It is NOT always TMS. ( My Mom's story)

Hey everyone,
I have not posted here in a long time.(more about that in a minute).
I wanted to share something here that just happened to my Mother.

I knew she had some mind body issues last year when she began having symptoms of TMS just after a very stressful acute event. She got thru the symptoms and recovered quickly because I recognized what was going on and helped her work through it all.

That was early 2015 and then about 5 months ago, she was throwing something into her back seat and heard a POP in her left shoulder and felt pain. I was convinced it was TMS. She was too. She even had swelling. We all assumed she had either really pulled a muscle or it was just an acute episode of TMS.

She did not want to go to the Doctor, and I agreed. After several months, things were not getting better, but worse. Her mobility continued to decrease. And the pain and swelling were still there, so she finally agreed to go see a shoulder Orthopedic MD......

Imagine our SHOCK when he x-rayed her and said he thought she may have a Tumor. That was honestly, the last thing we expected. We were blindsided. A MRI and CT were ordered and those showed that she had a spot on her lung, rib, leg and her left shoulder (where the pain was) showed a large tumor.

Biopsy shows Primary lung cancer that spread to the bone of the shoulder, rib, leg. That tumor fractured her left shoulder blade also.

So...............this is why Sarno, Steve-O and all others say Please have these types of things checked out before you just assume something is TMS, and in this case, we were glad we finally went to the doctor. Lesson learned. She is in great shape, healthy and not sick at all so the Docs believe she will be a good candidate for radiation/chemo. We also know the Power of God and are Believing for a full recovery.

As for me, In March of this year, I found a Faith Based program called Be In Health and also another Healing Ministry thru Andrew Wommack, and that has gotten me to about 90 to 95% recovery. I still use TMS knowledge at times, but for me..........I learned I had underlying Spiritual Roots that were causing my symptoms.(Including mind/body issues) I realize that not everyone is comfortable with Faith, but it was just what I needed. When I addressed those Roots, many things got better.

I was allergic to 65 foods and still avoiding much, now I eat Everything. And I even experienced some super natural healing when a few areas of skin cancer began going away on my face and neck. Also enamel began growing back on 2 teeth and gum recession is reversing itself. God is beyond amazing.
I am Thankful for the different things that got me to where I am today with my recovery.

Over the last 9 years my Recovery sort of looked like this.
2007- ...got sick
2008-2012...tried numerous Traditional and Alternative things (got worse)
2013-2015 ...Did neuroplasticity programs (they did help with some things) but ultimately remained sick and reactive
2015 Found TMS...Huge help with conditioned responses. Was able to wear normal shoes again and a few symptoms improved, (but again, food allergies, mcs, etc were still bad)
2016.....Did Be In Health program and found a Healing Ministry with many teachings on Healing. This is what ultimately helped the Most.

 

This is basically almost word for word what happened with my mother...unfortunately her outcome wasn't as positive. I'm always racked with guilt thinking back to clearing her house and coming across Steve O's and Sarno's books I had sent her as I was sure she had TMS. Yep, it isn't always TMS.

 

YES! Step #1 is to see a physician to rule out anything serious, this is stated in the preface to EVERY TMS book. Preferably a TMS physician for an objective opinion. Serious things like cancer, infection, trauma and fracture need to be ruled out or treated. Glad you mom is doing better. Dr. Sarno said those he treated who had a faith based religious background were quicker to accept his TMS theory.

 

@Grateful17 and @Huckleberry, thank you both for sharing these intimate experiences.

I have endured my own tussles with this, (http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/sometimes-its-not-just-psychological.13495/ (Sometimes it's not "just" psychological...) ), as have many others.

The hallmark of tms is that it is benign and harmless, and so many conditions are clearly neither of these things. As Sarno himself states (and I reproduced the quote in full in the link above), unconscious emotions play a role in more serious conditions but are not the sole factor. We do ourselves, our loved ones and Sarno's legacy a grave disservice when we fail to see the wood for the trees. It is a simple enough and well-intentioned gesture to offer tms healing to those around us but as an old timer I have come to see that thinking tms explains pretty much everything is a phase passed through before deeper understanding prevails. It is humbling and confusing but the truth is not everything is tms and we will all die. Best to find peace with these realities and integrate their wisdoms into our belief systems.

God Bless you both.

 

Yes, I think the confusion that all things TMS are "benign", stems from the fact that Dr. Sarno has written four books, with each one expanding on the dis-eases that he encountered in his 50 years of clinical practice. He began as a physiatrist, a rehabilitative doctor, so naturally the symptoms he treated would have been backs and limbs. The acronym TMS originally stood for Tension Myositis Syndrome and Tension Myoneural Syndrome, having to do with the back, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons. He theorized the mechanism for these pains was minute oxygen deprivation that was benign but excruciatingly painful.

