Posted by John B (216.85.128.107) on January 16, 2000 at 10:14:46:
In Reply to: Are we serious here? posted by Ted on January 16, 2000 at 00:28:42:
Hey Ted, you and I had a similar experience. When I was sixteen I went to the dentist to have four molars drilled and filled. My older brother and sister had freaked me out so badly about the pain of the novocaine shot that I refused to allow it, and had all four fillings done without it. I sat there bravely, clutching the arms of the chair, knowing I could stop the dentist any time I wanted to and ask for the shot of novocaine, but I never did. I have to admit it was pretty bad, and I have since decided that for future dental work I prefer a local anesthetic.
I remember that day at the dentist clearly, and I can tell you that having one’s teeth drilled to the quick without benefit of anesthetic is, in my opinion, about an eight on my ten scale. My ten scale is also logarithmic. This means that a nine is ten times worse than an eight, and a ten is ten times worse than a nine. There is a paradox that occurs at the ten level. Suicide becomes thinkable, but unachievable. At a ten level, I am incapable of giving myself an imitrex shot, or of going to the ER, or of getting a gun, or of doing anything but rocking and whimpering. I can be guided, but cannot take a direction on my own. My steps are random, tiny, purposeless. It is too late to do; it is mine but to suffer and endure. It is time to detach; to think of others who suffer, to let anger build against the beast if I can, to distance myself from IT, even if only for a millisecond. This pain roars through my soul like the fires of hell itself with the fury of all nature’s wrath combined in one spot in my head. I would die if I could.
I believe Carl (FREEk) when he says he gets lots of 10’s, because no one could write so eloquently about the pain of cluster headaches unless they have a close personal relationship with this pain on a daily basis, and be blessed with an enormous talent at the same time.
No one can judge another person’s pain. I can wish everyone here pain free days and nights forever.
LYG