Battle weary

Hello friends,
I haven't been on the forum for quite awhile. Well, 2018 so far hasn't really been my year -- yet. In addition to the low back and R foot pain, severe anxiety and a myriad of other things, this year I developed a frozen L shoulder, followed by R hip bursitis, and then L knee pain presumably from mild to moderate osteoarthritis. About every 2-3 months, something new comes along IN ADDITION to the pain I was already dealing with. I won't go into everything I have already done and read and all the physicians and treatments I've had because I have posted that stuff previously. I am happy to report that in June this year I went to Michigan and saw Dr. Schubiner. He spent 2.5 hr with me and assured me, at that time, that he was 100% sure I had Mind Body Syndrome and that I would get better. I had his book and went home with renewed hope and started working through his program. I am still working on it. The knee pain came along after I saw him. I did not experience physical pain relief yet, but I can say that I do his meditations and affirmations and tend to look at stress and my reactions to it differently. Unfortunately, about a week ago, I tripped going upstairs and fell on my knees with my hands up against the wall sort of with my upper body twisted a bit. The only thing that I injured seems to be the muscles in my rib cage and L shoulder ( which never completely healed from the frozen shoulder). I had a series of x-rays and there is no rib fractures. So I am told it can take "a few weeks" for this to heal. In the meantime, it hurts severely to lie down, get up, cough, sneeze, breathe deeply, burp, stand, YOU NAME IT. They gave me some pain meds. So, now I can add a 8-10 pain level to what I already was dealing with. Honestly, I cannot take much more. Everyday I wake up and hope the rib cage pain will be at least a little better, and everyday - it isn't. What I am proud of is that I got myself to Dr. Schubiner who really is so very kind and helpful. I plan to get through his program though this fall has set me back a week in terms of my journaling and exercises. I will re-start those today. I pray that this latest severe pain will ease up so I can at least work on what he called mind body syndrome. I feel like this rib cage pain is from an acute injury and my brain has got to let go of it or else. If you got this far, Bless You!

 

Timbercat,

I'm so glad you got to see Dr. Schubiner. Wow! 2.5 hours, that is awesome and wonderful!

Falling on the stairs sounds like its definitely been salt in a wound! One would think having TMS is more than enough! I hope you're able to get back to doing Dr. Schubiner's program and see progress. Wait, you said you are already seeing stress and processing it differently. That's progress. That's a change of direction, like the small rudder adjustment that takes a ship to a totally different place. Hold on to the little changes that you are experiencing.

Your ribs will probably be better one morning and then continue feeling better from there. Remember what the good doctors say about the amazing ability of the body to heal.

I'm glad you posted about how you are doing, keep us updated

Lizzy

 

Angel, as Lizzy says the trick is to keep your mind oriented on healing, on the good in life. Every time your mind tries to catastrophise, you need to step in and stop it. Don't let your thoughts become a runaway train. Find a handful of affirmations that really jibe with you and call them to mind. Breathe. Focus on something in the room or outside. The task is to divert your attention from the pain and the fear and redirect it to the actuality of being ok in this moment.

TMS is nothing more than the onslaught of negativity and the fearful stories we tell ourselves. You have to counter then again and again. They will ease. You are healing. Draw on Dr. Schubiner's warmth and wisdom.

Blessings to you,

Plum x

 

Timbercat,
I find that as little as 15 minutes per day of meditation helps to relax my muscles, which in turn, brings the pain volume down to manageable levels. Even though I am vastly improved since finding out about TMS, muscle spasms in my upper left scapula still continue to be an issue. My favorite medications are "body scan" and "practicing kindness toward ourselves." Sometimes the later one makes me cry. You can find a plethora of meditations on the free Insight App.

 

Lizzy, Thanks for your reply. I have just enough doubts to slow my healing down. It takes all I have to envision myself healed and recovered from MBS. I am working on it and appreciate your response.

 

Plum, Thanks so much for your response too. I am trying to address that side of my mind which has always seemed so willing to believe the worst...always fearful and always ready to think everything has to be hard. I did get back to my journaling and affirmations, etc. I just keep reminding myself that Dr. Schubiner is 100% convinced that I have MBS and that I will heal - and that has become a bit of an affirmation for me in itself. Thank you again.

 

Hi Hattie,
Thanks to you as well for your response. Dr. Schubiner has that one exercise to write a letter in the form of a dialogue and suggested it could be to yourself in the future - you healed and recovered from MBS. I have not been able to do that yet. I cannot picture myself recovered from this. It feels still so insurmountable. I might try to write that letter tonight and see what happens. I know it's important to believe and visualize yourself healthy. Thanks for the meditation App.