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        New Message Board Archives >> 2003 Posts >> Musings--Pain is relative
        
(Message started by: Carla_Comiter on Sep 18^th, 2003, 3:45pm)

Title: Musings--Pain is relative
Post by Carla_Comiter on Sep 18^th, 2003, 3:45pm

Hi All,

I think it's interesting to hear that CHs hurt more than childbirth, but having never given birth, I can't verify it.

However, I can testify that CHs hurt more than a broken ankle. In Nov '01 I broke my left ankle, requiring surgery, a metal plate and 10 screws. When I was in the hospital, the nurse kept asking me to rate my pain on a scale of 1-10. She tipped me off that I had to rate it higher than 5 in order to get a pain shot.

At the time, I hadn't had a CH episode for ten years, but I still knew that post-operative pain did not rate a 5 on the KIP scale. I tried to explain to the nurse that using a rating scale was inaccurate due to each person having a different experience with pain, and that whoever invented it obviously did not suffer with CHs.

But, I gave up and just answered "6" when she asked. The pain in my ankle certainly warranted taking the meds, but it was only about a 3-4 on the Kip.

Glad to have ya'll to share this with, few others would appreciate it.

Carla

Title: Re: Musings--Pain is relative
Post by don on Sep 18^th, 2003, 4:12pm

I'd rather bounce on a trampoline with two broken ankles and a busted knee cap for good measure than deal with a Kip 9

Title: Re: Musings--Pain is relative
Post by Melissa on Sep 18^th, 2003, 4:43pm

Quote:

I'd rather bounce on a trampoline with two broken ankles and a busted knee cap for good measure than deal with a Kip 9

ok, for some reason I felt that ::) Do you get into self torture Don? ;D

:-*mel

Title: Re: Musings--Pain is relative
Post by BobG on Sep 18^th, 2003, 4:56pm

A kip 5 to one person is different than another's kip 5.

The scale is only for you. Your kip 5 may be time for the emergancy room trip. For another the trip may be at a kip 9.

Title: Re: Musings--Pain is relative
Post by Prense on Sep 18^th, 2003, 6:35pm

Brain freeze (ice cream type) is comparative to a kip 5 in my book. Very interesting post Carla. I've had bruised ribs, jammed fingers, stab wounds...all cake to deal with in comparison. I have never broken anything that I know of, but I rarely went to the doc for anything until CH...and only then after being severely persuaded by people I work with and my fiance'. ;D

Title: Re: Musings--Pain is relative
Post by Patrick_A on Sep 18^th, 2003, 6:59pm

I fell out of a tree at the age of 14, broke both collarbones, ripped 1 arm completely out of the socket grabbing limbs on the way down ( probably what saved my life) tore all the ligaments in that shoulder including rotater cuff. As i lay on the ground stunned, I remember wondering why i wasnt feeling any pain, just kind of a mild throb at best. I think my brain took over and started pumping those endorphins into my body. I was lucky to have been with a friend and he got me help. Truth is, In retrospect, I never really felt any pain, Yea, i was real sore the next day after surgery, but the pain wasnt ever more than a Kip3 ( of course at that point i was on some good drugs)
CH during its peak give me Kip10's quite regularly. I am not ready to say it is worse than child birth, but it definitly is worse than getting your arm ripped out of its socket! LMAO!!!

Patrick