Reasons to be cheerful!

[Dark Lightning]

Back story (well, side story): I was carrying some heavy boxes and walking sideways in the garage, and walked right into the corner of a cabinet. Maybe they were only bruised, but they have hurt for a couple weeks.

*shudder!*

Thanks for the empathy!  Shoulda gone to the doctor and had an X-ray taken, just to have the street cred of broken ribs! 

I'm a firm believer in good medicine, but I won't go until the pain is intense, or I'm bleeding (or just annual checkups- I'm not a complete Neanderthal!) Intense pain is a ruptured appendix. That's the ten on my pain scale when they ask me my pain level in the hospital. I smashed my thumb with a 2-pound sledge hammer (I've actually done that more than once, over the years, as I've done a lot of metal working)  and that I'll call an eight.

[Dave]

Orange Crate Modern, Dave? 

I can now squat and/or inhale deeply with little pain! My ribs appear to be healing nicely.

Back story (well, side story): I was carrying some heavy boxes and walking sideways in the garage, and walked right into the corner of a cabinet. Maybe they were only bruised, but they have hurt for a couple weeks.

I was reduced to "bricks and plank primitive" once.

Glad you are mending - but have a belated, empathetic, OUCH! on me.

[Velma]

Orange Crate Modern, Dave? 

I can now squat and/or inhale deeply with little pain! My ribs appear to be healing nicely.

Back story (well, side story): I was carrying some heavy boxes and walking sideways in the garage, and walked right into the corner of a cabinet. Maybe they were only bruised, but they have hurt for a couple weeks.

Ouch, ouch, ouch! That reminds me of a couple of weeks ago when I stepped on a wet spot on the bathroom floor and slammed my hip into the doorknob. For the first few hours, it was my wrist that hurt the most since I grabbed the counter at an odd angle to catch myself. Hours later, however, my hip was hurting so much I left work two hours early. Strangely enough, I had virtually no bruise.

[Bluenose]

...Intense pain is a ruptured appendix. That's the ten on my pain scale when they ask me my pain level in the hospital. I smashed my thumb with a 2-pound sledge hammer (I've actually done that more than once, over the years, as I've done a lot of metal working)  and that I'll call an eight.

The "rate your pain on a one to ten basis where ten is the most pain imaginable" always stumps me.  I can imagine a lot of pain, a lot worse than a burst appendix - I've had one of those and I can imagine much more severe pain than that!

[Dave]

...Intense pain is a ruptured appendix. That's the ten on my pain scale when they ask me my pain level in the hospital. I smashed my thumb with a 2-pound sledge hammer (I've actually done that more than once, over the years, as I've done a lot of metal working)  and that I'll call an eight.

The "rate your pain on a one to ten basis where ten is the most pain imaginable" always stumps me.  I can imagine a lot of pain, a lot worse than a burst appendix - I've had one of those and I can imagine much more severe pain than that!

When they asked me to rate the pain of a fistula on the 1-10 scale my reply was, "Rating the pain of a heart attack at 10 the fistula is 12."

[Sandra Craft]

...Intense pain is a ruptured appendix. That's the ten on my pain scale when they ask me my pain level in the hospital. I smashed my thumb with a 2-pound sledge hammer (I've actually done that more than once, over the years, as I've done a lot of metal working)  and that I'll call an eight.

The "rate your pain on a one to ten basis where ten is the most pain imaginable" always stumps me.  I can imagine a lot of pain, a lot worse than a burst appendix - I've had one of those and I can imagine much more severe pain than that!

When they asked me to rate the pain of a fistula on the 1-10 scale my reply was, "Rating the pain of a heart attack at 10 the fistula is 12."

I hate those "rate your pain questions" where all you get is a number -- that's way too subjective.  The last time I was asked that it took my girlfriend and I a ten minute conference to decide what level my pain was. 

They need to develop a more meaningful rating system, like 1 is hurts but doesn't interfere with daily life (or can handle it with an Advil), 5 is can't use X body part and want to cry from pain, 6 is actually crying from pain, 10 is unconscious or in shock from pain, and so forth.

[xSilverPhinx]

Back story (well, side story): I was carrying some heavy boxes and walking sideways in the garage, and walked right into the corner of a cabinet. Maybe they were only bruised, but they have hurt for a couple weeks.

