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art
1903 Posts |
 Posted - 06/02/2012 : 14:37:36
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I've been having a helluva time lately. Every day it's a new thing, almost always something to do with apparent over-use. I know why. I just turned 61 and am having a difficult time accepting all the stuff that goes with that. Especially insofar as TMS is concerned, it's become harder to trust that my body won't get injured as long as I don't do anything stupid.. You get old, muscle mass decreases, tendons get tighter and more brittle. At 61, I can no longer take a certain activity level for granted. Slowly but surely, time is winning.
I can't even recall all that has cropped up lately. One day it's a hip, another day a hamstring, another day (today) Achilles). Of course I realize that the overwhelming likelihood is it's TMS, and I treat is as such. One particularly nasty episode a few weeks ago involved pain behind the knee that was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I knew it was TMs, or thought so anyway, but then the knee swelled which is supposed to be an indication it's real according to Sarno. And yet resting it didn't help (most things I try to run through), so swelling or not, off I went and sure enough it got better with each successive run.
TRuthfully though, I'm tired. I feel much less fear than I used to with each new symptom thanks to what I've learned from you good people, but I do feel disheartenedl. "Here we go again," is my general reaction. "Another test. ****."
I'm only speaking for myself here of course, but ultimately I think a better approach is to reframe the basic TMS question that we all confront over and over again "Is it real or psychosomatic?" to something more philosophical and accepting. "I'm going to treat XYZ symptom as TMS, but with the understanding that even it it's real it's not the end of the world." This is so much more useful it seems to me because the fearlessness we all strive for is no longer conditional. We can never be truly free it seems to me as long as we're afraid.
None of this is easy. We all struggle from time to time. Including of course me. It's nice to have a place like this to share my pain... and sometimes my growth... with like-minded people.
A. |
Edited by - art on 06/02/2012 14:42:40 |
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bryan3000
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2012 : 00:01:01
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ultimately I think a better approach is to reframe the basic TMS question that we all confront over and over again "Is it real or psychosomatic?" to something more philosophical and accepting. "I'm going to treat XYZ symptom as TMS, but with the understanding that even it it's real it's not the end of the world."
This is excellent. |
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Craigy
USA
15 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2012 : 10:33:36
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Art,
2 years ago, my elbows, shoulders, prostate, hips, knees and groin all were driving me insane, we had to move my father into a nursing home all while watching him disintegrate before our eyes. Those were the darkest days and thoughts that I ever had, I was a pathetic mess. The saving grace for me was that I found out about TMS and to go along with that I found a wonderful psychotherapist. I learned and I'm still learning things about myself that unfortunately opened up some much needed wounds. To date I'm almost drug free but I'm still stuck with my hip/pelvis pain. Like you I'm not as so taken back by the pain, but I sure do wish I can control it better; I'm getting there though. I hope you find someone to talk to as well, it really does help. Apologies if I made any assumptions.
Craig
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2012 : 11:17:55
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Nah., no assumptions. BUt my therapy days are over I'm afraid. Not a knock on its value, as I know it can be a lifesaver. JUst that I'm at a point in my life where it's no longer for me, although it has helped in the past..
For those of us with a sensitive organism, life can be, and usually is especially hard. If we're given to psychosomatic pain that tendency is in my opinion, rarely going to go away. The question becomes how do we handle those outbreaks when they do come.
Appreciate the kind words, and your suggestion is a good one. Just not for me. |
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fadoozle
33 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2012 : 19:27:23
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art, I'm twenty years your junior but I'm right there with you. It's ultimately all about fear of death, all of it. The days I can stay fully in the moment that fear loses its grip on me. Putting a good long string of those days together is my challenge--that and fully accepting life on its terms, that nothing is ultimately "good" or "bad" unless I label it so.
