Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
I hate the pain scale. It is so subjective and so heavily swayed by your own experiences. I've had pain that pushed me to briefly blackout. That's my 10. If I'd never been that sick my 10 would be so much lower and there is no way any given nurse is going to know my history. So what kind of evaluation tool is that?
As a nurse, the only aspect of the painscale we care about is the trend. Is it getting better or worse? The number helps with that when people report appropriately. When people do "it's still a 10 but it's less than my previous 10" that doesn't help at all. Because when I leave and the chart reads 10/10 for the past 24 hours despite medication, well, we can stop giving pain medication I guess, and we have no way of knowing of how things are progressing.
It's a heavily flawed evaluation tool for the most part though, but it's the best we have in regards to pain.
I hate the pain scale. It is so subjective and so heavily swayed by your own experiences. I've had pain that pushed me to briefly blackout. That's my 10. If I'd never been that sick my 10 would be so much lower and there is no way any given nurse is going to know my history. So what kind of evaluation tool is that?
As a nurse, the only aspect of the painscale we care about is the trend. Is it getting better or worse? The number helps with that when people report appropriately. When people do "it's still a 10 but it's less than my previous 10" that doesn't help at all. Because when I leave and the chart reads 10/10 for the past 24 hours despite medication, well, we can stop giving pain medication I guess, and we have no way of knowing of how things are progressing.
It's a heavily flawed evaluation tool for the most part though, but it's the best we have in regards to pain.
To add on to that, I've got a lot of nerve damage in my left arm and upper torso, and during a flare up the pain is all I can think about. It prevents me from being able to sleep, eat, take care of myself, etc. The longer it goes unchecked the more it will hurt. So in many nurses and doctors opinion, that's a 10.
But I've also broken bones, some very badly. That kind of pain is a 10/10 to me, because I'll be screaming maybe, or sometimes I'll pass out. Acute pain from major trauma like that feels worse, but in my mind I know it's temporary, even if my shin bone is sticking out of the front of my leg.
My nerve pain doesn't feel like that, but it hurts like hell. You won't see me screaming and writhing around during a flare up, because that makes me feel worse. I generally try to do my breathing exercises and stay as calm as I can. I think the worst part about it is the mental aspect; I know that if I can't get the pain down to a reasonable level, I'm going to get worse. It's never just relented for me out of nowhere after a flare. So that's a 10/10 too, but I try to make the distinction clear to the people helping me. They usually get it.
PSN: thewheelz
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I ZimbraWorst song, played on ugliest guitarRegistered Userregular
So, my fiancee got a CT scan last week and we discovered that part of the wire in her knee is fractured, so that's all got to come out. Which will mean several more months off work for recovery after the surgery, which probably won't happen until May at the soonest. Plus worker's comp doesn't want to pay her anymore because they don't feel like this is related to the injury at work. Plus her work is looking for any reason to fire her since she's missed so much time the past few years, although the lawsuit and EEOC complaint we filed against them probably aren't helping. PLUS we're trying to plan a wedding, which is pretty darn hard when her health and job are up in the air.
The silver lining is that with all the weight I'm losing from stress, I look great!
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Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
I hate the pain scale. It is so subjective and so heavily swayed by your own experiences. I've had pain that pushed me to briefly blackout. That's my 10. If I'd never been that sick my 10 would be so much lower and there is no way any given nurse is going to know my history. So what kind of evaluation tool is that?
As a nurse, the only aspect of the painscale we care about is the trend. Is it getting better or worse? The number helps with that when people report appropriately. When people do "it's still a 10 but it's less than my previous 10" that doesn't help at all. Because when I leave and the chart reads 10/10 for the past 24 hours despite medication, well, we can stop giving pain medication I guess, and we have no way of knowing of how things are progressing.
It's a heavily flawed evaluation tool for the most part though, but it's the best we have in regards to pain.
Here's how I have adapted to it.
10 is where you are in so much pain you are crying or cannot even react appropriately. This is the only level where "What's your pain score?" is a stupid question to ask.