*shudder!*

Thanks for the empathy!  Shoulda gone to the doctor and had an X-ray taken, just to have the street cred of broken ribs! 

I'm a firm believer in good medicine, but I won't go until the pain is intense, or I'm bleeding (or just annual checkups- I'm not a complete Neanderthal!) Intense pain is a ruptured appendix. That's the ten on my pain scale when they ask me my pain level in the hospital. I smashed my thumb with a 2-pound sledge hammer (I've actually done that more than once, over the years, as I've done a lot of metal working)  and that I'll call an eight.

I haven't thought of my pain scale yet, but the appendicitis I had when I was 5 would definitely be up there.

[xSilverPhinx]

...Intense pain is a ruptured appendix. That's the ten on my pain scale when they ask me my pain level in the hospital. I smashed my thumb with a 2-pound sledge hammer (I've actually done that more than once, over the years, as I've done a lot of metal working)  and that I'll call an eight.

The "rate your pain on a one to ten basis where ten is the most pain imaginable" always stumps me.  I can imagine a lot of pain, a lot worse than a burst appendix - I've had one of those and I can imagine much more severe pain than that!

When they asked me to rate the pain of a fistula on the 1-10 scale my reply was, "Rating the pain of a heart attack at 10 the fistula is 12."

I hate those "rate your pain questions" where all you get is a number -- that's way too subjective.  The last time I was asked that it took my girlfriend and I a ten minute conference to decide what level my pain was. 

They need to develop a more meaningful rating system, like 1 is hurts but doesn't interfere with daily life (or can handle it with an Advil), 5 is can't use X body part and want to cry from pain, 6 is actually crying from pain, 10 is unconscious or in shock from pain, and so forth.

I agree! It doesn't really make sense to try and get a purely objective value from such a rating system since different people have different pain thresholds. My 10 might be your 8, for instance.

When I was a kid I fell from my bike and the handlebar penetrated the skin on my thigh. I still have the scar. I remember it didn't hurt at all if I left it alone and people wondered why I wasn't screaming in pain. Though the wound was ugly, I would have rated it a 3 or 4...menstrual colics hurt more than that.

[No one]

Hearing rap is the most painful thing anyone can endure.

[jumbojak]

I consider a ten on the pain scale to be blackout pain. I've experienced that several times in one night while attempting to remove a firmly adhered bandage stuck to my backside, and nearly experienced it again at work a few weeks ago. An eight is where nausea starts to set in and a nine is the point where being physically I'll is a real possibility. Broken bones are a four or five for me.

[Sandra Craft]

I consider a ten on the pain scale to be blackout pain. I've experienced that several times in one night while attempting to remove a firmly adhered bandage stuck to my backside, and nearly experienced it again at work a few weeks ago. An eight is where nausea starts to set in and a nine is the point where being physically I'll is a real possibility. Broken bones are a four or five for me.

When I first bitched about the pain scales, PC sent me this, which I found very helpful:  Improved Pain Scale

[Bluenose]

I consider a ten on the pain scale to be blackout pain. I've experienced that several times in one night while attempting to remove a firmly adhered bandage stuck to my backside, and nearly experienced it again at work a few weeks ago. An eight is where nausea starts to set in and a nine is the point where being physically I'll is a real possibility. Broken bones are a four or five for me.

When I first bitched about the pain scales, PC sent me this, which I found very helpful:  Improved Pain Scale

I like the improved scale, except I would put bull ants in place of bees.  Bee stings don't really hurt me all that much.  Bull ants, on the other hand - rather like sticking white hot needles into you.  Absolutely exquisite pain for several hours.  Then a few hours respite, then the itching...  for.weeks.and.weeks....

[Tank]

I having trouble getting my head around a discussion on pain in the 'Reasons to be cheerful!' thread

[Sandra Craft]

I having trouble getting my head around a discussion on pain in the 'Reasons to be cheerful!' thread

A serious case of thread drift.

[Asmodean]

De Asbo is dot cheery. De Asbo's dose, which He doesd't habe, by de bay, is all stuffy add biserable. Is teddible, He tedds you!