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There is this line from the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough that has stuck with me since I watched it. Sophie Marceau, who plays Elektra King, whispers to 007 in one scene, "There's no point in living if you can't feel alive." It's a line also found in the title track sung by Garbage. When I heard it, it once again resonated with me. Indeed, what is the point of living if you can't feel alive? Now, you're probably thinking about delicious food, travelling to beautiful far-flung places away from maddening crowds, and for petrolheads, the soul-stirring experience of driving an exotic car. Surely such experiences make one glad to be alive. But there's another way for us to be reminded that we're still alive and kicking and it's whenever we feel pain. For this story, I'm going to talk about physical pain as opposed to emotional or psychological pain. Medication only goes so far. The best cure (if you can't prevent something, that is) is to change your lifestyle and habits. (Photo: Alexander Grey, Unsplash) Frailties Humans are smart, but we are also incredibly frail. If our body temperatures plunge or increase past a certain point, we'll probably die. Meanwhile, animals like the arctic fox can survive in insanely low temperatures, seemingly without issue. Anyway, this bout of gastroenteritis I'm recovering from (it's day three as I type this) got me thinking: What are the three types of pain that will cause folks to be down until it goes away? Photo: Road Trip with Raj, Unsplash Headaches More specifically, migraines. My left sinus used to periodically get congested, and I resorted to using sprays, decongestants and paracetamol to keep the congestion from turning into pain. Left untreated, the pain would radiate upwards and become a full-grown migraine, leaving me curled up in bed with my eyes shut, fighting nausea. This hit me particularly badly during a trip to Bangkok. Not having suffered sinus congestion in more than a month, I thought I was over it. Stupidly, I did not pack any medication. The episode not only left me down the entire day but also resulted in me upchucking all over my T-shirt. In public. If you're wondering why I didn't stay in the hotel, it was because I didn't want to waste the day. Fortunately, the sinus problem eventually resolved itself without the need for expensive surgery that doesn't guarantee the problem going away (the ENT specialist's words, not mine). I no longer need nasal sprays or decongestants. And when I do get a headache, it goes away after popping two Panadols. Photo: Kenny Eliason, Unsplash Toothaches There is a reason why folks fear going to the dentist. The thought of your teeth being drilled or extracted without anaesthesia is enough to make you wince. Heck, even the sound of the dental drill might cause some to flee for their lives. Now, I've been fortunate enough to not have had a toothache due to a cavity. But I can relate to this because I remember the post-op pain following the removal of impacted wisdom teeth. As the dental surgeon explained, since the two teeth were growing sideways and thus impacting my other teeth, they would need to cut open my gums to access the offenders, before breaking them with what resembled like a chisel. Look, I'm not a dentist, so I can only describe this as such. I could tahan my mouth being kept open by a medieval-looking metal contraption and two suctions to drain blood, but the hammering is something I will not soon forget. When it was over, I was warned that I needed to get on my painkillers before the anaesthetic wore off. This was easier said than done as my first attempt resulted in the water and tablets flowing out of my numb mouth. For the next five days, the swelling made it look like one side of my face had been pummelled by a boxer. Talking was difficult and eating was nearly impossible. Thank heavens wisdom teeth cannot grow back. Photo: Julien Tromeur, Unsplash Tummy troubles Migraines and toothaches are bad, but to me, having a tummyache is probably even worse. It's downright debilitating. I can't recall where I read it or who told me this, but it is true. When your stomach isn't good, the rest of you isn't, either. Gastroenteritis has sapped my appetite and my energy. I have beers in my fridge that I'm not interested in drinking. Pizza and nasi lemak are a no-go. Even cai fan is a lot to take for now. Key takeaways As bad as these episodes were (are, in the case of stomach flu), they have taught me to be grateful for three things. My body's ability to recover is one thing I'm glad for. Had my immunity been any weaker, I might have to be hospitalised. Secondly, the concern shown by friends. I don't need anyone checking in on me every hour. But messages like 'Please recover soon!' or 'Please get well soon!' are encouraging. They make me want to get over this stuff as soon as possible. Lastly, while pain and discomfort aren't celebrated (who celebrates falling ill anyway?), they are a sharp reminder of what it is to be frail and human. Pain is part of life and there is no point in living if you can't feel alive. (Main photo: Sander Sammy, Unsplash) – Jeremy

I have been having a bad migraine these past 10 days... been to the doc twice.. second time was asked to see the neurologist at CGH... but was told by fren that consulting the specialist will be troublesome as they wun get u to the MRI scan.. Any advise from bros who have been thru the same thing?