if Life is a Journey

I believe we can define our own pain scale as long as our caregivers know the parameters.
That silly card thing the we nurses show patients with the faces on it is a small part of our assessment. As a nurse I can tell you that what you say your pain is at is a very small part of a pain assessment. We are looking at your face, your skin moisture, your pupils, your vital signs, and how you act-
Pain is subjective. I cannot tell you that your pain is a 10 or a 5 only you can and because it is subjective.
A 10 might be quite common among Fibrofolks; and a 10 for us is more than likely more pain than the average person feels in a month. But my average 10 prior to open lung surgery is nothing compared to the pain I had then. The doctors told my hubby that burn patients are the top of the pain scale but this surgery is a close second.
Every time you have worse pain than you have ever had before you are redefining what a pain scale means to you.
Don't ever let anyone else assign a pain level for you. Its your pain own it!
No one else can know what you are going through. We can sympathize and we can empathize, because of our related conditions, but never the less your pain is yours alone and must be evaluated as such.
There seems to be a growing trend of under-medicating pain patients...because of this we need to be up front and honest with our doctors about the type, severity, and frequency....
One of our friends had said that he had pain in his hair, individual hair follicles and eye lashes as well. Yes! I remember having those days as well.  Yes, I believe him and unless one has experienced it it is hard to believe.  But there are a ton of nerves in the scalp.  If you don’t believe me try combing a rats nest out of a squirmy seven year olds hair.
On prednisone my eye lashes hurt.  40 pounds of water excreted later I was back to normal.  But I have never forgotten it, and can believe my patients when they say they have the odd  sounding pain complaint.  Who am I to say it is or isn’t real.  It is real to them and therefore my responsibility to help them receive what they need in the way of pain relief.
Before blaming everything on fibro I like to do a systems analysis, fluid retention can also make our hair hurt....and it is more difficult to think of at first. But some of us tend to retain fluid more than others.....Thank God for Lassix
Something I think all pain patients should do when confronted with insensitive doctors is to ask them questions after insensitive comments.
ALWAYS be polite
Think up your questions ahead of time if possible
And since we are a sharing society here, I am sure our combined brilliant minds can come up with enough quips to have the insensitive jerks tail between his his legs in no time....
My favorite insensitive doctor incident was this:
    me:.......the pain is getting worse what other things can I try to help it?
    doc. "Oh great; another crying pain patient. I can't take any more crying pain patients!"
    me: "Oh, well, then hand me some tissues, I hadn't realized I was a 'crying pain patient' I thought I was here for some reasonable suggestions from one who took the Hippocratic oath not the hippocritic oath. Perhaps you will steer me to the 'crying pain patient department' so that I can get some reasonable assistance, all the while leaking tears along the way."

Now, I was smiling while I said it. I said it in a very pleasant tone of voice. My husband was staring at me, mouth agape, and Doctor was staring at me red faced; said he: "I am so sorry. I did not realize I said that out loud!"
Said I: You get a handle on that little problem doc, the next crying pain patient might be less level headed than I. meanwhile I will have my records transfered."
I was very pleasant toned and smiling but furious inside. I did transfer my records.
My husband says I can be very passive aggressive.  But in a man’s world, where our logic and manlogic are worlds apart sometimes we have to resort to less favorable fighting traits.  Once the tears start we have lost the battle.  Even if it is from pain.
a note here about men and women.  When men are anger they get loud, think fight club mode.  But when women get angry, more often then naught, we have tears, usually of frustration.  Men think they are being played or manipulated, but we think they are insensitive jerks.  So to win the war I have trained myself to NOT CRY in anger.  Save your tears of anger and frustration for the ladies room, after you have won your battle and have the medication you need.
Since then I have tried tactics like "Well, what part of my pain should I ignore? Is it possible to just medicate half my pain then?
EXACTLY WHAT PART OF MY PAIN ARE YOU FEELING????”
I do tend to the sarcastic/sardonic which is why I have to think it out prior to the visits.
Fortunately I have since found my Rheumy who has fibro himself.  And because of this he has scientifically analyzed the disease/condition and is working through, through us and himself,  many newer ways of thinking and dealing with pain and the causes of fibro.  And many of us are doing better than we had been....so what can I say?
Think about this folks; what part of your pain would you happily let the pain-free hippocrits have so they can teach US how to live with pain?
Kind of makes me smile contemplating their abilities to handle pain.