Thanks for this thread and all your insightful and supportive posts. You're a TMS forum treasure!  |
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2012 : 13:11:46
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Art, I can certainly relate to what you describe. That's why I wouldn't automatically assume the daily appearance of new symptoms have anything to do with aging. I am only 3 years younger than you, but have had the same pattern for many years. In my experience, even the most worrisome symptoms eventually pass without one ever knowing what caused them. An example: I have had chronic pf for 2 1/2 yrs. Yet two weeks ago I ran a marathon and it didn't bother me in the slightest either during or for 1 1/2 weeks afterwards. Only after doing no running for almost 2 weeks did it pop up again.
In only the past few weeks I have had sharp knee pains (various areas), hip pain, butt pain, hamstring tightness, jitteryness, arm pain. Each of these lasted a few hours, a few days, but all passed and I'll never have an answer for what brought them on. TMS is the only thing that makes any sense. My nervous system had been stirred up somehow and time, patience, and soothing behaviors, the remedy.
I like your idea of trying to be philosophical about each symptom, eg, treating it as TMS, but leaving open the possibility that it is something else and accepting it. Better than doing mental battle with each symptom.
It's also good that you challenge the symptoms by continuing your running. Set daily goals and keep pushing just at the border of the pain. The day before my marathon two weeks ago, I nearly canceled. I had felt so symptomatic that I truly imagined myself having to pull out after a few miles. I felt that bad! I was so scared and in dread of what might happen that I had to force myself to go through with it. Yet once the gun went off, I felt completely healed and hours later, I finished jubilantly and feeling great. Keep at it! |
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2012 : 11:48:09
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fadoozle,
Thanks for the kind words. 100 percent in agreement. This all comes down to existential dread which for me has only gotten worse, especially with my recent birthday. 20 years my junior, eh? Well I must say 41 sounds pretty damn good to me right now!
wrld,
Perhaps you're right, although for me this pick up in symptoms is new. I used to get 3 or 4 faux injuries a year. Now it's more like 3 or 4 a week. I don't like the speed with which I'm aging. My wife who's actually a bit older than me is running longer than ever. Wish I knew her secret. My newest theory is she's doing it just to bug me. Hah! ON the other hand, I'm as grateful as grateful can be to be essentially healthy. At least I'm still out there plodding along. I don't see many runners my age in my small town. Wonder we're they've all gone..
Where have all the runners gone? Long time passing.
Where have all the runners gone, long, long time ago...
Gone to healthy clubs, every one? |
Edited by - art on 06/05/2012 11:50:32 |
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Bugbear
United Kingdom
152 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2012 : 13:53:36
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Art, they must have downgraded to mall walking.
I used to run a bit when I was younger but never had a passion for it. I really admire all of you for your stamina and perseverance. |
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2012 : 20:20:39
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quote:
Originally posted by Bugbear
Art, they must have downgraded to mall walking.
I used to run a bit when I was younger but never had a passion for it. I really admire all of you for your stamina and perseverance.
Ah bugbear, it's a curse as much as anything else. Besides, if I ran any slower these days I just might fall over. :-) |
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lara
USA
101 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2012 : 06:36:27
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quote:
Originally posted by art
quote:
Originally posted by Bugbear
Art, they must have downgraded to mall walking.
I used to run a bit when I was younger but never had a passion for it. I really admire all of you for your stamina and perseverance.
Ah bugbear, it's a curse as much as anything else. Besides, if I ran any slower these days I just might fall over. :-)
It is a curse! you're lucky Art ,at least you don't see hot guys and women running in your neighborhood while you are taking a boring,stupid walk.
Lara
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MichaelB
USA
79 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2012 : 19:31:05
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Hay Art that sounds like me. Day to day, maybe another symptoms. Years ago, when I started getting strange symptoms, I use to say, "What's next?" And sure enough a new symptom!
