8.16.06, Mind & Body

Today's Franky Scale has been capricious, holding out fairly well near 7 much of the day, but after this afternoon it dipped down to the 5-6 range. I'm realizing some specific things about how breakthrough pain seems to work.

The mind and body connection is not one that I've ever doubted, though in the extremely cheesy and over-the-top manner it is sometimes presented I do have a difficult time swallowing it. That said, there seems to be a connection between smoothness in other areas of life and pain management. Specifically this has to do with the type of pain I've usually characterized as "cancer pain," to distinguish it from the more fleeting kinds that pay little visits. This I will pay attention to; all issues related to pain management tend to move to the top of my priority list when they come up.

Today I picked up another one of the Dying Books, a reference to it came up somewhere I can't recall immediately, but I came across it today in a local independent bookstore — what luck. The title is What Dying People Want: Practical Wisdom for the End of Life, and though it is written by David Kuhl, who is not a dead person, it seems to have the right intentions. Not too cheesyy on first glance and actually directed to people in the thick of terminal illness. My fingers are crossed, and I'll post later with a more substantive review.

In terms of reviews, there's a book of Korean poetry translations done by a certain regular blog reader which seems to be headed to press soon. This I know because part of my review of it, from elsewhere, might be appearing on the back cover, a small first for me. More than that, congratulations to you, you anonymous translator and poet! Don't know to what degree I might have helped it along the way, but I hope it was measurable in some degree. And I do hope a signed copy will float my way if all the timing goes well. (hint, hint)

Dust is still settling in this here studio, unoccupied but catfull for the past week. Perhaps when more settles I can work on some metaphors once more. The poem "A Contemporary Family History," too, btw, is actuallyy fairly polished I just saw, but might need revision still if it's to be seen in public. I must beg some time and indulgence from you on that front.