9 is intense sharp pain that is ludicrous to even deal with. Often when you have this pain score you sound like a contrite German: "NEIN NEIN NEIN!" Whereas 10 is the pain that is so outwardly obvious that it needs no introduction, 9 is super intense but still needs a hype man.
This leaves 1-8 as the actual operative pain score. Well, 6-8 because 1-5 is basically worthless. Anything 5 and lower means "Walk it off you baby."
6 is baseline "I am in a fair amount of pain and need some help"
7 is "My pain is exacerbated and I am really in trouble."
8 is "My pain is intense and out of control and I cannot continue at this rate."
That's how I have been operating for the past few years. It took me a while to develop this system. Hell, when I was 17 every time I went to the ER I would say I was in a 6 amount of pain because I was comparing it to my most painful experiences at that time, which was faulty. Nowadays, I would have called that same pain a 7 or an 8.
If I am in enough pain to go to the ER, I usually just call my pain a 7 regardless (unless it's a 9 or a 10). This allows me the wiggle room to go up to an 8 or down to a 6 as needed.
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
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MetalbourneInside a cluster b personalityRegistered Userregular
edited February 2017
I keep getting robocalls from "a clinic" because of "a referral from the VA" and after I "press 1 to make an appointment" I'm greeted by a call center worker who demands my information and cannot give any information of their own until I do. I mean I'm familiar with HIPAA bullshit but it's like, if you can't identify yourself or even what your "clinic" does without getting my sensitive info, fuck you, man.
Oh and, yeah, I checked with my case manager at the VA and while there were no referrals other than for voice lessons (which I've already made the appointment for), my case worker said that if I gave her the number, she would make the appointment for me.
I mean they're not supposed to identify the clinic if it's something sensitive but all they should need is like one piece of info to tell you who they are. like part of your address or birthday, not everything
I mean they're not supposed to identify the clinic if it's something sensitive but all they should need is like one piece of info to tell you who they are. like part of your address or birthday, not everything
First off, if it's legit, there's nothing it could possibly be. My doctor hasn't sent out any other referrals. Like, this is just a clinic contacting me out of the blue to make an appointment and are unable to tell me for what. All of my medical needs are currently being met, so I'm naturally suspicious as fuck.
I hate the pain scale. It is so subjective and so heavily swayed by your own experiences. I've had pain that pushed me to briefly blackout. That's my 10. If I'd never been that sick my 10 would be so much lower and there is no way any given nurse is going to know my history. So what kind of evaluation tool is that?
As a nurse, the only aspect of the painscale we care about is the trend. Is it getting better or worse? The number helps with that when people report appropriately. When people do "it's still a 10 but it's less than my previous 10" that doesn't help at all. Because when I leave and the chart reads 10/10 for the past 24 hours despite medication, well, we can stop giving pain medication I guess, and we have no way of knowing of how things are progressing.
It's a heavily flawed evaluation tool for the most part though, but it's the best we have in regards to pain.
Here's how I have adapted to it.
10 is where you are in so much pain you are crying or cannot even react appropriately. This is the only level where "What's your pain score?" is a stupid question to ask.
9 is intense sharp pain that is ludicrous to even deal with. Often when you have this pain score you sound like a contrite German: "NEIN NEIN NEIN!" Whereas 10 is the pain that is so outwardly obvious that it needs no introduction, 9 is super intense but still needs a hype man.
This leaves 1-8 as the actual operative pain score. Well, 6-8 because 1-5 is basically worthless. Anything 5 and lower means "Walk it off you baby."
6 is baseline "I am in a fair amount of pain and need some help"
7 is "My pain is exacerbated and I am really in trouble."
8 is "My pain is intense and out of control and I cannot continue at this rate."
That's how I have been operating for the past few years. It took me a while to develop this system. Hell, when I was 17 every time I went to the ER I would say I was in a 6 amount of pain because I was comparing it to my most painful experiences at that time, which was faulty. Nowadays, I would have called that same pain a 7 or an 8.