Let's see. I've had strange symptoms starting with,- -- gagging, throwing up under stressful situations, dizziness while driving, panic attacks, irritable bowl syndrome, geo-graphic tongue, sore hip and finally burning patch of skin on my left ankle which comes and goes. When my ankle hurts, my hip is fine and when my hip hurts-my ankle is fine. Sounds like TMS,- - -always TMS for years. It started when I was 16 and at 70 I now know about TMS. Let's hope I can learn how to beat it. Got my Steve Book today. Yeah!!
Oh, and running? I think I may just start running again- - - at 70. Thanks for listening.
Michael B. |
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2012 : 21:03:00
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quote:
Originally posted by MichaelB
Hay Art that sounds like me. Day to day, maybe another symptoms. Years ago, when I started getting strange symptoms, I use to say, "What's next?" And sure enough a new symptom!
Let's see. I've had strange symptoms starting with,- -- gagging, throwing up under stressful situations, dizziness while driving, panic attacks, irritable bowl syndrome, geo-graphic tongue, sore hip and finally burning patch of skin on my left ankle which comes and goes. When my ankle hurts, my hip is fine and when my hip hurts-my ankle is fine. Sounds like TMS,- - -always TMS for years. It started when I was 16 and at 70 I now know about TMS. Let's hope I can learn how to beat it. Got my Steve Book today. Yeah!!
Oh, and running? I think I may just start running again- - - at 70. Thanks for listening.
Michael B.
Hey Michael,
Good to hear from you. It all sounds very familiar, including the panic attacks and dizziness while driving. I'd ask you what that tongue thing is, but if you tell me I'll be sure to get it. And I've enough on my plate :-)
Best of luck with the running Michael. I'm certain you can do it, Just ease into it gradually. At our age, it's all about sufficient recovery time between runs.... |
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balto
839 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2012 : 07:38:08
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quote:
Originally posted by art
I've been having a helluva time lately. Every day it's a new thing, almost always something to do with apparent over-use. I know why. I just turned 61 and am having a difficult time accepting all the stuff that goes with that. Especially insofar as TMS is concerned, it's become harder to trust that my body won't get injured as long as I don't do anything stupid.. You get old, muscle mass decreases, tendons get tighter and more brittle. At 61, I can no longer take a certain activity level for granted. Slowly but surely, time is winning.
Hi Art,
Sometime ago I've spent 3 months in the Isaan region of Thailand. Most of the people there make there living farming rice. It is hard work, back breaking work, and all done with manually, no help from modern machine. I've notice that most of the farmers working in the field are 50 plus year old, because all the younger guys are moving to Bangkok and other big cities to work in factories. I've also noticed that all these 50, 60, some as old as 80, worked in the field all day, then come home to feed the pigs, the chickens, many also have to take care of the grand childrens (their mom and dad work in the big cities). They practically work 365 days a year and I rarely see any of them have any sign of tms. They are too busy to have tms. They have more important thing on there mind than worry about pain. They have more than their share of challenge, they don't need any "distraction".
But the most interest thing I've saw is they don't have those "normal wear and tears" that we in the west keep having. Knee pain, back pain, foot pain, tindonitis,... etc. just don't exist over there despite all those hard labor work the people there have to endure each and every day.
Why the different? Is western people's bodies are more susceptible to "wear and tear"? is rich nations' people are physically weaker? Or we just have more time to WORRY?
A while ago I've read somewhere, a researcher from Sweden did a study in Thailand and Indonesia, he found that when the people move away from the farm to work in offices in the big cities, their rate of back pain and depression triple. Is that mean city life or modern world's life style are more conducive to tms?
Think about it and see if you can find something helpful from these observations.
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windy
USA
84 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2012 : 12:13:53
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| A greater sense of connectedness to others and community feeds the soothe side of rage/soothe ratio, therefore decreasing incidence of tms. It may be possible they have some aches and pains and it is not in the cultural nature of the people to complain about it, or even focus at all. With no focus, the pain cannot settle into an ongoing manifestation. |
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when it gets difficult...moving beyond tms
