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Forest
Last Activity:
Jan 14, 2024
Joined:
Feb 18, 2012
Messages:
3,310
Likes Received:
3,130
Trophy Points:
131
Bookmarks:
13
Gender:
Male
Birthday:
Jun 12, 1973 (Age: 50)
Home Page:
Location:
Boston, MA
Occupation:
Economics Instructor

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Forest

Beloved Grand Eagle, Male, 50, from Boston, MA

“Baseball is 90 per cent mental. The other half is physical.” -- Yogi Berra Jul 12, 2017

Forest was last seen:
Jan 14, 2024
  • My Story

    Some Favorite Threads and Posts
    I encourage everyone to make a list like the one above, to share the threads that you find most helpful. To see how, click here.

    My story

    As you can read, below, I had my own 18 year struggle with TMS. It played a huge role in my young adulthood and I think that no one should have to live with TMS pain. Therefore, as I was recovering, I decided to found a wiki about TMS where people could share their experiences as peers. That was 6 years ago, and I am now the president of The PPD/TMS Peer Network, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs this website. I have also presented at the TMS conferences in Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, and New York, as well as the TMS Master Class in New York.

    What I have learned the most from are are my own experiences (see below) and what I have read on this forum. I do put a lot of effort in behind the scenes, though. To help people understand where my time goes, I put together a todo list a couple years back.

    Feel free to hit me up on Facebook or LinkedIn.

    My experience with TMS

    I've done videos of my success story and a relapse I had. There is also a video of a presentation of my story that I gave at a conference. The following is the writeup that I did when I first started posting, 5 years ago:

    TMS first started affecting me when I was a teenager. I was a bit of computer hacker, typing away on my Mac plus, when my forearms began to hurt. I visited a doctor about it, and was told that I had tendonitis from too much typing. I was sent to occupational therapy and told that I needed to be careful about typing too much.

    Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, the "tendonitis" only got worse. As time progressed, the amount that I could type or mouse before my symptoms started to flare up got smaller and smaller until, five years in, I couldn't type more than a couple sentences without some sort of flare up. Worse, the "RSI," as I now called it, began spreading into my neck and back. I became very limited in the amount of time that I could spend sitting in certain chairs, looking down at papers on a desk, or even writing.

    Eventually, I graduated college. Holding any sort of job was a challenge, but I still had to support myself, so it felt like a struggle to survive. The pain levels always got worse when I did certain activities, and I had been trained to believe that if I didn't stop doing those activities the pain level would keep getting worse until it was excruciating. Experience had taught me that the worse I let it get, the more rest it would take to "heal."

    My hands were so sensitive that I would develop writers cramp after writing even a very small amount of text. I tried using voice recognition software many times (I own 5 versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking), but whenever I did, my throat started to hurt. That terrified me because I didn't want to have to drastically limit my speaking the way I felt I had to drastically limit my computer use and handwriting. If that happened, how could I hold a job?

    That was the way that my life was for over 10 years. I chose my jobs based on what I felt would give me the best chance of healing. I avoided dating because I felt like I needed to focus on getting some financial security. When I did date, I refused to get married because I felt like it was all that I could do to keep myself employed without worsening my RSI, so I knew that I couldn't be a good father or husband.

    I had come across mind-body ideas years ago, mostly from Paul Marxhausen's postings on the Sorehand mailing list. However, they felt to far-fetched to me at the time, so they didn't help me. What finally convinced me was stumbling across and reading a bunch of TMS success stories last December that were written by people whose experiences were extremely similar to my own. That convinced me to push my boundaries a little. Doing so went terrifically, which helped me believe the ideas more. Eventually, the whole process snowballed, and now I don't limit my day to day activities at all and am enjoying athletic activities that I had avoided for a long time. I still have occasional flareups, but they don't bother me, even though I am doing far more than before. I just ignore the symptoms, and feel like I have my life back.

    Almost immediately after recovering, I started thinking about starting a wiki, because I wanted to share what I had learned with other people who were still sick. Since it was reading other people's success stories that cured me, the first thing that I decided to work on was the Success Stories by Symptoms & Diagnoses page. I want everyone to be able to find a list of success stories by people "just like them," as well as information about their specific diagnosis or symptoms.

    I also always thought of the wiki as being part of my healing plan. I had had recoveries like this before, but had always relapsed. The immense investment that I have made in the nonprofit has forced me to commit to mind-body ideas. I'm very proud of what I've done on the wiki, and helping people through it is slowly becoming part of my identity. I'm an extremely private person, but I just told my first work friend about it, and have finally mustered the guts to put my success story up. After all of this, how could I possibly not commit to this approach?

