I sometimes hate the thought of ranking my pain on a scale from one to ten because it's impossible!
Do you ever feel like it's hard to define your amount of pain when you're in pain all the time?
I mean, my 5 could be someone else's 10, but I'm just used to it so my frame of reference is totally skewed!
I hate that pain scale so much. I have a horrible time with it. At the end of this last April I thought I was at a ten. Boy was that ever wrong. My pain scale went to an oh hell kill me for months while my doctors were trying to figure out what to do. This went on till june when I saw a new doctor . When he asked me what my pain level was I laughed, yes that’s right I started laughing. As the pain was so crazy intest 24 7 that a ten sounded like a walk in the park. he asked if a thousand or another number would be better; my answer was go count every star and planet and maybe then it would be close to it.
Now I’m back on that stupid pain scale but the pain is inching up to a “ten” and has been pass that. Then again my is just to the point of 24 7 pain. I can deal with a three, four, five, and for a little bit a six, anything higher is just a bad time. Right now I’m lucky if I’m at a five. I really could care less about others pain levels or tolerance (sorry if that sounds mean), all I care is my own tolerance, especially when I stop talking and eating due to inducing more pain to my self. But yes that pain scale stinks.
I hate it. After a number of years, who knows anymore? I try to mentally call the daily, afternoon baseline (horrible) a four, then go up or down from there. I've noticed that it's always 2, 4, 8, or 10... either "I'm ok!" or "please help me."
The pain scale sucks , with this you could be a 10 one minute and a 54 another, when the pain is really killing me I tell them on a scale of 1-10 its a 50. I agree with Kari, the oh hell kill me scale is a good word for it. Half the time , they dont believe what you tell them anyway. I guess its just a baseline to give them an idea.. Wendy
Does anyone without the knowledge of what we have at times really know how annoying it is to answer that question on what is your pain level
I have had a hell of a time with this issue. So finally I just changed how I view it; now I view it as how I react to the pain in a given moment, as opposed to how intense the pain is.
So, basically, if it's a 5 or above, it's beginning to have a noticeable impact on my day to day functioning
10 is when I need a medical intervention of some kind, like a trip to the ER
6-9 rates the level/amount of home interventions I use (timing and amount/dose of breakthrough meds, for example).
I really had to sit down and create an "explanation document" so my wife would know what it all meant. However, once I did, then it was much easier to articulate. She would know that if I say "I'm at an 8," that would mean that I really can't do much more than lie down in a dark room with nearly the max dose and max frequency of my breakthrough meds. If I said I'm at a 9, then I'm likely going slightly above the max prescribed dose/frequency, and we need to start planning the logistics of going into the ER.
I don't know if this makes any sense, but the summary of all this is that once I changed my pain rating scale from trying to put a number on such a subjective issue (pain), and instead attached the scale to my behaviors (something that can be observed and measured), it became much easier to rate and explain to people.
thats actually an excellent way to explain it...the pain is so severe, I could eat painkillers like skittles, vs it only takes one dose to feel human...I like that explanation
Wendy
wrigley said:
I have had a hell of a time with this issue. So finally I just changed how I view it; now I view it as how I react to the pain in a given moment, as opposed to how intense the pain is.
So, basically, if it's a 5 or above, it's beginning to have a noticeable impact on my day to day functioning
10 is when I need a medical intervention of some kind, like a trip to the ER
6-9 rates the level/amount of home interventions I use (timing and amount/dose of breakthrough meds, for example).
I really had to sit down and create an "explanation document" so my wife would know what it all meant. However, once I did, then it was much easier to articulate. She would know that if I say "I'm at an 8," that would mean that I really can't do much more than lie down in a dark room with nearly the max dose and max frequency of my breakthrough meds. If I said I'm at a 9, then I'm likely going slightly above the max prescribed dose/frequency, and we need to start planning the logistics of going into the ER.
I don't know if this makes any sense, but the summary of all this is that once I changed my pain rating scale from trying to put a number on such a subjective issue (pain), and instead attached the scale to my behaviors (something that can be observed and measured), it became much easier to rate and explain to people.
I really don’t like it. I have told my dr that having my 1st c-section without anesthesia was a 10 but the TN is so much worse than that but they don’t have a number to describe it!
Hey I've been there alot, that scale is a load of bunk. It was put together by people who couldn't have even stubbed their toe. I smashed two fingers just prior to surgery, and all the OR. staff could talk about was how sore that must be. TN pain is beyond most people's comprehension. I rated mine at at least a 22 many times and they were at a loss to understand. Talking to people who understand what we are going through helps, anytime you want there is always someone here that understands.
once again this is Molly, does it really matter what the pain level is, if I'm having a bad day pain is pain. I have found that Tegretol is what has been working for me over any med that has been offered. Along with cranio sacral massage therapy. Have been to the Urgent Care Clinic,where the answer is I'm sorry, all we can do for you is give you pain killers, which do me no good. Also, ER which I get a shot to relax me. Other wise going to a quiet dark room is the next best thing.
Very good description, wish I had this a few years ago...
Heather said:
i saw this on this site somewhere.....much more accurate, yes?
Haha that’s amazing!
yes.
me either.
when i first went to the pain clinic they give me a pain-dairy to fill everyday.
i was so mad . i came with everyday pain and that was thier solution ?
i also feel it's irrelevant to our sort of pain.
more over... -if a person lives with a 6 pain everyday each day.. and even with 4 scale pain EVERY minute of the day - it can drive him insane just like pain in the force of 10.
really great !
especially no. 10
Heather said:
i saw this on this site somewhere.....much more accurate, yes?
this is outstanding!!
Wendy
Heather said:
i saw this on this site somewhere.....much more accurate, yes?
With all the stress this condition causes, I'd be hesitant to add more stress by worrying about a pain scale. Just remember that it's all subjective and is the best way the medical field can try to have patients (suffering from a massively wide variety of ailments) give them a way to take a subjective issue and make it objective.
I've told my wife a thousand times that describing the pain to someone who has never had it is like trying to explain the color red to someone who has been blind since birth.
The point is, it's not possible to make anyone understand exactly how you feel, so the best you can do is try to avoid the extra stress that comes with getting frustrated with someone who "just doesn't get it." In my humble opinion, of course.