Miriam G. Bongiovanni

Three years ago, I started experiencing chronic shoulder pain, and had to stop pursuing my favourite hobby - rock climbing. The more I tried to heal it (through physiotherapy and rest initially), the worse it got. I had a costly MRI which revealed something called a HAGL lesion - some ligament in my shoulder was torn permanently and the only way to mend it was through surgery.

I hated the idea of surgery but booked it anyway, even though the professor said he couldn't promise that it would eliminate my pain. A few days before surgery, I woke up with a terrible pain in my left leg. Soon enough the pain spread to my right leg and I was diagnosed with Piriformis syndrome (even though the pain also spread to my shins and thighs). I had steroid injections and got very little relief. I cancelled the shoulder surgery because I decided to deal with my legs first. A month or so later, I also developed nerve pain. A nerve 'Specialist' told me to forget all about Sports, which led me to become severely depressed.

In short, I was a total mess - at 28 years old, I could barely walk without intense pain, I couldn't use my right shoulder properly and I also stopped working because it hurt to type. All the things I used to enjoy - climbing, hiking, writing - all snatched away from me because of the pain! And then, by accident, as I googled my symptoms, hoping for an answer, the answer came - I discovered the TMS wiki and this Forum.

Some things I read started to make sense to me and I decided to give it a shot. I followed the Structured Educational Program religiously, sought help from the Forum and read some of Sarno's books. I recovered within 4 weeks, and on the 6th week, I got back into Rock Climbing, reaching my previous level a few months later. This means that with my shoulder ligament still 'torn', I was pulling myself up overhangs and doing all sorts of movements with my body, and I am still doing all of these things today. For me it's nothing short of miraculous. I started helping people on the TMS forum with my previous persona, @Adventureseeker and also gained the status of Peer Supporter. So if you see any posts by this persona, it is me!

Fast forward 3 years later - I kept studying the subject, and also delved into Neuroscience to expand my knowledge further. I am now studying to become a Certified Life Coach and Mindbody Practitioner, with the hope of specialising in TMS Coaching. I am still amazed at how little the world knows about this fascinating subject, and I am determined to spread the word!

Visit my site, https://www.painoutsidethebox.com, for more resources and coaching info!