From not being able to walk to running five miles barefoot (achilles, plantar fasciitis).

Hi all! I'm so excited to finally share my story. May it be a testament to myself that I will come back and read whenever I feel overwhelmed, and may it be inspiring to others.

I have had a number of TMS symptoms, but I'm going to focus today on PF and achilles pain because when I was recovering, I didn't find any stories relating to these.

One year ago, I moved to a huge city for work, not knowing anyone at all. I left all my friends and family, and all my friends stopped responding to my calls and texts. I met a woman and we broke up. At my job, nobody respected me because I was much younger than everyone. I was freaking stressed and everything sucked.

One day while walking, I developed a spike feeling in BOTH my feet. I totally freaked out because I instantly knew what it was based on stories I had heard - plantar fasciitis. For weeks, I stayed at home, crawling around my apartment, incessantly stretching my calf. I thought my life was over and I would never play sports again, or exercise or travel. I totally was catastrophizing hard. I averaged less than 1000 steps a day and I thought I was cripple for life. (It really freaking hurt!)

One day, while stretching my calf on a step, I thought, what if I tear my Achilles while doing this? Sure enough, the next day, my Achilles stabbed me with every step. I thought I had torn it. I saw so many doctors and for months my feet stabbed me with every single step. Not to be a Debbie downer or dramatic, but it was a nightmare of pain. Fitness is my life and it was taken from me. I barely left my apartment only to visit physical therapy, where they gave me completely useless exercises and stretches and upsold me on dry needling,

One day, I started to think. My injuries made no sense. Why would my heel stop hurting after warming it up? Why when my heel hurts, my plantar fascia doesn't hurt? Why do I sometimes forget about my pain? If I tore it, how am I still even walking if it's such a crucial tendon? And why hasn't it healed even though I have barely used it? Why when my physical therapist tells me there is nothing to fear, my pain goes away? Why does my pain go away when I'm socializing?

I started to research. None of it made sense. And like an angel appearing from the sky came Dr Sarno and his books. I read about TMS and learned pain. I had LEARNED to be in pain. I anticipated pain and injury, and so it happened.

I began to trust my body. I got the curable app. I convinced myself that my body was perfectly healthy. And so the pain disappeared. I created a mantra, I'm a young male, I've worked out my entire life, my body is perfectly fine. My body is perfectly fine. I'm a healthy male, my body is perfectly fine. And my achilles pain freaking went away!

Knowledge is power and trusting in your body's ability to heal itself is power. Your body seriously has an amazing capability to heal itself. Trust in nature and that you will heal, and look for signs like I was that you can help to convince yourself that you're okay.

 

Great story! Thank you so much for sharing it! It is inspiring! Especially to me, because my latest round of TMS started with those exact same plantar feelings and then it grew—literally up my body. Since I joined this wiki, I have read a whole bunch of stories that start this way. That’s so AWESOME you conquered it! I hope to be joining you one of these days.

 

really resonated with this..thanks!

Had that..just knew it was TMS...didn't make it any less sucky, but......

Magic. Most people never ask these questions.

We are the spearhead of Millions of years of evolutionary selection and improvement.

great story!

 

devblivion

Thank you for posting this, and congratulations!!!

It is so helpful to have others in pain read this and know it is possible. I suffered for years from debilitating foot pain, and found my way through with Dr. Sarno's work. Hugely eye-opening as you say.

This what we learn, and it is life-changing!

I love this part too, because you're helping everyone understand that it is a personal journey, and each person must find what makes sense for them.

look for signs like I was that you can help to convince yourself that you're okay.

Andy

 

Andy,

You’re another great example of fortitude and healing for people (like me) to follow!