As he observed more conditions he expanded the symptoms that could be TMS and the acronym was changed after consulting with Dr. Marc Sopher to mean THE MINDBODY SYNDROME.

But, in everyone of the Good Doctor's books including his first little one, "MIND OVER BACK PAIN", Dr. Sarno cautions to have symptoms checked out by a physician to rule out anything serious like a "tumor". Ultimately, we are all responsible for our lives, and out health, and shouldn't blame others, books, internet message boards, governments, or practitioners of all sorts, for overlooking or not heeding "boilerplate" warnings that may have serious consequences.

 

Tom, thanks for this response which highlights an incredibly important aspect of tms; it is organic and a part of what it means to be human. As such it will be all that we are and to that end, pretty hard to nail down. Within this simple acknowledge is the truth that Sarno evolved with it and this development is clearly evident in the chronology of his books. Bless you for pointing this out.

I believe that most conditions have an emotional genesis and that an extremely stressful period in life acts as the tipping point. To this end dealing with our emotional self and becoming intimate with our psyche is essential and the various protocols that have developed in the tms community are pure gold in this regard. Once a condition transgresses into being harmful we ought up the ante in the spirit of care for the soul, care of the self. Our body is the home of the soul and to nurture and love it through hard times is an act of self-love and emotional wisdom. In this spirit we can heal deeply, live well and die with dignity. Or at least edge in that direction.

 

Hi @Grateful17 and @Huckleberry, I'm really sorry to read / hear of such news, but thank you for being so courageous and sharing these stories. Ones health is not a matter to be taken lightly and if it means checking with multiple Dr's at different stages so be it, we are all responsible for our life.

@Grateful17, I was wondering how you were doing and sorry to read you've had such a hard few months, but I'm glad you and your mother are well. I feel a strong sense of comfort to read that you are finding healing through faith. I know our very own @Walt Oleksy and @Eric "Herbie" Watson use it in their healing and I remember reading that faith and prayer can have a profound effect on ones healing.

God bless you my fellow TMS'ers.

With hope and light,

 

Yes, I agree "most"--about 80% according to Dr. Sarno, which are pretty good odds in my book. Some injuries are bad luck, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, like being hit by a bus--but one can ask themselves, if with more attention to one's surroundings, could it have been avoided? There are some situations that are pure accident, such as the unfortunate woman waiting on the Hoboken train platform, minding her own business, when the train plowed through the station, and the roof fell killing her, that one makes me very sad.

 

Huckleberry, go gently with these memories. You acted with love and reasonable faith based on your knowing of her that this was tms. That it was the most shattering of outcomes rests in the mysteries of death and not in any error on your part. This your mind already knows but the heart aches with its own understandings and regrets. Life is messy, death more so. There is no map for this quest. Forgiveness, compassion and kindness towards ourselves softens the cruel twists and helps us find a peace of sorts.

 

@Huckleberry, my thoughts are with you my good friend, sorry I didn't reply to your post earlier, it was quite sad to read.

We've all lost someone and hoped we could've done more, or been there more. Loss of a loved one is probably the hardest trauma we will ever endure.

From my personal experience of losing someone dear, and from one friend to another, please don't feel the need to blame yourself. I'm most certain your mother wouldn't want you to be racked with guilt, or to be unhappy. She would only ever want the best for you.

Please try and focuss on the defining moments of her life and all the love and joy she has given. Find a safe place, deep within your heart where you can cultivate peace and happiness knowing that you did all you can.

God bless my dear friend,

 

Wow that's a great list of successses.@Grateful17.

I know from our exchange of posts a year, or two ago you tried numerous methodologies and it has certainly paid off.

I must say, I'm in total admiration of your confidence and determination to heal, the number of ailments that you've reversed so far is inspirational.

It reminds me of Arthurs story and how one should never give up, no matter what odds are stacked up against you.

 

Arthur's story always moves me to tears. Actually seeing his healing play out is incredibly powerful. The human spirit is awesome given half a chance.

Thanks for posting this Mike.

There are so many fireworks blazing across the sky tonight that my eyes sting (the joys of living up there with the gods and the birdies), and yet something of this and that speak of new beginnings. Celebrations writ large in the sky, ever larger in the soul.

(Please bring the doggies inside. They are barking fit to burst. Poor things.)

 

It has the same effect on me. It's such a powerful clip, I think it could move anyone.

Yes it's that time of year, I love the fireworks. However, I'm not looking forward to the 'trick or treaters' this year especially with individuals feeling they need to wear clown outfits and scare people.

 

What's being celebrated your way?

 

It was Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes). It's supposed to be a celebration of the failed Gunpowder Plot but like most things it's become a bit of fun, mostly for families. Huge bonfires are lit in parks, there are endless firework displays and in some places, a travelling fair. It's usually pretty light-hearted, and the fireworks can go on for hours. They were still going strong when I went to bed at eleven.