Day 1 Excited :)

Hi everyone,

I feel like I've been on a long journey over many years to get to this program. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at 22 and told by my doctor that "we'll help you live as comfortably as possible..." Words every 22 year old wants to hear. Since then, I've been through the medical mill filled with remission, flare-ups, all the medications and supplements possible. Several years later, I managed to get the symptoms under control through diet and lifestyle changes. As the symptoms got better, the chronic pain began - chest, back, shoulders, neck, and most recently on my right glute. Of course, every specialist I see has a different theory - the gastroenterologist says its inflammation from the lingering colitis or perhaps now IBS, my family doctor sent me to physio, the physiotherapist says its the way I sit at work and sleep, etc. etc.

Similar stories to the dozens of posts I've read on this forum - the pain jumps around, all the tests have come back negative. I've tried the osteopaths, chiropractors, physio, massages - relief is always temporary. I've worked with a therapist and uncovered some fun lingering childhood emotions (divorced parents, many losses in the family at a young age). Anytime I work in that space or via mediation, I've noticed that the pain goes down significantly. I've noticed the major impact of stress on both the ulcerative colitis symptoms and pain so I'm sure there's something mind-body related going on here.

I actually had been directed to Dr. Sarno's book last year. It resonated so much and actually pushed me to get back in the gym on a near-daily basis. Prior to that, I was terrified that I would hurt myself more. I wanted to do the structured educational program at the time but got absorbed with my never-ending work-related commitments and put it aside (I'm sure there's irony in there somewhere).

All that to say, I'm excited to be committing to this, finally. I'm working to accept the diagnosis which is hard when it seems so far from the mainstream treatment protocols. But I'm hopeful and also hoping I'll learn more about myself in the process. I feel like I've come so far, tried everything, and really hope this program can get me through that remaining bit of my healing journey.

 

Hello and welcome...your story does indeed sound a lot like many others on here. Since you have already been able to link your symptoms to stress and you have seen how they can move and come and go, you are already ahead of the game. The SEP should help you make healthy practices a habit so that you can carry them on well past the 40 treatment days. That will help you keep long-term control of those pesky migrating symptoms.

This took me some time to wrap my head around too, at least for my longest symptom (IBS with constipation). However, I found that it helped when I reviewed my long medical record and the countless theories, guesses, or shrugs I received from doctors. Modern medicine is good at finding structural problems, but they do not understand these types of conditions, and they often can't explain anything about what causes them. I think it also helps to keep in mind how much healthcare is influenced by drug companies, medical technology companies, and legal liability when trying to understand why TMS is such a big blind spot.

Be sure to reach out on the forum if you have any doubts or concerns, and good luck!