Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Posts >> How do you rate pain?
        
(Message started by: aprilbee on Feb 27^th, 2004, 9:15am)

Title: How do you rate pain?
Post by aprilbee on Feb 27^th, 2004, 9:15am

I have had chronic neck and wrist pain for the past 4-6 months. yesterday I went to a hand specialist, and he asked me to rate my pain 1 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain I've ever felt....well....we all know what the worst pain is right? the neck and wrist may be a 10 for "normal" people, but I had the hardest time coming up with a number, 4, 5, 6? who knows? we can all pretty much take any pain that's not CH, child birth, broken limbs, car accidents, it just made it really tough to let him know that I'm IN pain, but my tolerance is sooooooooo high. This just bothers me a little bit, no biggie, just wanted to share.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by thomas on Feb 27^th, 2004, 9:25am

Broken nose = inconvienience
broken finger = bothersome
borken leg = minor discomfort
bruise = huh? what, where did that come from?
dislocated vertabrae = have to go to chiropractor - so I can stand up straight (makes walking difficult) major inconvienience.

hangover= nope, don't need no asprin
cluster headach= pain, the only pain, the real, beautiful, perfect pain.
broken heart = that hurts too.

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by aprilbee on Feb 27^th, 2004, 9:33am

on 02/27/04 at 09:25:15, thomas wrote:

broken heart = that hurts too.

I agree, that pain is way worse than CH... but, with time it does get better... :-*

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by thomas on Feb 27^th, 2004, 9:36am

on 02/27/04 at 09:33:32, aprilbee wrote:

I agree, that pain is way worse than CH... but, with time it does get better... :-*

Yes, it does

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by Jimmy_B on Feb 27^th, 2004, 10:53am

Usually I never use some numbers...like if it's
No Pain = 0; Hurts, but I can still function = 3 or 4;
Hurts, & I can't get my mind off of the Pain + 6 or 7;
Worst Pain (other then Cluster) = 9
Cluster = 10

Then you have to get into acute & chronic pain...even though a Cluster is the most sever type of pain I've experienced...I get this neck, arm pain that would normally rate a 6 or 7, but lasts for days. I would take one or two clusters over that, though. It just grinds on me until it becomes almost maddening.

Peace & Painfree
Jimmy

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by Lizzie2 on Feb 27^th, 2004, 11:55am

Yea the chronic pain thing is tough. It might be all over the place in numbers, but it never leaves. That alone can make it very difficult to bear.

Anyways, prior to going to my new doc, I rated my daily chronic head pain on the 0-10 scale, and sometimes it definately was a 10...so when he asked what my clusters were, i told him 14. LOL

So I went to this new doc, and he asked about pain levels, and I started to give him a number range on the 1-10 scale, and he said he didn't want to hear about 10's and the like.

He has his patients use this scale:
3 = severe pain, can't function
2 = pretty bad pain, but can still function
1 = not feelin it

I kinda like that scale. It takes out all the big confusing ranges for me. It's just more blunt and direct. Instead of being like...ummm today i think it is a 6.5. LOL

I hate when they ask you to rate it! I'm like..it just HURTS can't you fix it?? hehe

Lizzie :)

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by aprilbee on Feb 27^th, 2004, 12:06pm

on 02/27/04 at 11:55:28, Lizzie2 wrote:

I hate when they ask you to rate it! I'm like..it just HURTS can't you fix it?? hehe

Lizzie :)

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by Cerberus on Feb 27^th, 2004, 12:08pm

I always tell the doctors and nurses that I have CH and my pain levels for that START at their 10. If In cycle and I get asked again to assign a number I tell em what my KIP level is... normal scale 10 being a 1 and 20 being the worst possible. seems to work.

Ramon

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by Gena on Feb 27^th, 2004, 12:12pm

I rate my by how many F word come out of my mouth :o

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by Lizzie2 on Feb 27^th, 2004, 12:12pm

Hehe..I tried to do that with my headache neuro...relate for him the KIP scale, but he didn't get it. I was like...what's not to get?? Ahhh well...some people just have no clue!

Lizzie :)

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by rob_d on Feb 27^th, 2004, 1:41pm

maybe I am looking for a silver lining, somewhere, anywhere, but there really is something liberating in the fact that we will never, EVER, feel worse pain than we have all felt. It simply does not get any worse than what we all know all too well.

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by thomas on Feb 27^th, 2004, 1:43pm

on 02/27/04 at 13:41:54, rob_d wrote:

Don't assume that.......... one never knows.........

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by echo on Feb 27^th, 2004, 1:58pm

I use the T C V V G method of determining the pain associated with anything as it compares to a CH.

Testicle Compression Via Vise Grip.

If in pain I squeeze a nut until that pain surpasses the CH. I worked one over so bad one evening it looked like a manhole cover the next morning. It was tough getting my underware on until I folded it several times and formed it in a garlic press. Didn't surpass the CH either.

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by Jimmy_B on Feb 27^th, 2004, 2:18pm

on 02/27/04 at 13:58:44, echo wrote:

I use the T C V V G method of determining the pain associated with anything as it compares to a CH.

Testicle Compression Via Vise Grip.

