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Hi all. Here is my healed-from-TMS story from several years ago. Hope you find it helpful.

First noticed a weird back pain after coming back from vacation; just figured I had carried a heavy suitcase up and down some stairs. Next time I felt this it was accompanied by tingling/pain in my right butt cheek a few months later--coming home from vacation again. Seemed to feel the butt pain more often. Had it badly returning from vacation AGAIN later. Sitting in the airport, thinking about family stuff, returning to work, etc. Timing of this pain now got my attention and got me thinking. But then I was ok for a couple weeks. Until a milestone birthday where I noticed weird pains and tingling again.

Around Thanksgiving I was driving and got acute pain in my butt cheek and actually cried when I got home. Feeling desperate I called the PCP and she instructed me to go to the ER. ER said "sciatica, take this painkiller and steroid and go to your PCP." 2 days later PCP said take muscle relaxer. Not able to go to work any longer; too much pain. Not better after 2nd trip to PCP that week so she said go to orthopedist. Fortunately had someone to drive me places as I was not in a condition to sit. Got xrays and the diagnosis was degenerative disc disease. Then had an MRI which showed a herniated disc at L5 S1 of course and smaller herniation above it. So I take steroid pack (talk about making me sick!), then physical therapy would be next, injection of cortisone, then if nothing else worked, discectomy. Well, great. I have NEVER had surgery and don't want to! The steroid pack made me sicker than I have been all along. But I kept on it. I was prescribed various painkillers and even the purple pill to help my stomach with the other pills I was supposed to be taking. Pills did not help. Physical therapy and a chiropractor did not help either.

At this point I was pretty much disabled feeling helpless.

Dr. John Sarno was being mentioned to me here and there by friends. Sis-in-law brought me his first book when I asked her to come and do my dishes (I could not stand for more than about 30 seconds) and I read it right away! Very interesting. Also read Dr. Weil's Spontaneous Healing book's section about a man who had shattered discs in his back, which were surely worse than the herniated discs I had; he saw Dr. Sarno, and he has no pain anymore!! Wow. Really amazing.

Got to thinking that I suppose emotions could be causing some of this. Got Dr. Sarno's other books and read them all with tremendous interest.

Very interesting happening: Meanwhile it is now the end of December and the family wants to take a drive to Niagara Falls over the time off. I decided I was going too. Car ride wasn't bad as I just laid in the back seat most of the six hour ride. There is a favorite grocery store in Canada and I told the gang if we were all the way in Canada, we were going to this store. Amazingly I was able to walk up and down almost every aisle at that store with minimal pain--not thinking about my pain or anything else right then as I was distacted with what I was buying. As I got back in the car to leave I realized I had just spent 30+ minutes in a store walking without noticing any pain. VERY Interesting. And in retrospect, it was surely proof that nothing structural was the problem!

Decided to go see Dr. Sarno in. Had a ride in to NYC to see him. I had to lie on the floor in the waiting room and office! Dr. Sarno was great. I loved his conviction and enthusiasm for what he believes. Talked to me about everyday stresses, etc. Also showed me how some of my reflexes were so good they could NOT be related to a herniated disc. Encouraging. I was so relieved the herniated disc was not the cause of the pain! He also talked about an "overflowing beaker" which contained 1/3 childhood issues, 1/3 life's everyday stressors, and 1/3 our personality. When this "beaker" was overflowing, physical issues were the result. He gave me an assignment of reading his "program" aka study guide every day for 30 days. Note this is the information in his The Divided Mind book on pages 142-146.

Got started on my "list" and essay writing. Screamed, cried, cursed, etc. but got lots of emotions out. I was home all day (not working now), so I filled spiral notebooks full of essays. A few days later I could stand up longer. Sit yet? No. Easier to get around though. Within 1.5 weeks I felt a miraculous difference. I asked to be taken to the grocery store since I had not shopped for myself in six weeks. Walked through the store but toward the end had to lie down in the car. Ok, that was progress. I was happy. Next day I sat! I went to the store again and sat in the front seat of the car! No pain! I was ecstatic. Pain soon disappeared completely.

I cannot say enough about Dr. Sarno. I must admit, emotions playing a role in physical health was no news to me as I had heard and read about this for years.

I realize some people will have difficulty believing that your anger, guilt, fear, etc. can cause the brain to cause pain. But I am a believer. I am proof this program works and am so happy I have been able to drive, go to work, and enjoy life again.

Who knows where I'd be (recovering from surgery just to have more pain?) if I had not read his books and seen him.

This was the beginning of a very enlightening and beneficial journey! If you believe in what you are doing, you too can be healed!