Winning against the pain the way we won in our childhood
If a child can be convinced about this logic why can’t we convince ourselves that swapping lethargy with a bit of exercise for keeping the muscles stronger, is the best pain killer and the best bargain? I am sure all of us remember the ordeal of going through the pricking pain and panic of getting an injection, and how our elders cajoled us to go to the doctor which after the first visit became a nightmare. The first time it might have been a victory for the parents and we took a chance but the 2nd time we were hardly ready to be bluffed. How much we tried to throw temper tantrums but elders always won with some special bribery. However, if you remember, afterward they used the power of logic, saying come on; it’s important for you! Don’t you miss so and so who died of such and such disease because he/she didn’t take these necessary vaccine shots? And as we grew we were simply convinced about tolerating the pain for our good, but why are we so afraid of it again now at this age?
Managing pain without poisonous painkillers:
I don’t know how you manage pain these days without poisonous painkillers. One easy way to handle emotional and physical turmoil, I have learned while trying to cope with the brain stroke is to remember incidents from past life especially from a younger age, like reminding the love of our beloved parents and mind you, if our love for our parents, deep down in our hearts, is really strong we could easily charm ourselves into ecstatic trance greatly helping us in painful moments in life.
Real-life experience elaborating the above proposition of living without Painkillers:
After stroke paralysis, one of the biggest challenges is starting to walk and besides many other problems one big hurdle I came across is knee popping back with a jerk called “Hyperextension”. This problem had to be addressed seriously if I wanted to continue walking now after a serious fall on the road.
Walking after a stroke: stop knee hyperextension:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5EwJHukiqg…
To cut the story short I had to pay a heavy price for following the recommended exercises by the expert. As I started my toddler way of walking after the stroke, I started experiencing painful cramps in my affected leg. After starting the strenuous exercises specific for the knee hyperextension, cramps not only got seriously aggravated but my healthy leg also joined the ailing one in its protest, which may be a sign of sympathy for the stroke-stricken friend.
As an old man already I was used to getting up so many times at night to answer the typical Prostrate Call but now I have to get up more often to relax my breaking calf muscle. Disturbed painful nights started taking their toll but I don’t think I could afford to pay the heavy price with sleep inducers etc.
Sleep is one of the most important ingredients for health and especially if we are coping with some challenges like paralysis. First time in 2 ½ years I was hesitant to do exercise in the morning, especially for hyperextension. It seems a tough decision but somehow I motivated myself by remembering the stories of my childhood and I was able to perform the necessary exercises by giving myself some bribe, in the form of a promise to watch some movie at night if I had to get up tonight.
Important Lesson:
Let’s not miss out on a lesson of great value here for us all fighting against chronic ailments especially related to the brain at senior age; perhaps I was lucky to have learned in the very beginning that exercise is the best substitute for painkillers which are extremely dangerous for brain-related maladies and we must be able to take exercises according to our highest tolerance level.
Excerpts from a study carried out by the National Center for Biotechnology Information:
..…..Exercise not only reduces pain perception but also has effects on mental health, such as mood elevation and reduction of stress and depression, which are often associated with chronic pain conditions……
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5491894/
……Pain scientists are reasonably agreed that pain is an unpleasant feeling in our body that makes us wants to stop and change our behavior. We no longer think of pain as a measure of tissue damage – it doesn’t actually work that way even in highly controlled experiments. We now think of pain as a complex and highly sophisticated protective mechanism……
https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-pain-and…
Motivating strategies to win over PAIN with other stronger feelings like PRIDE:
1. Besides enjoying a trance, in lovely, intoxicating memories of childhood in particular and past days in general I am utilizing the POWER of POSITIVITY, working so well for me ever since I confronted these challenging days in my life. The technique is to simply remember my past days such as cadet days when muscular pains were part of the routine, now and then we were going through tough competitions like long-distance marches and running, and winning such competitions was no less than a matter of pride, and so were the painful muscles.
Making use of this strategy is not only augmenting my capacity to tolerate pain but combining PAIN with PRIDE makes the stronger feeling of PRIDE win over the weaker feelings of PAIN, positivity is always a much stronger incentive in itself. A boxer never stops going to the ring after receiving many cuts and wounds on the face like me after taking chances of having a bout with black beauty, on a cruel asphalt road.
A terrible experience of flirting with black beauty called asphalt road 🙃
A mother after her first baby doesn’t stop planning for another child, never scared of labor pain, the same way a soldier is always eager to go back to duties after getting seriously wounded in battle.
Learning to live with pain & pride like mothers & soldiers:
https://placidworld.wordpress.com/…/learning-to-live…/
2. Another technique for motivation is to remember my beloved friends courageously fighting through different challenges like going through chronic ailments in their lives. One of my most courageous friends Denise Harman Baisley is prudently working with Multiple Sclerosis. I don’t know how well my beloved brother Ali Haider is tackling Parkinson’s disease with his rich past of participating in the New York Marathon. I don’t know if these people would further strengthen their resolve to kill the pain with exercises instead of getting killed because of painful muscles due to inactivity.
Better tolerate the pain of exercises like the child endures the pricking pain of the injection needle for the sake of better health and building our muscles and willpower to live Confidently & Comfortably with chronic ailments.
Remember God only helps those who help themselves and that’s the best way to live comfortably and confidently with chronic ailments.
Remember, if we can’t conquer the summit
we can always start enjoying the
adventure of going through
the climb but climb
we must.
With love to my beloved friends ❤️
Conceived on 30 Oct 2021
——————-Writing on picture——————-
you know I hate pain….
OK, if it’s for my health.
Let’s manage pain
the child’s way
Recovery from all agonies even paralysis 