Conciencious Objector - I no longer will participate in the 1-10 pain scale

Archive Blogs (Read Only)
1

Whenever we go into one of our many physicians offices, we get asked by several people what our pain is today, and most of us have to ask "which one" first of all. When we get it defined at our Neuro that we are talking about our migraine or head issues, we are asked to rate our pain that day.

NOT PARTICIPATING ANYMORE.

I encourage everyone who reads this to do the same.

How can the pain we have experienced be rated on a 1-10 regular person pain scale??? There needs to be a new pain scale for chronic patients.

My 3 or 4 having a decent day would kick the crap out of someone who rarely experiences pain. We don't get prescribed accurate meds since it's all based on how much we hurt;

After going through a 24 hour a day 8-10 times a minute flair up of TN from late February to early August, getting my leg sawn off with no anesthetic would rate about an 8.

We have tolerances most people can't understand; the pain is exhausting; we are chastised for being lazy or hypochondriacs since people can't 'see' the pain in the form of a walker or scooter. Therefore we are faking.

I see people in the emergency room with stomach pain from an ulcer and they are screaming in pain, and I can't relate to it since that's an easy day for me.

Tattoos are a piece of cake, I read a book the whole time and barely feel it since my threshholdis so high. Then a biker comes in to get one and he is wincing and in tears getting his. It's blatantly apparent pain scales are so different.

Those who aren't able to tolerate the pain commit suicide. I was at the brink in June, so I get it.

My psychiatrist said she has never met anyone who has the resolve to handle such massive pain and keep pushing on; I have no family to help or friends to help; I plug along and do what I need to usually laughing all the while. I can't cry since it will bring on a headache. She said most people would have given up by now. My only response was "I didn't know I had a choice!"

So from now on when they ask me what number I would give my pain today, my reply is "I respectfully decline to participate in your number scale, it doesn't apply to my range of pain."

So far it has been taken in by the docs very well, and who knows; they might even listen.

2

Hi. I love your decision to basically write off the common form of measurement for pain. Wishing you less pain soon

3

Wholeheartedly agree!!!
(( hugs )) for you! Mimi xx

4

The pain scale is woefully inadequate, even for "normal" pain. Everyone has different pain tolerances and you said, chronic pain takes that to another level. For chronic pain, maybe asking how the pain is affecting your life activities, or how your pain day is, would be a better alternative. But I agree, I have a whole new perspective as to what pain is after my first, and so far only (crosses fingers), attack.

5

Ok I totally agree with you guys. I am not a patient, my 3 year old son is. He is my freaking HERO! This little guy has already been through more pain in his short existence than I (33 year old man) have, or ever will. I watch him and I want to take the pain for him . Then I keep watching , and keep watching until I got to leave the room cause my tolerances are so low compared to his . Then reality kicks in. I don’t think I could handle his pain, I’m way too soft. And Daniel, my son, just plows right on through it like a damn soldier. I can’t even watch him the whole time , so I know I couldn’t handle what I see him take. He is so strong , my little 3 year old son is my HERO!!!

6

What makes it worse; if you are an overweight middle-age female. All doctors assume you're an over-sensitive, depressed, whinny, hypochondriac that is exaggerating your pain. Nearly all ask 'how it your pain compared to child-birth?". I have seen 3 internal medicine Drs., 3 neurologist, a dentist and an oral surgeon. It wasn't until I saw a Neurosurgeon that he believed me.

7

I am completely with you on this! I have given birth with no drugs and would gladly do that ten times in a row if I could trade it for TN. I once told my doc that my pain was a 17/10 and when he questioned how that could be I explained that 10 was the worst pain imaginable and it had now far exceeded the level I was even capable of imagining before that point. I have had a couple bad car accidents and years of physical therapy for spinal injuries and i'm no stranger to pain but when TN is part of your life it does not compare to any other kind of pain. People say i'm strong but what choice do we have? I am going on my 9th year and I can't just cry and scream for 9 years. At some point you just accept it and have to find a way to keep going even though you just want to give up. I sometimes think if I ever get shot or stabbed I won't even flinch because i'm already pretty used to how that must feel :)