Liban slept about seven hours. He reported that he desires strongly to re-start his Quran translation lectures. Liban was diagnosed with Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). He was unable to sleep at night due to shortness of breathing and other difficulties.
After taking omeprazole, and avoiding eating hours before sleep, he was able to sleep well. He learned that omeprazole is effective in the longer term but does not offer immediate relief, other over the counter medications for heartburn are effective.
It is possible that he was experiencing mild symptoms of Covid-19, plus GERD; if so, then he may have been in the category of people who have contracted the virus with underlying conditions, high risk group. He did have difficulties sleeping and he was not aware how to relieve it
For the first time in week or more he slept without waking up while gasping for air, fearful of failing to stop breathing. He also did had recurring fever for about 10 days or more, but limited cough, even though he had nasal congestions.
He feels now ‘out of the wood’. What may transpire later is different matter. For now, he can celebrate for resolving long standing issue, waking up sometimes, and more recently more frequently, while gasbing for air. He did this after talking to a doctor on phone.
Liban claims that he always spoke more intelligently when he speaks on the phone, compared to when he is vedio-calling. He thinks this is so due to vision being un-used and its energy used to hear better. Moreover, he has long history of understanding things better by listening.
This is a case of using preferred learning style to de-code the world. Moreover, Liban believes writing symptoms one experiences in detail and sharing that with healthcare professionals hastens the probability of accurate diagnosis and treatment. It is painful though but good.
Distractions that impede normal functioning may also be described in similar fashion, to find solution for them.
He shows strong disinterest to prepare for breakfast. He also remembers that Sakida Katsuki book’s recommendation, Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy, on how to breathe while tensing abdominal muscles, may have contributed to GERD,
Especially when done after large meal.
Especially when done after large meal.
What Liban did in the intervening time? about 45 minutes. Per his journal he was ‘ browsing sites that cupture his interests’. He reported that he ‘ does not like to act spontaneously’ except when he is pursuing ‘ genuine interests’ such as when he is ‘ freely associating’.
That is not what he was doing. He reported that sometimes ‘ I lose self-control and simply browse anything that is happening at the time’. He believes he can stop that if he meditates a lot and ‘practices tai chi every last five minutes of the hour.’
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