Jhanon's Pain and Discomfort Log

[Jhanon]

I've decided to keep track of all the pain and discomfort I experience (on any day I remember to do so). If I'm going to come off of the medications that have enabled me to live a semi-active and productive lifestyle for the first time since I was born, I might as well start logging in the hopes they can be lessened more than my lifestyle and diet changes already have. I intend to only record "physical" pain and discomfort.

Today's Pain:

Heartburn - 7
Digestive - 9
Legs - 5
Joints - 6
Extremities - 4 (fingers/toes)
Face - 4
Armpits - 5
Coccyx - 4
Throat - 7
L wrist - 5
Neck - 5
Head - 3
Ankle - 4
Knees - 4
Lower back - 7

Today's discomforts:

The feeling of clothes against the skin - 5
The smell of a human body - 3
Perspiration - 2
Itching - 5
Nose - 4
Ears - 2
Tongue - 6
Inner Thighs - 4
Skin and Hair - 5
Lips - 4
Urination - 6

I don't really wish to discuss "solutions" or "causes" at this point. I dedicated quite a lot of my life to that already. I'm just collecting data somewhere that I can be reminded of it in the future when it's difficult to think straight because of the various pains and discomforts.

[Jhanananda]

This could be really useful to you as you work on solutions to your discomfort.  I believe the 7th fold of the Noble Eightfold Path is in part about developing the mindful self-awareness necessary to feel our discomfort (dhukkha), and find functional ways to solve that discomfort that do not result in addiction, or worsened physical or mental health. So, good work.

Please note that I changed the thread title, so that it can be just your log.  Others should be welcome to start a thread for logging their health statistics as they work through their discomfort (dhukkha).

[Jhanon]

Pain
Intestines - 9+ (any higher would cause sufficient concern that body was in fatal danger)
Stomach - 9+ (successfully avoided hospital)
Back - 7
Coccyx - 6
Right Wrist - 3
Left Wrist - 4
Head - 4
Neck - 7
Shoulder blades - 7
Toes - 4
Left outer thigh - 4
Chest - 3
Joints - 3
Heartburn - 4
Inner-acid-like-burning sensation - 4

Discomfort
Fatigue - 7
Itching - 6
Breathing Difficulty - 4
Clothing - 5
Eyeglasses - 5


Today was especially difficult as pain was high enough to be bed-ridden. I didn't go to the hospital because I know its more trouble than it's worth.

[Jhanananda]

So, this is good mindful self-awareness you noting location in body, and pain level. 

That sounds very likely to be the mechanism. A few comments:

1) I remember when I was very young, complaining to my mother about my legs, she told me that the entire family experiences leg pain before and during an incoming change in weather that is cold, damp, or includes thunder/lightning...

2) Lately, I've found myself observing the effects of simply resting my digital devices on my torso. This is going to sound crazy, which is why i've not shared it. But, every time I do, I experience discomfort in that localized region. It feels like things are being crunched, inflamed, and begin to feel like a strange, subtle burning. It's like the cells of that region are eating themselves. That's the most often way I explain it.

I've just recalled that digital devices emit electromagnetic radiation--although it appears to be "non-ionizing" radiation. It's worth mentioning research into cell phones causing cancer. None of this am I sufficiently informed about. But, i can certainly report my experiences.

Additional Note: I know nothing of HAARP other than the name, and it has something to do with the ionosphere and manipulation. But it's come to mind as I wrote this.

Since you mentioned that you noticed EMF seems to effect your health, then you might try some experiments to see if shielding and/or grounding reduce the frequency or intensity of your health issues.

[Jhanon]

So, this is good mindful self-awareness you noting location in body, and pain level. 

That sounds very likely to be the mechanism. A few comments:

1) I remember when I was very young, complaining to my mother about my legs, she told me that the entire family experiences leg pain before and during an incoming change in weather that is cold, damp, or includes thunder/lightning...

2) Lately, I've found myself observing the effects of simply resting my digital devices on my torso. This is going to sound crazy, which is why i've not shared it. But, every time I do, I experience discomfort in that localized region. It feels like things are being crunched, inflamed, and begin to feel like a strange, subtle burning. It's like the cells of that region are eating themselves. That's the most often way I explain it.

I've just recalled that digital devices emit electromagnetic radiation--although it appears to be "non-ionizing" radiation. It's worth mentioning research into cell phones causing cancer. None of this am I sufficiently informed about. But, i can certainly report my experiences.

Additional Note: I know nothing of HAARP other than the name, and it has something to do with the ionosphere and manipulation. But it's come to mind as I wrote this.

Since you mentioned that you noticed EMF seems to effect your health, then you might try some experiments to see if shielding and/or grounding reduce the frequency or intensity of your health issues.

I'm unsure if I could accomplish that while living in a room of an apartment on the second level of the complex. It seems my option would then have to be a suit of some kind, but I'm not sure how practical that is for me at the moment given my situation.

I've not recorded my pain and discomfort log these last few days because pain hasn't been too bad. It's rather consistent with expectations.

All pain and discomfort in areas previously mentioned has reduced to 5 or less, with the exception of stomach, neck and shoulders at 6. It's worth mentioning that I've had several, ongoing dhamma discussions over the last few days with eager local aspirants.

I've found the Energy from these discussions relieves discomfort, improves drive, and improves ability across the board of all body, mind, spirit, and consciousness faculties. I'm carefully recording and detailing how this works.

[Jhanon]

"Coincidentally" it turns out I will need this pain log for a few purposes I didn't consciously foresee. Which, by the way, it seems a "coincidence" is the use of unconscious knowledge before it actually happens in ordinary life. In other words, premonitory event information occurring to the individual unconsciously, and thus informing intuitive decisions which lead to the event.

Okay, lol, I'll work on that separately so it makes more sense. First, yesterdays pain log.

2/5/15 Pain and Discomfort Log:

Muscle Pain - 8
Muscle Fatigue - 9 (burning and shaking when prolonged stress (more than 5 seconds) on a muscle limb occurred)
Fatigue - 9 (out of breath within 15 seconds of carrying 30 pounds)
Perspiration - 8 (enduring wetness of whole body when caring for child)
Intestines - 5
Stomach - 4
Back - 5
Coccyx - 4
Right Wrist - Negligible
Left Wrist - Negligible
Head - 6
Neck - 6
Shoulder blades - 4
Toes - 3
Left outer thigh - 5
Chest - 7
Joints - 3
Heartburn - 4
Inner-acid-like-burning sensation - 4
Itching - 5
Clothing - 3
Eyeglasses - 2

[Jhanananda]

Good work Jhanon.  This goes right along with the Kayagatasati Sutta (MN-119).  If you have not read this sutta, then I highly recommend that you do so.  Kayagatasati literally means "mindfulness of the body gate."  Oddly no branch of Buddhism that I know of refers to this sutta.  It might be because it clearly shows how mindfulness (sati) leads to jhana.  So, since it is a forbidden sutta, then I expect everyone on this forum is going to want to read it.