I have been spending a lot of time with pain since my foot surgery five days ago. Pain just takes over your life and colors everything you see and do. While I was in the hospital the nurses kept asking me to give my pain a number, “On a scale from one to ten, where is your pain right now?” I was never quite sure what to answer. Once I said, “Eleven.” The nurse said my pain could not be eleven. I disagreed with her, but I was not in a very good place argue.
I know the pain scale can be a very useful tool for the nurses, but it just doesn't seem to be complete. I know several of you are very talented writers. Help me to find some descriptive phrases so others will understand just what the pain feels like. Think of a time when severe pain has overwhelmed you. How would you describe that pain. For the purpose of this discussion, limit your description to physical pain, not the pain of a broken heart or great grief. Broken hearts are another whole discussion of pain.
I do know that bravely facing theoretical pain that has not happened yet is far easier than it is to endure the messy, overwhelming floods of real pain.
Here's a couple of descriptions. There are just so many good words that describe pain.
I felt like I was on the rocks near the bottom of Niagara Falls. The pain just kept pounding me against the rocks with unrelenting fury. (That pain would be an eleven.)
A dull ache spread everywhere, like a poisonous snake growing larger and more menacing. It felt dangerous.
You try to describe a moment of great pain. When I publish my great novel, I will give you full credit for any of your words that I may use.
Right now my pain lever is rapidly rising. The floodgates are about to burst open and overwhelm me. It is time for some of those good drugs.
7 comments:
Well, Sue, I recently had an episode of pain as you know. In my opinion....a heart attack hurts like hell....fire and brimstone, flames and heat, heavy scorched wood falling on my chest. Yup, for those few hours I felt like I was descending into hell. Maybe that nurse couldn't count above 10.
Maybe you could have told her that it hurt 10 times worse than childbirth without drugs and she would have gotten it. Maybe not. Take your medication on time. Don't be brave.
Child birth comes to mind for me too....
How about sliding down a razor blade pole and landing in a pool of rubbing alcohol....
Praying for pain free days soon.
I told a dental hygenist once that her cleaning job was more painful than the childbirth I'd just experienced. She didn't think that was funny, but it was accurate. That pain practically lifted me out of the chair as if I were sitting on hot stakes electrifying my entire body.
So sorry you're having such pain, it is overwhelming when it is constant. I hope you're feeling better now.
A couple of weeks ago, I had a cortisone injection in the heel of my foot. The pain was so bad that I heard a sheep bleating.
The bleating was coming from me.
And, by the way, I'm really sorry for your pain. I hope they give you some REALLY good meds for it.
My husband was on methadone for extreme pain for the last years of life - because he was sitting bone on bone in a wheelchair - the drugs never covered the pain...some days his face would be blanched with pain - and he would be gasping with it - he couldn't describe that pain so I would bet there are far more than 11. But most days he would say about 9...which meant before unconsciousness sets in - maybe they should use a 1 to 100 guage to give us more scope - i hope it is easing now
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