get all paranoid like nothing ever happend!!!!
Does anyone have any idea what I should do when I wake up in the morning?
Thanks again all for your insight. I feel much better that I can talk to people everyday who are familiar with this.
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2005 : 15:32:45
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quote:
Does anyone have any idea what I should do when I wake up in the morning?
Keep reminding yourself of the improvements you have experienced since learning about TMS. The fact that you have experienced improvements, however small, means there must be something in it.
Progress can be slow in the beginning, because it can take time to accept the idea fully. But if you stick with it, you’ll start to notice larger improvements, your confidence in the diagnosis will grow, and the improvements will get even bigger.
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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2005 : 17:40:50
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Well it has been my 2nd day fully accepting TMS as my final diagnosis. Even though I feel a pressure feeling in my ribs and sort of like a bit of movement I was assured by Dr.Sarno this was nothing.
It has been my 2nd day and I can say iam doing better then I thought. I had a bit of a paranoid thought a few hours ago however it didnt last long once I read my parts of mindbody rx that said "Pressure,burning are all tms".
This morning it left my ribs for a few seconds and gave me a headache then a kneeache above the cap. Now iam just left with a pressure in my left side of the rib cage.
Ahh Iam so happy I have some progress and that Dr Sarno was right about other doctors. Antinflammatorys and heat was all that they would prescribe.
I was writing about stuff this morning that really hurt me and I felt as if something lifted from my body. My mind was making me think about diffrent things so I wouldnt think about this bad time in my life.
I wanted to put on the tv so bad but I didnt and Iam glad I wrote down what I did.
Anyway it looks good and I can't wait for the lecture on Monday.
Thanks for the insight people |
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pault
USA
169 Posts |
Posted - 10/02/2005 : 05:53:21
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| In the worst case possible with your ribs;what could happen? So far you have had this problem for how many years? What has become of it? What have the Doctors found? Nothing,nothing,nothing! Sounds like it is all psysologically induced = tms.You are on the right track,with nothing to fear,but fear.Keep working at it and laugh at the rib thing,enjoy life. Paul. |
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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 10/02/2005 : 12:26:03
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Hey thanks for replying.
I have been lied to so many times my doctors just so the insurance would cover my tests!
I had no idea what to believe. But I guess i should trust Sarno and if he suspected something more he would have probably sent me to a diffrent type of doctor before being admited in his program.
So far the pain has lessoned and has stayed that way. Last night I had the beginings of a bad attack then I just shrugged it off and it went away in a few minutes.
This pressure feeling on my left side is just a bit of a nag I guess its normal. I told Dr Sarno I feel popping sensations I guess everyone pops in diffrent places haha. Sometimes the pressure is relieved by the popping is this normal?
But in general it is my 3rd day and Iam feeling level. The pain isnt bad it isnt good its content.
These have been the best 3 days I will admit. I dont pay it anymind and it seems to be working. Plus I drank coffee today and it hasnt made it worst.
This all began after a heavy session of caffiene. No wonder it is Americas best pyschosymatic drug.
I use to use it to get a happy feeling when I was depressed, which was all the time.
Sorry for the long vents guys just want to know of people out there who were worst then me that did much much better.
I guess thats what the lectures are for and to maybe talk to some people who went thru is program in person. But speaking to all of you online is great too!!
I just wish you were all here so I can speak to you in person.
Thanks again guys! I will keep you posted on what the good doctor said to me. Tomorrow is my lecture!!!! |
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redskater
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2005 : 09:15:59
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would really like to hear how you liked the lecture. I have the tapes and have found it so invaluable to actually here him talk about TMS. Please let us know how it went.
Cheers,
Gaye |
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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2005 : 11:42:28
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I will post here after the lecture later tonight.
So far I have been having a problem with conditioning. Iam so condtioned that I go to the bathroom the same times everyday, It was a little not I made back when all these pains have first started that was one of the little glitches I noticed about my system,
After this I have really become intune with my body.
So far I have been doing really well. I can;t shake the paranoid thoughts I get in the morning. My girlfriend told me she thinks its my unconcious trying to mess around with me so I can have a bad day thinking about pain etc.
Do any of you agree with this?
I think it also happens because when I go to bed I have no pains then in the middle of the night when I go to the bathroom the pains come back as soon as I lie down and try to go to sleep again.
It certainly is a wierd thing
The lecture ends earlier tonight so Iam sure I will be on.
I will let you all know how it goes
Thanks all |
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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2005 : 17:47:58
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Hi all ,
I just came back from the lecture and it put some things into perspective. Sarno said the popping clicking feelings i have that releive pressure are induced by my mind. There is nothing being pressurized for this to happen.
Today I had a bit of a flare up I walked a long time today and iam figuring this is the conditioning process that made this happen.
I told him how it was a bad day but not as worst as before. He told me there will be days like that and not to worry. He told me my ribs hurt because of nerves in my upper spine and tms is the problem.
He said pyschotherapy will help with my morning panic feelings that i dont have tms. Ahh it feels good to be reassured.
This morning I kind of new it would be a bad day for the tms probably because I doubted it at around 5am but iam getting it back again.
Thanks all |
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rtnort
1 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2005 : 09:32:58
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Hi all (newbie here),
I purchased Dr. Sarno's first book years ago, and briefly skimmed through it, but that was it. Like most of you, I've been through the gamut - surgeries, tests, chiropractors, blah blah blah. So I picked up my book again about a month ago. The concept seems so abstract, that maybe I'm not "getting" it, and it's hindering my recovery. I mean, you can't help but get hit with stressful situations (i.e. death, break-ups, etc). I have realized, however, that *after* an extremely stressful time, after the dust has settled, that's when the back pain flares up again. That would confuse me. And upon reading this, I'm wondering if my 20+ year old psoriasis condition has been caused by TMS after all!
