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        New Message Board Archives >> Jul-Sep 2003 >> The Ball Peen Hammer
        
(Message started by: hdbngr on Sep 17th, 2003, 9:54am)
Title: The Ball Peen Hammer
Post by hdbngr on Sep 17th, 2003, 9:54am
One of the difficulties we face as sufferes is trying to explain what CH is like. The word headache seems to sap the understanding of what it really is.

My husband, a non-sufferer, was in an office with a rather out-of-touch, arrogant pain management Doctor once, and he was able to place the intensity of the pain into perspective in practical, everyday language that got immediate understanding, and results.

I was floored by how much my husband had observed, and was able to relate.

"THE BALL PEEN HAMMER" analogy.

Imagine what it would be like if some big guy were to hit you with a hammer, hard. For the sake of argument, it doesn't even have to be your head, you can pick the body part where you want to be struck (your thumb, or knee). Not hard enough to break, just very, very, hard.

Now, you have just been hit with that hammer. Using your choice of pain management skills, don't scream, don't writhe, just go to a happy place! Tell yourself that you can handle the pain. Now, you can't take any pain medicine for it , because you might have to worry about addiction, and that would be bad, wouldn't it?

Now about an hour later, your eyes have finally quit streaming, the snot dries up in your nose, and the pain starts to dwindle to only a significant throb, and you think you might live through this experience. But now, the big dude is going to walk out of the corner and smack you in the same place yet again. Meanwhile, try to keep working, taking care of the kids, doing laundry.

You will get hit with this hammer up to six, eight times a day in the same place. This guy will be your constant companion, all day and all night, for weeks, months, years even. Sometimes you will see the dude coming, sometimes he will just hit you from behind. Either way, it will happen in public, in front of your loved ones, co-workers. Now, try not to be depressed! Try massage if things REALLY get bad.

Now, you have lived with this hammer for a month or so...(question to Doc) how far would you go to make him quit hitting you? When would enough be enough? One month, One year? How about six years? If this were a wife, son or daughter, would you sit by and watch them go through it, offering moral support when you could, or would you ask some hard questions about why people have to COPE with pain rather than TREAT it?


I hope this helps you as it helped me.
Title: Re: The Ball Peen Hammer
Post by Hirvimaki on Sep 17th, 2003, 9:57am
Fantastic analogy.  I hope this helps some folks who have a hard time expressing themselves.

PB
Title: Re: The Ball Peen Hammer
Post by aprilbee on Sep 17th, 2003, 10:02am
Awesome!!!  That is extremely helpful in explaining this wretched beast...
Title: Re: The Ball Peen Hammer
Post by vig on Sep 17th, 2003, 3:46pm
I've been using this analogy to explain the nights:
Imagine finally falling asleep and having someone sneak in your bedroom window and just give you a nice big whack on the head with a baseball bat.  For no reason.  then he leaves.  Once you've collected yourself and managed to go back to sleep, he sneaks back in and... whack! again.  repeat.  all night long.

could this get anymore fun?
Title: Re: The Ball Peen Hammer
Post by Patrick_A on Sep 17th, 2003, 4:04pm

on 09/17/03 at 09:54:35, hdbngr wrote:
One of the difficulties we face as sufferes is trying to explain what CH is like. The word headache seems to sap the understanding of what it really is.

My husband, a non-sufferer, was in an office with a rather out-of-touch, arrogant pain management Doctor once, and he was able to place the intensity of the pain into perspective in practical, everyday language that got immediate understanding, and results.

I was floored by how much my husband had observed, and was able to relate.

"THE BALL PEEN HAMMER" analogy.

Imagine what it would be like if some big guy were to hit you with a hammer, hard. For the sake of argument, it doesn't even have to be your head, you can pick the body part where you want to be struck (your thumb, or knee). Not hard enough to break, just very, very, hard.

Now, you have just been hit with that hammer. Using your choice of pain management skills, don't scream, don't writhe, just go to a happy place! Tell yourself that you can handle the pain. Now, you can't take any pain medicine for it , because you might have to worry about addiction, and that would be bad, wouldn't it?

Now about an hour later, your eyes have finally quit streaming, the snot dries up in your nose, and the pain starts to dwindle to only a significant throb, and you think you might live through this experience. But now, the big dude is going to walk out of the corner and smack you in the same place yet again. Meanwhile, try to keep working, taking care of the kids, doing laundry.

You will get hit with this hammer up to six, eight times a day in the same place. This guy will be your constant companion, all day and all night, for weeks, months, years even. Sometimes you will see the dude coming, sometimes he will just hit you from behind. Either way, it will happen in public, in front of your loved ones, co-workers. Now, try not to be depressed! Try massage if things REALLY get bad.

Now, you have lived with this hammer for a month or so...(question to Doc) how far would you go to make him quit hitting you? When would enough be enough? One month, One year? How about six years? If this were a wife, son or daughter, would you sit by and watch them go through it, offering moral support when you could, or would you ask some hard questions about why people have to COPE with pain rather than TREAT it?


I hope this helps you as it helped me.


I like the explanation but i'd like to replace the hammer with a Red Hot knife that gets stuck into my eye instead.

PF, Patrick
Title: Re: The Ball Peen Hammer
Post by stevegeebe on Sep 17th, 2003, 5:02pm
Nice work, both of you.

Vig, your economy of words is splendid.

Steve G
Title: Re: The Ball Peen Hammer
Post by UnsolvedEquation on Sep 17th, 2003, 5:09pm
Damn!! You guys REALLY do have what I do, huh ! For me...it's a terrible car wreck in which I put my head through the windshield...over and over and over...everyday and night ! When I wake the next day...I know there's gonna be another demolition derby !
~ WILD RIDE ~
Title: Re: The Ball Peen Hammer
Post by hopefull on Sep 17th, 2003, 8:21pm
How is it that we're not all crazed idiots.....people go postal over A LOT LESS....
Title: Re: The Ball Peen Hammer
Post by Jeepgun on Jul 22nd, 2004, 1:49pm
btt


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