I own you a health report after yesterday’s post. My vaccination reaction or Crohn’s attack ended the way so many Crohn’s attacks do, in my sleep. In the middle of the night, I woke up and knew I was better. I don’t know the word to describe how I felt when I was sick. For years doctors didn’t understand it. One poor doctor thought I was imagining it because I saw I had a fever instead believing that I took my temperature because I felt sick. Part of it is feeling logy, maybe logy is the right word but nobody else uses logy so I don’t know what thoughts that conjures in their mind. Logy means “dull and heavy in motion or thought; sluggish.” There is a general discomfort in my entire body, especially my head. Nothing else causes it other that fevers and Crohn’s attacks, even one without high fevers. I will come back to that later. Not only did I feel better, but my arms didn’t hurt as much which allowed me to sleep on my side. Because of my post-nasal trip that’s better for my lungs. I fell back into not just sleep but the Odinsleep. “The Odinsleep was a state of deep sleep that Odin periodically entered to recharge the Odinforce, the magical energy that gave him his power.” In my case it’s an unnaturally long sleep that comes after a Crohn’s attack. I went to bed at 11 PM though I had trouble sleeping. I woke and felt better at maybe 4 AM. My alarm went off at 8 AM but I immediately fell back asleep and stayed asleep until 11:45. I pretty much slept for twelve hours. This is totally different from deep depression sleep. When I awakened, I felt great.
I felt good enough to take my walk, 4.22 miles, to Stop & Shop. That’s not nearly as satisfying as the Donut Walks™. It takes more of a mental effort to walk 4.22 miles to save some money buying eggs than to get a free donut. Today I felt good enough to make that effort. I was stupid and snacked on too many crackers and peanut butter before I left. It’s 9:19 PM now and I’m still not hungry. That’s too bad as I have a great dinner planned, bangers and garlic mash. I might have to put that off until tomorrow.
So, let’s get back to describing how I felt when I was sick. This is a philosophical problem I’ve pondered since I was a child. I remember looking out the door, looking at the grass, and asking my mother how I know that what I see as green is the same as you see as green. She didn’t get the question. I wonder if my father would have understood. I hope that if a child asks me something like that, I’ll appreciate that the kid is thinking creatively. With colors we can to some degree know that we know that those who aren’t colorblind will agree on what’s green and what isn’t. That says nothing to how we are experiencing it. We don’t know others experience anything. Maybe if I could see through someone else’s brain, not eyes, what she saw as green would be what I call red. Maybe what she sees as green I’d hear as A#. Without some sort of telepathy, we can’t know. There are times in real life where this might come up. There are some colors that I call pink that others insist are orange. I am never sure if I’m using the wrong word or if I’m perceiving it differently. I suspect this happens to everyone, but I don’t know because people don’t talk about it. That makes it exactly the type of thing I feel I need to write about. It’s been almost 60 years since I asked my mother the question and I’m still waiting for the answer.
I’m listening to Gord’s Gold as I write this. I don’t do that every week but when I do, I’m always struck by how much I like it. This fits in with what I was discussing. I have no idea how you’re perceiving it but I’m hearing a great set of songs. The show will be repeated on Folk Music Notebook at 2AM EDT. If that’s too late for you listen to any time after noon tomorrow on Mixcloud.
Wise Madness 