(no subject)

[gwywnnydd]

Years ago, I got a new definition of "Smoke Test", when someone on my friends list found a computer software bug that caused the hardware to catch fire (100% repro. That's *insane*).
Today, I got a new definition of "pain scale". Taken from a WL post:
"On a pain scale of 1 to 11, (1 being a completely luscious early summer evening with alla you scum in the driveway of Chez ______, and 11 being, uh, that time I dragged myself screaming up the stairs into the house with an unmitigated pelvic fracture) fresh ovarian tumor surgery is a paltry 6 or 7-ish.".

I totally have to remember where eleven is on the pain scale. However, this does work in with my assessment of recovery from a C-Section at about a 5.

Comments

Mmm...

[ladyallyn.livejournal.com]

The scale that I use with my patients (and on myself) 1 = barely aware of something out of the ordinary, 10 = KILL ME, *PLEEEASE!!!* to put me out of my misery.

Nerve pain = 12
Average migraine = 6 or 7 (it's the sickness more than the pain that gets me)
Broken jaw, face first off bike = 3 at the time, 8 getting it fixed

Having a stellar pain tolerance is not always a good thing. I've never so much as squeaked at anything my phyical therpist has done to me -- until yesterday. I safeworded on my physical therapist! Have a bruise from knee to hip to show for it -- for what should have been a fairly minor bit of work.

[tedder42.livejournal.com]

major jaw surgery = 6
bone graft (removal of bone from hip) = 9
getting a kidney yanked out = 11


That's actually why the kidney hurt too- having your muscle surgically spread is amazing. After the kidney surgery I didn't think I could breathe because the abdominal muscles hurt so much.

(the scar is right around 9", not laproscopic)

a la Lethal Weapon

[ladyallyn.livejournal.com]

I can see a round of "and there there's /this/ scar" around Chez _________'s hot tub. The bone graft from the hip sucked, the bone and metal they grafted it *to* sucked worse (most of my back - have plates, screws and wires in the face/jaw). Neither one of them touch the pain of an inflamed nerve root. Morphine barely took the edge off about day 17. Knocking me out and injecting it with Marcaine and steroid finally got it to abate.

Still and all, I wouldn't wish any of those on anyone I like. Not even the people who are into pain recreationally. Come to think of it, I wouldn't wish it on most peolpe I don't like.

[airlinepilot.livejournal.com]

First of all, I want to hear about that bug! :)

Second, I'd also have to say nerve pain rates a 12.
* I knew I was in trouble when I was seriously thinking about playing in traffic so I'd end up in the hospital under the influence of major painkillers.
* I had to fall back on my pilot mentality: If you *think* it's an Emergency, it is. So I went to the frelling ER right before Christmas.

[gwywnnydd.livejournal.com]

Ask my friends list, I'm sure the responsible party will pipe up :).

I have learned

[(Anonymous)]

To quantify my pain scale to the medics...
They ask on a scale of One to ten where are you?

One being an "I cut myself and need stiches" and ten being "unable to walk and can't reach my gun before back surgery" this is a (Blank)...

Throughout my life that "10" mark gets higher and higher... I don't want to imagine the next lesson...

[edichka2.livejournal.com]

On the 0-10 pain scale:

Best definition I've heard was my wife's. While we were checking into Labor & Delivery, the nurse asks Heather (a fairly accomplished masochist) what she thinks would constitute a ten. "Passing out," she decides after a moment's thought.

Makes some sense to me. Ten is something like an absolute limit, when your brain is so overloaded with pain that you lose consciousness. It lends some structure to the notion of a numeric scale with a maximum.

Maybe nine would be screaming uncontrollably, on the brink of passing out.

- Eddie