L.M.A.O. [smiley=biggrin.gif]

Jimmy

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by aprilbee on Feb 27^th, 2004, 2:34pm

on 02/27/04 at 14:18:23, Jimmy_B wrote:

L.M.A.O. [smiley=biggrin.gif]

Jimmy

LMAO 2!!!!!!!!! [smiley=crackup.gif]

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by Tiannia on Feb 27^th, 2004, 4:24pm

on 02/27/04 at 11:55:28, Lizzie2 wrote:

I kinda like that scale. It takes out all the big confusing ranges for me. It's just more blunt and direct. Instead of being like...ummm today i think it is a 6.5. LOL

I hate when they ask you to rate it! I'm like..it just HURTS can't you fix it?? hehe

Lizzie :)

The last part is with my kids. It doesn't matter if it is a hurt feeling cause my son fell down when he was just trying to turn around and landed on his diaper or if he really hurts himself. He looks at me and it is just a "Fix it mom" look. That kills.

But I do like that scale Lizzy.

When I had my surgery, I had a CH starting as I went in there. It was about a K7 by the time they took me back, My eye was swelling and I was covered in sweat. Kept rocking on the streatcher. And the nurse says well I'm sorry that it is bright in here where is your pain. I am so used to thinking in terms of Kip that I said 7 and she said well if we turn off the lights it would be better. At that point I told her that I wished it was a migrain. I have had migrain not for about 3 years. But I know that the constant pain can drive you crazy.

Tia

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by Lizzie2 on Feb 27^th, 2004, 5:54pm

Awwww kids are so dependent on their parents! It's sweet yet exhausting for a parent! I wouldn't know really...haven't had any yet! haha

I was gonna write more, but it's a rather detailed personal story about some interesting history of my life regarding pain. I'll save that for an email or PM sometime. :)

Hugz, Lizzie :)

P.S. How is your surgery holding up? Is it helping you?? I hope it is!!

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by Tiannia on Feb 27^th, 2004, 6:50pm

So far so good. Still get he shadows and still feel the pressure behind the eye and the heat and sweats, but dont get the stabbing pain. My biggest fear is that it is just the injections doing their thing and when it wears off I'll be back to where I started, but I had a blast the last two nights playing with my kids and not worrying about watching the clock "knowing" that the beast is going to come knocking at such and such time.

Figure take it a day at a time and any is better then none.

Tiannia

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by jonny on Feb 27^th, 2004, 7:01pm

on 02/27/04 at 18:50:04, Tiannia wrote:

but I had a blast the last two nights playing with my kids and not worrying about watching the clock "knowing" that the beast is going to come knocking at such and such time.

Good for you, Tia ;;D

.................................jonny

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by Kevin_M on Feb 27^th, 2004, 7:11pm

Lizzie2's three point pain plan is about as concise as could be and similar to what I can identify with, but of course, I'm a bit wordier.

0 = no pain
1 = background pain, like shadows, bothersome.
2 = no longer in the background, I might be able to find some way to function, it hurts.
3 = this is the embarrassing pain. Might get emotional, may plead with God. On all fours with icepack, rubbing, rocking and moaning. Embarrassing because my bedroom borders my neighbors driveway and at three in the morning when they are up, I don't care if they hear me, or if they think I am having great sex with myself by the sounds. They know I get headaches, but I'm sure they wonder.

Kevin M

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by Tim_w on Feb 29^th, 2004, 1:31am

Like has been said before ( If you dont get them you dont get it !!) :-/
TimW Happy Pappy

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by cootie on Feb 29^th, 2004, 2:45am

I have chronic pain......but....I have WITNESSED the worse pain known to man.........which is what you guys suffer.....CH.....I bow down to you.....on my knees !!!!! I 'can' rate mine.......but it will never compare to yours !!!!! Mine is relentless..........mine 'never' gives up.......there's no cycles.....there's no time frame.....yours is the worst even if just for an hour........so don't 'you' ever give up......because YOU......are "MY" inspiration......you are MY life !!! You keep me going....you keep me alive ! Pam that shakes rattles and cries for an eternity of diar agony just to know your there.......we can help each other......we can ride out this storm. You are the 'breath' that keeps us all together..........you are what keeps me sane.............my family..........you are my LIFELINE to live on.........you are my freinds that care. You are there when I am down.........my friends when I am depressed...........my freinds when I have hit the bottom.......you bring me up..............you save my life when I have made a bad decision!! Pam that strives to survive in a graceful mannner 'with you beside me '!! Stand by me.....I will stand by you ! Pam that suffers with other pain there is no hope for......I need you bad !!! Pam that is bleeding her heart out to you

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by Svenn on Feb 29^th, 2004, 4:18pm

Re: How do you rate pain?

Thats not easy

1, In my eyes its a matter of definition

2,How do you define it

3,How do you control it

1+2+3=rate the pain,or ?

Svenn

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by cootie on Feb 29^th, 2004, 4:42pm

I will NOT drink and post.....I will NOT drink and post......give me nuther post'n while drinkin ticket.....sorry hungover slightly Pam :P

OK....carry on......................................

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by kissmyglass on Feb 29^th, 2004, 4:44pm

Hey Kevin_M?

Fuck the neighbors....

Kev

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by thebbz on Feb 29^th, 2004, 10:28pm

I don't rate the pain...they restrain. When in battle cant speak. Neuro says rate the pain No 1 to 10 for me I say very simply pretend your head is a grape and Im doing and Im doing the river dance on it. ;) ;) ;)thebbz

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by stuey on Mar 2^nd, 2004, 6:11pm

My pain level depends on how many times I scream and curse at God and keep saying over and over "oh fuck" "oh fuck" "oh shit" "oh God no". Pain sucks.

Title: Re: How do you rate pain?
Post by jonny on Mar 2^nd, 2004, 6:18pm

Pam, I thought it was an extremly touching post....you hit every nail on the head bigtime!!!! :'(

Rate pain?....It hurts/It dont hurt..Thats it folks

.....................................jonny