    [​IMG]
    1. Emre
      Emre
      Hi Forest
      Did you get my message?
    2. Emre
      Emre
      hi forest
      how can ı reach you and send a message?
      best wishes
      emre
    3. Gigi
      Gigi
      Forest,
      I haven't heard anything on the Alan Gordon posts for a while. Did I somehow slip off the list, or are we on a hiatus?
      TIA,
      Gigi
      1. Forest likes this.
      2. Forest
        Forest
        Thanks for asking, Gigi! You're definitely on the list, but I'm afraid I've gotten behind in posting. Too much to do! People had started getting a little behind in replying, and I'm trying to reply myself, but I'm such a very slow reader and writer. Your comment encourages me to prioritize it, though, so I will do my best to start it back up again.
        Sep 10, 2014
      3. Forest
        Forest
        Sep 10, 2014
      4. Forest
        Forest
        To you or to anyone reading this, the project will endure for as long as people find the TMS Recovery Program helpful, so it's never too late to add a response!
        Sep 10, 2014
    4. MarkV
      MarkV
      Forest, thanks for sharing! I read and love "Healing Back Pain" which is an awesome book with the worst (misleading) title ever as it encompasses so much more than just back pain. Cannot believe I forgot the 12 reminders which I now printed out...thanks! Mark
      1. Forest likes this.
    5. MarkV
      MarkV
      Forest,
      Love this/your website creation here and feel great about doing an amazing service to so many of us in pain! I noticed a few, including you, referring to Dr. Sarno's "12 reminders". I'm not familiar with this despite reading 2 of his books. What book is that in and can you email a link or the 12 to me? Thanks!
      Mark
      1. Bill 1964 and Forest like this.
      2. Forest
        Forest
        May 9, 2013
    6. G.R.
      G.R.
      Forrest,
      I see your online. I am standing against some intense pain right now and I am trying to go to sleep. I am doing my
      best to ignore it. I also spoke to my subconscious and thought psychological. Got any tips because I so want to
      go to sleep even if the pain persists. Help!!!!G.R.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. Forest
        Forest
        I actually didn't have many problems from sleeping, so you are bound to get better help from someone else. The best advice I can give when your TMS is preventing you from sleeping is to find some way to reset your tension level by doing something else that you enjoy and that takes you somewhere else, perhaps like watching a favorite comedy movie.
        Feb 10, 2013
      3. Forest
        Forest
        Try posting in the support forum, though, as I'm sure that others will have great solutions and will help you see that you aren't alone.
        Feb 10, 2013
      4. Forest
        Forest
        Ugh.. there's a 420 character limit on comments here....
        Feb 10, 2013
    7. Eric "Herbie" Watson
      Eric "Herbie" Watson
      forest thank you so much for your help and encouragement-your a great man with a heart to match-
      your very influential in all you do -i just wanted to tell you how much you mean to all of us at tms wiki...
      god-bless
      1. Bill 1964 and Forest like this.
    8. Stella
      Stella
      Hi Forest,
      Just wanted to make sure you got my donation? Sandy
    9. Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)
      Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)
      Forest, could you email me about a new book to be published that is related to TMS? Thanks. Walt Oleksy
      email: waltmax@comcast.net
    10. Richard Simpson
      Richard Simpson
      Forest, can you message me on Splats2. It is in reference to the anchor link html. Much appreciated. Crying Dove
      1. Forest
        Forest
        Done!
        Dec 22, 2012
    11. Forest
      Forest
      Someone just described our site as "a safe space for healing." It makes me so happy to hear that!
      1. Bill 1964 likes this.
    12. sewmuch
      sewmuch
      Hey Forest,

      I have a new avatar - a zen-like photo I like. I just saw your post on my page - I do sew and quilt, mostly art quilts. I do not Facebook and am not so familiar with posting on pages etc (do I post on my page or on someone else's page and who can see that etc etc). I would like to change my status from new member to just member but can't find how to do it.

      Thanks!
      1. Forest
        Forest
        Apr 18, 2012
      2. Forest
        Forest
        (continued)
        If we want to become a big organization serving many many people, it's important that we begin dividing work up among team members now. And also, with such a great admin team, it would be a shame to not get them involved!
        Apr 18, 2012
    13. Steve Conenna
      Steve Conenna
      If fact, I started the monthly panel discussions (Alumni Panels) that Dr. Sarno offered for several years. Eric told me about the "Thank you Dr. Sarno" project several days ago. Unfortunately I waited util now to contribute and just read the deadline was Tues. Can u make an exception and allow me to contribute--it would mean a lot to me. Thank you. Steve
      1. Forest likes this.
      2. Forest
        Forest
        Yeah, just send your contribution to thankyoudrsarno@tmswiki.org and we should be able to fit it in.
        Apr 13, 2012
    14. Steve Conenna
      Steve Conenna
      Forrest,
      I am a former patient and long time supporter of Dr. Sarno and former patient of Eric Sherman.
    15. sewmuch
      sewmuch
      Forest, thank you for the work you have done. The support and resources I have had from you and this community has been key toward healing and getting my life back and in a much better place.
      1. Bill 1964 and Forest like this.
    16. JanAtheCPA
      JanAtheCPA
      And to continue (sorry, I had more than 420 characters to say): Reading Dr. Sarno was great. But thanks to your commitment to his principles, being a part of your community here has been life-changing. I could go on, but I know you're already blushing. I’ll leave it at this: you're the best!
    17. JanAtheCPA
      JanAtheCPA
      Forest, it's a fantastic achievement, beloved by a fantastic community that YOU brought together. You’re also the one who set the tone of the community, which just gets better all the time. I'm talking about how this is a positive, caring, supportive place of healing.
    18. JanAtheCPA
      JanAtheCPA
      There you go - that's a great pic!
      1. Forest
        Forest
        Much better, I think!
        Mar 22, 2012
    19. Forest
      Forest
      is happy that ForestsGF has joined the forum.
      1. JanAtheCPA likes this.
    20. Forest
      Forest
      I'm thrilled that we have this new forum!
      1. G.R.
        G.R.
        Forest, I am just learning how to navigate through the Forums.
        So, I am so sorry if I posted in the wrong place.
        Thanks, G.R.
        Feb 12, 2013
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  • My Story

