Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
Ill Fate
Well, I am sick to my stomach again with the thought of pain approaching. Several weeks ago, I noticed the strange position of a toe nail. I couldn't trim it. Soon after, I kicked a book to the side and cut the inside of my foot. Yesterday, I stubbed that same toe bruising the whole bottom of it. I could barely walk this morning. So I showed my dad who had his share of foot problems.
As I most feared, I have an in-grown toe nail. The same time last year, I had warts on the bottom of the same foot. A very painful doctor's appointment followed. But this is a little bit worse. One shot in the arch of my foot was bad, but the thought of many shots into the tip of my toe terrifies me. I literally shake with the thought of it. Tomorrow might be the day I get it fixed.
I know why I am feeling the mental suffering of this right now. It is because I 'crave' for better health and for no problems to arise (especially in my foot) Craving for perfection of body and health. And yet suffering in the physical sense is a natural part of life. It is inevitable.
I am not looking for any particular 'fix-it' strategies here. Perhaps just advice on how to cope with such a prospect of pain. I have heard of some Blue Hospital Ambulance Buddha or something with certain chants. That might help.
Otherwise, I intend on reading verses from the Koran right before. For some reason, reading holy texts that I have no attachment or belief in has comforted me in the past in the midst of pain. :wtf:
As I most feared, I have an in-grown toe nail. The same time last year, I had warts on the bottom of the same foot. A very painful doctor's appointment followed. But this is a little bit worse. One shot in the arch of my foot was bad, but the thought of many shots into the tip of my toe terrifies me. I literally shake with the thought of it. Tomorrow might be the day I get it fixed.
I know why I am feeling the mental suffering of this right now. It is because I 'crave' for better health and for no problems to arise (especially in my foot) Craving for perfection of body and health. And yet suffering in the physical sense is a natural part of life. It is inevitable.
I am not looking for any particular 'fix-it' strategies here. Perhaps just advice on how to cope with such a prospect of pain. I have heard of some Blue Hospital Ambulance Buddha or something with certain chants. That might help.
Otherwise, I intend on reading verses from the Koran right before. For some reason, reading holy texts that I have no attachment or belief in has comforted me in the past in the midst of pain. :wtf:
0
Comments
If this helps, here is a short Prayer to Orgyen Menla (Medicine Buddha) that we use:
Sem chen gyu lu jig pa'i ned jung tshe
Mi zod dug ngal ned kyi nyen pa na
Yid nyid the tshom med par sol wa deb
Orgyen men gyi la dang yer med pe
Tshe zed ma yin bar ched nge par sel
Orgyen Pema Jungne la sol wa deb
Sam pa lhun gyi drub par jin gyi lob
Translation:
When sickness strikes to destroy the fragile bodies of sentient beings
And diseases plunge us into unbearable suffering and agony,
Without the slightest doubt of hesitation we pray:
Guru Rinpoche, indivisible from the Buddha of Medicine,
Remove all obstacles that cause untimely death!
Orgyen Pema Junge, to you I pray.
Grant your blessings so that all of our wishes may be spontaneously furfilled!
OM AH HUNG BENZAR GURU PEMA THOD THRENG TSAL BHEKANDZE RADZA SARWA SIDDHI PHA LA HUNG AH
The way this is normally done is to read through the prayer part seven times (you can do it in either English or Tibetan, doesn't matter), and then do as much of the mantra as you can. Or you can just do the mantra. It is also good to visualize Menla above your head. He looks like Buddha except his color is a dark blue.
Hope that helps, and hope they use lots of novocaine!
Palzang
I am petrified of needles - truly...I have a phobia - so much so that when I finally got up the courage to reveal this thing to my Doctor (fully expecting the "Nonsense! pull yourself together woman, and don't be so silly!!" kind of reply....) he actually was extremely sympathetic, and asked me if I thought a chat with a clinical psychologist would help.....You know, put things into perspective, find the root cause...I jumped at the chance - and felt such relief that nobody had ridiculed or poured scorn on my very real perceived fear....
She helped enormously...
So I would therefore contribute two things....
ONE:
You have been unwell, and in pain before, right?
You have also felt better and healthy - both before and after....
know then, that Life is like this...
Ups and downs, better and worses, goods and bads, wells and unwells.... Focus on what it is like to feel well and healthy, and know that after this procedure, the healing process will begin, and the pain will go away....
The discomfort will be temporary...It will be momentary, and something you will be able to cope with....
TWO:
Tell people of your fears.
They're not psychic...they are there to help you, and to help your body find a way of healing itself more quickly - it's an intervention to prevent this ailment from recurring, time and time again.... So what they are doing, is giving your body less stress, by removing a problematic bit of you, that causes your healing powers to have to stay alert.... Doctors don't heal you - they provide the means by which your body can heal itself...
But sometimes what they have to do is invasive, painful and scary...
So confide in them. Tell them you are scared, and will they please be as gentle as they can....? You can't help it - you feel a bit foolish telling them, but it's perfectly OK, isn't it? To be apprehensive? Could they understand and see that this is really worrying you?
If you can't speak to the Surgeon directly, go through his/her nurse, or receptionist...could they tell the doctor please, of just how nervous and apprehensive you are...?
Doctors and specialists do this kind of operation every day....but every single person they treat, is different....every human under their care is an individual who sees things differently....
And let me tell you, from my experience as a dental nurse, the most nervous, the most apprehensive, the most worried and the most 'fear-full' of the patients, were the males....
And that's fine. That's not a problem...
Everyone expects 'men' to be strong, masterful and in control.... it used to be the idea that men who weren't, were "cry-babies"....But not any more.
If you're scared, say so.
If you're worried, say so.
Nobody will think any the less of you, and you'll be relieved to get it off your chest....Won't you?
You too can do your part though....
Make sure that you focus on relaxing your body completely....be as limp and as "loose" as you can be.... from your head, right down to your feet.... eliminate every sign of stiffness or tension.....
Breathe in, just as your first injection is approaching, and breathe out, as they insert the needle...control your body and make it completely relax and sink.... Tension in the body, transmits more pain.... by tensing your body apprehensively, you trigger the release of Adrenalin, and this in turns activates your 'Fight or Flight' reflex....
So by relaxing completely, dropping the shoulders, eliminating all tension - It hurts much much less......
Hope this helps...
Hope this is in time.....
A powerful statement I have come across in my studies of Buddhism is that, "Just as health, happiness, and ease of mind are subject to passing, so too will sickness, sorrow, and confusion be subject to passing."