h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For instance, I noticed one day that if I kept my attention where I was and vague, I could make it home to the toilet (old man's bladder) but the instant I concentrated my attention upon getting home or to the nearest toilet, I found the compulsion to go almost unbearable. Is this purely psychological or proof that we are more than bodies I wonder? Does this make it something for the parapsychologists to ponder?

Oh attention has a lot to do with perception, especially of the painful kind. You don't have to be a shrink to notice that. When I'm playing music nothing hurts.

Hadn't noticed it about agitated bladder though.

I've noticed that. I've also noticed that a painfully full bladder can sneak up on you. You don't realize it's getting full, then suddenly it's almost unbearable.

pain is weird... once you partially realise at least, that itsjust a nerve impulse, and not an actual 'thing' that is 'pain' at the point hurting (it occurs in the brain, not at the site of the seeming pain), then you can manipulate it... - my experiment most recently with this, was during an operation to remove a 'port' buried in my chest... the local anasetic wore off, way before they finished (seems leaving it inside my body too long ment it was very tightly affixed to the muscle/tissue).
It was kinda interesting feeling the knife cut it out and then feeling it pull out... - oddly, and maybe unconnected, having felt the majority of the operation, the scar never hurt at all whilst it heeled

My best experiment to date, again on myself, however, has to be when I tested the hypothesis;
"chemotherapy makes me, basically feel like I've a constant really really aweful hangover, so, if I go out and get hammered, the resulting hangover, won't feel any different to a regular day, whilst receiving chemnotherapy".

My hypothesis, was, most epically faulse chemo+hangover, = a hangover of earth shattering dredfulness mind, still glad I did It

Funny, I didn't notice the earth shattering....

really?! I was so* sure my hypothesis was correct I was so* wrong I was still a bit hungover a few days later, whilst receiving the next batch of chemo drugs

The only hangover I've had in recent years was my belly hanging over my belt. I've lost some of the belly, but there's only so far I can go.

It is strange how pain seems to be due to skin-surface nerves, yet we locate it (sometimes) internally. I'm getting over shingles in the head, and it has felt like half my skull is alien to me, though I gather it is all on the surface.

A policeman who had been stabbed in the chest described the pain as more like being thumped than what we call a stabbing pain.

absolutely... My Dad got told off hugely by the hospital, as, when he had his heart attack, he carried on working (gardening), as he said it didn't feel 'like much' Mind, the family didn't help, later on, at home, after finishing work, it got worse, and everyone thought he was just taking the mic/joking about

Shingles is bad news!

I don't recommend it.

...burns like fire... (shingles)

Meanwhile current state of current condition, aftermath of implantation of hernia mesh, I find myself hanging back on things where formerly I would have leapt into action, thinking, "No."

"That would violate my ten pound lifting limitation."

I recently passed the age of 50, and followed the advice of one of the many pharmaceutical commercials on American TV and asked my doctor about the shingles vaccine. Apparently my insurance didn't cover it at my age.

I should check again. Or even consider paying out of pocket. Everyone I've known to have it were absolutely miserable.

Shingles vaccine is also less expensive than 2 or more Valtrex a day over the course of nine months, the best alternative to vaccination.

If comes to that, don't accept excuses, insist on Valtrex or equivalent acyclovir.

I had shingles at Christmas. That's a roof time to have them.

Very roof!

Shingles? Isn't that what Sean Connery buys when he goes into a record shop?

Had them once on my shoulder. Didn't say 'Who's a pretty boy?' but there you go (as they did eventually). Prickly heat can do a good impression of them (they had a hit in the sixties, if you remember).

Migraine headaches are a pain. Had them for twenty years then thankfully the warranty ran out, carrying all my money. Funny that but not funny this.

Sean Connery: I'm being interviewed tomorrow morning by a sports reporter.

Friend: About?

Sean Connery: About tennish.

Wearing tennish cloths?