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Day 3 Day 3

Discussion in 'Structured Educational Program' started by readyforthis, Mar 17, 2023.

  1. readyforthis

    readyforthis New Member

    When was the last time you exercised or did another physical activity? What was this activity? How did it make you feel physically and emotionally? If it is has been a while since you last exercised, why?

    I went swimming for the first time in two years yesterday. I was on day 3 of a major flare up in rectal pain due to a painful bowel movement. I used to love swimming. I did 4 laps. My rectum was stinging in pain, but it was in pain prior, and I didn't notice any negative effects from those 4 laps. I took a sauna and hot tub after as well.

    I did have fear that it would increase the tightness in my pelvic floor/rectum, but once I got in the water, I was just trying to enjoy being able to swim. I swam really slowly and didn't try any flip turns. Just touched the wall and started swimming again. I was afraid to push off the wall, so I used very little effort to push.

    Overall.. no negative effects. Things aren't any worse than they usually are today. And pain has improved a bit today in terms of overall pain/tightness that was going down during the flare up. It seems like I'm on the other side of the flare up at this point. I did take a Flexeril last night, and I'm planning to take another one tonight as it reduces the rectal pain and my spasms in my pelvic floor unwind when I take it (which is crazy.. and scary.. to feel/experience). Sometimes the amount of spasms I have is scary in itself, that things are so insanely tight and spasmed in my rectum scares me.

    I'm planning to go swim tomorrow and then every other day from now on. I'll try for 8ish laps tomorrow.
     
    readyforthis, Mar 17, 2023
    #1
  2. JanAtheCPA

    JanAtheCPA Beloved Grand Eagle

    Sounds like a plan, @readyforthis! So, in the interest of preparing you for common experiences, I do want to let you know that your TMS brain might be relaxing a bit right now, but people often report frightening increases in symptoms at around Days 7 to 10 or so of the SEP. Increased symptoms, or different ones, or possibly brand-new ones, and they often report that anxiety, even depression sometimes, start "flaring" as well.

    THIS IS NORMAL! And, in fact, it's great news, because it's proof of the TMS mechanism at work, and of the fact that your primtiive fearful TMS brain is trying to distract you even more so you don't look at your negative stuff. Another name for this phenomenon was coined by Dr. Sarno, which is the Symptom Imperative. There's a terrific recent podcast about the Symptom Imperative by Nicole Sachs, here's a link to a thread I made which mentions that episode (along with another episode about long covid): https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/nicole-sachs-on-long-covid.26924/ (Nicole Sachs on Long COVID)
     
    JanAtheCPA, Mar 17, 2023
    #2

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