So I've decided to get serious and not half-a** it this time. I've been slowly feeling better, and continue keeping very active (I play a lot of sports, exercise, etc). But I think the anxiety from the recent news events have caused it to flare up again(?). It's kind of confusing, that anger is the root of TMS, yet you're supposed to get "angry" at yourself/your brain? I'm just trying to sort it out. I don't have any info on Dr. Sarno's lectures, and don't live in the area (does he tour?). Has anyone purchased his videos, and would you feel they are beneficial? I have his first book, The Mind-Body Connection. Is his second, The Mindbody Prescription, simply a reiteration of his first, or do you think it's worth getting as well? |
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redskater
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2005 : 09:43:36
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rtnort, I have his 2nd and 3rd books, "Healing back Pain" and "Mindbody Prescription". I read both of them in a continuous cycle, meaning I finish one and start the other and I just keep trying to read a few pages everyday to reinforce the diagnoses and treatment. Sarno says Knowlege is the key to getting better. I also have the lecture series that you can purchase on his web site. I have listened to it a few times and have found it to be invaluable. I don't think he tours, but the video series is what he lectures about in person. As far as the books go, I've found good and sometimes different info in both books. I think they are both equally important, I recommend them both.
Gaye |
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Stryder
686 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2005 : 10:35:35
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quote:
Originally posted by rtnort
Hi all (newbie here),
So I've decided to get serious and not half-a** it this time.
Hi rtnort,
Yes, I agree with you, you need to do the work and not just pay lip service to your TMS. BTW, next time post a new topic, you have posted in the middle of icelikeaninja's thread.
I have realized, however, that *after* an extremely stressful time, after the dust has settled, that's when the back pain flares up again. That would confuse me.
That's common, the stressful situation was serving as a distraction to the psychological problems your mind is trying to hide from you. As soon as the situation passes, your brain turns on the pain to distract you since the first distraction has gone.
And upon reading this, I'm wondering if my 20+ year old psoriasis condition has been caused by TMS after all!
Very likely.
It's kind of confusing, that anger is the root of TMS, yet you're supposed to get "angry" at yourself/your brain? I'm just trying to sort it out.
Getting "angry at your brain" is a method of fighting back, and putting a stake in the ground that you know your pain is TMS and not from a physical condition. You have to unlearn years of conditioning. You have to accept that you have unconscious rage from unsolved psychological issues, and that the only way to get better is to accept the TMS dignosis and do the work Dr. Sarno spells out in his books.
Hope this helps, -Stryder |
Edited by - Stryder on 10/04/2005 10:43:04 |
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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2005 : 15:41:10
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So today i saw the intake therapist today she is going to call me in 3 days so I can set up appointments with my real therapist.
She thought I was a little too young, but still understood (22) what I was going through. She didnt dismiss me at all. Very nice woman.
Anyway I told her my life story is a nutshell and she understood why I have so much pain now!!
She said she didnt know of anyone who had my symptoms but agreed with Sarno it is TMS. I told her how I was a bit hesitant to accept the program because one doctor said I should get a ct scan before.
She said if it will make me feel better mentally then go an do it but not without consulting Dr Sarno first.
I worry so much about tumors etc and I get so scared but I think after a few session of therapy I will be ok with my anxiety factor.
I asked the woman how long did it take for people to recover from there pain she said it varys from person to person it could take 6 days 6 weeks or 6 months it depends on how much we fish out during our sessions.
Do all of you think I have had enough tests to rule anything serious out? ( 2 Chest sonogram, 2ab ultrasound, endoscopy , x rays)?
I am actually looking foward to this therapy she mentioned a few things off hand that might be causing the pain that happend the same week i started having the constant pain. 3 major things happend to me that week!!.
Thanks for dealing with me guys haha
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2005 : 07:12:06
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You are now a patient of Dr. Sarno. If he believes there is a chance something is seriously wrong he will order the appropriate tests.
Follow his program, and take a long-term view. In all likelyhood you are a healthy 22-year old with TMS and a boatload of anxiety. Work on your psychological issues with your therapist and try to forget about the symptoms. Laugh them away. You have your whole life ahead of you. You can afford to work for 6 months, a year, or however long it takes, to eradicate your TMS. |
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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2005 : 16:17:36
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Hey Dave thanks for the insight. I know and am beginging to trust this dianosis. Iam jsut worried that i could have some arthritis of some sort and thats what worries me.
But thats not even the case I will admit I had thought it was other things as well because it described them to a T but I always turned out wrong.
Anyway hopfully working with the therapist will shed some light on why I cannot trust anything anybody said. I am jounaling and writing over and over in a seperate notebook "there is nothing wrong with me body I am fine" that seemed to work today.
Sarno said if I get pains take a tylenol and stop thinking about it. the tylenol has worked to take the edge off which means its probably nothing serious if it can do alteast that much.
thanks for your support I admit I have some mental issues that need resolving.
We are taught for so many years dealing with ourselves and our relatives that medication and surgery are the only ways to go and even then you are still not 100 percent.
All my life all of my familiy members have been on meds of some sort for things that I see clearly are TMS, but why cant I see so easily that what I have is also TMS?
Why do I always think iam the rare person who slipped all the doctors etc?
Arthritis is what is going thru my mind tonight, later on it will probably be a tumor or something else.
Thanks for listening guys |
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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2005 : 10:59:24
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Well my first therapy appointment today wish me luck. Dr.Sarno's intake therapist found somebody I can work with who isnt too far away.
Hopfully over the course of the next few weeks we can figure out where my trust issues are stemming from and why Iam so paranoid about diease and sickness.
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Hey all new to TMS
