Day 2 Gaining momentum

It's been hard facing recovery because I'm finally experiencing and facing the anxieties and emotions that I have run away from for so long. I do feel significantly more empowered each day and had been stepping up my workouts. Back pain is not hindering me as much and I am allowing myself to fill up my schedule with getting time with friends this week. Big shift...I have found myself to have pulled back over the past years because I couldn't handle the stress and pain, but I'm more confident than ever on conquering this pain. I no longer want to hold onto a victim mentality and will stand up and fight this.

I am more confident about overcoming my back and neck pain than my finger tendinitis. I still have my finger buddy taped as it stung again last night. I have a concern that a previous MRI showed inflammation and know that TMS does not involve inflammation. Any thoughts advice on the finger/hand tendinitis?

 

Hi Hugh,

Best of luck and more peace to you on this journey. I have some ideas on your post.

1. Inflammation on MRI. I have personally supported the Australian MRI industry for about 3 years.
From experience, if your pain has persisted for more than a few mths, it isn't inflammation. ITS TMS.

The Docs will have you dance to their DUMB TUNES for as long as your wallet and will hold up. GIVE IT UP MAN.

2. You sound a lot like me, results driven. A born fighter. You used some strong words....

I'm more confident than ever on conquering this pain. I no longer want to hold onto a victim mentality and will stand up and fight this.


From hard earned experience ( see my story), "fighting /conquering " the pain will only serve to ramp up frustration/anxiety levels when it doesn't resolve, which feed the pain loop and so it goes.... ad nauseum.

Suggest you read Steve Ozanich's book The great Pain deception". Steve makes many excellent points for acceptance rather than adversarial resistance. He took over a year to turn his "life lowpoint" around, and stated that he was sure he prolonged this by resisting the pain.

You have got to find some acceptance about the pain rather than treating it as a foe to be conquered.

This is so hard for a high energy life time achiever to get their head around. I am still wrestling with the ambiguity of loving your enemy... as I write. But essential to heal. There Michael, take you own advice!

Move through the SEP, with lots of patience. Prepare for a mixture of days.

Hang in there brother.

 

Thank you so much for your honest and insightful feedback! It is reassuring to hear more confirmation that my finger is experiencing the TMS as well. The hard part is like you said, switching off the fight mode. I have always been full of energy, fight, ambitious, perfectionistic, and results driven. I went ahead and ordered the book so ill start that as soon as it comes in.

I'm already thinking the scripture "love your enemy's" applies here, but dot know how yet. I have found that my TMS pain has often sucked the high energy out of me, or maybe just redirected the energy towards resisting the pain. I'm also thinking of the quote yield to overcome. I have definitely not been yeilding, but have resisted most every step. I saw my first glimpse of surrender last week when I started my usual resistAnce against waking up and I decided to let go and get out of bed without resistance despite the discomfort of being tired. I'm assuming this same principle will start applying to the embracing pain concept of overcoming instead of attacking.

I also read your story and some of your posts. Look forward to recovering with the community support. Thank you for your post!

-Hugh