    Gender:
    Male
    Birthday:
    Jun 12, 1973 (Age: 50)
    Home Page:
    http://www.tmswiki.org/
    Location:
    Boston, MA
    Occupation:
    Economics Instructor
    Diagnoses:
    Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI), Tendonitis, Tendonosis, Tenosynovitis, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD), Patellofemoral syndrome, Plantar Fascitis, Anxiety, and Major Depression
    Some Favorite Threads and Posts
    I encourage everyone to make a list like the one above, to share the threads that you find most helpful. To see how, click here.

    My story

    As you can read, below, I had my own 18 year struggle with TMS. It played a huge role in my young adulthood and I think that no one should have to live with TMS pain. Therefore, as I was recovering, I decided to found a wiki about TMS where people could share their experiences as peers. That was 6 years ago, and I am now the president of The PPD/TMS Peer Network, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs this website. I have also presented at the TMS conferences in Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, and New York, as well as the TMS Master Class in New York.

    What I have learned the most from are are my own experiences (see below) and what I have read on this forum. I do put a lot of effort in behind the scenes, though. To help people understand where my time goes, I put together a todo list a couple years back.

    Feel free to hit me up on Facebook or LinkedIn.

    My experience with TMS

    I've done videos of my success story and a relapse I had. There is also a video of a presentation of my story that I gave at a conference. The following is the writeup that I did when I first started posting, 5 years ago:

    TMS first started affecting me when I was a teenager. I was a bit of computer hacker, typing away on my Mac plus, when my forearms began to hurt. I visited a doctor about it, and was told that I had tendonitis from too much typing. I was sent to occupational therapy and told that I needed to be careful about typing too much.

    Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, the "tendonitis" only got worse. As time progressed, the amount that I could type or mouse before my symptoms started to flare up got smaller and smaller until, five years in, I couldn't type more than a couple sentences without some sort of flare up. Worse, the "RSI," as I now called it, began spreading into my neck and back. I became very limited in the amount of time that I could spend sitting in certain chairs, looking down at papers on a desk, or even writing.

    Eventually, I graduated college. Holding any sort of job was a challenge, but I still had to support myself, so it felt like a struggle to survive. The pain levels always got worse when I did certain activities, and I had been trained to believe that if I didn't stop doing those activities the pain level would keep getting worse until it was excruciating. Experience had taught me that the worse I let it get, the more rest it would take to "heal."

    My hands were so sensitive that I would develop writers cramp after writing even a very small amount of text. I tried using voice recognition software many times (I own 5 versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking), but whenever I did, my throat started to hurt. That terrified me because I didn't want to have to drastically limit my speaking the way I felt I had to drastically limit my computer use and handwriting. If that happened, how could I hold a job?

    That was the way that my life was for over 10 years. I chose my jobs based on what I felt would give me the best chance of healing. I avoided dating because I felt like I needed to focus on getting some financial security. When I did date, I refused to get married because I felt like it was all that I could do to keep myself employed without worsening my RSI, so I knew that I couldn't be a good father or husband.

    I had come across mind-body ideas years ago, mostly from Paul Marxhausen's postings on the Sorehand mailing list. However, they felt to far-fetched to me at the time, so they didn't help me. What finally convinced me was stumbling across and reading a bunch of TMS success stories last December that were written by people whose experiences were extremely similar to my own. That convinced me to push my boundaries a little. Doing so went terrifically, which helped me believe the ideas more. Eventually, the whole process snowballed, and now I don't limit my day to day activities at all and am enjoying athletic activities that I had avoided for a long time. I still have occasional flareups, but they don't bother me, even though I am doing far more than before. I just ignore the symptoms, and feel like I have my life back.

    Almost immediately after recovering, I started thinking about starting a wiki, because I wanted to share what I had learned with other people who were still sick. Since it was reading other people's success stories that cured me, the first thing that I decided to work on was the Success Stories by Symptoms & Diagnoses page. I want everyone to be able to find a list of success stories by people "just like them," as well as information about their specific diagnosis or symptoms.

    I also always thought of the wiki as being part of my healing plan. I had had recoveries like this before, but had always relapsed. The immense investment that I have made in the nonprofit has forced me to commit to mind-body ideas. I'm very proud of what I've done on the wiki, and helping people through it is slowly becoming part of my identity. I'm an extremely private person, but I just told my first work friend about it, and have finally mustered the guts to put my success story up. After all of this, how could I possibly not commit to this approach?

    [​IMG]

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