If I am in enough pain to go to the ER, I usually just call my pain a 7 regardless (unless it's a 9 or a 10). This allows me the wiggle room to go up to an 8 or down to a 6 as needed.
I have the regular 1-9, and then I have 9.1 through 10. If I'm going to an ER for pain control, it's because I can't function due to pain. It kills my appetite, I can't sleep, I can't do anything but lay there. I've got a 2-year old, so the last thing my wife needs is to be taking care of her and constantly checking on me. My home meds won't touch it, and the longer it goes on, the worse it gets, and the longer it will take to get me back to an acceptable pain level. That, to me, is a 9. If I'm at a 9, I need to be in the hospital.
The decimals help me describe the severity of that 9 level pain, and helps the doctors understand that sometimes progress is being made, but I can't go home yet because I know I'll just be back in their ER within 24 hours when it inevitably gets worse. If I'm down to an 8 or 7, that's my normal. Which sucks, but I can deal with that.
10s are reserved for broken limbs and bullet wounds.
I mean they're not supposed to identify the clinic if it's something sensitive but all they should need is like one piece of info to tell you who they are. like part of your address or birthday, not everything
First off, if it's legit, there's nothing it could possibly be. My doctor hasn't sent out any other referrals. Like, this is just a clinic contacting me out of the blue to make an appointment and are unable to tell me for what. All of my medical needs are currently being met, so I'm naturally suspicious as fuck.
right I just wanted to be clear cause like, Planned Parenthood and shit, they need permission to call and they need additional permission to identify where they're calling from, so unless you specifically tell them that they can tell anyone who answers the phone that they're calling from PP they will refuse to answer
however it shouldn't be like what's happening to you... just didn't want ppl to think what bowen was saying is 100 all the time true. you are right to be suspicious about it
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Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
I hate the pain scale. It is so subjective and so heavily swayed by your own experiences. I've had pain that pushed me to briefly blackout. That's my 10. If I'd never been that sick my 10 would be so much lower and there is no way any given nurse is going to know my history. So what kind of evaluation tool is that?
As a nurse, the only aspect of the painscale we care about is the trend. Is it getting better or worse? The number helps with that when people report appropriately. When people do "it's still a 10 but it's less than my previous 10" that doesn't help at all. Because when I leave and the chart reads 10/10 for the past 24 hours despite medication, well, we can stop giving pain medication I guess, and we have no way of knowing of how things are progressing.
It's a heavily flawed evaluation tool for the most part though, but it's the best we have in regards to pain.
Here's how I have adapted to it.
10 is where you are in so much pain you are crying or cannot even react appropriately. This is the only level where "What's your pain score?" is a stupid question to ask.
9 is intense sharp pain that is ludicrous to even deal with. Often when you have this pain score you sound like a contrite German: "NEIN NEIN NEIN!" Whereas 10 is the pain that is so outwardly obvious that it needs no introduction, 9 is super intense but still needs a hype man.
This leaves 1-8 as the actual operative pain score. Well, 6-8 because 1-5 is basically worthless. Anything 5 and lower means "Walk it off you baby."
6 is baseline "I am in a fair amount of pain and need some help"
7 is "My pain is exacerbated and I am really in trouble."
8 is "My pain is intense and out of control and I cannot continue at this rate."
That's how I have been operating for the past few years. It took me a while to develop this system. Hell, when I was 17 every time I went to the ER I would say I was in a 6 amount of pain because I was comparing it to my most painful experiences at that time, which was faulty. Nowadays, I would have called that same pain a 7 or an 8.
If I am in enough pain to go to the ER, I usually just call my pain a 7 regardless (unless it's a 9 or a 10). This allows me the wiggle room to go up to an 8 or down to a 6 as needed.
I have the regular 1-9, and then I have 9.1 through 10. If I'm going to an ER for pain control, it's because I can't function due to pain. It kills my appetite, I can't sleep, I can't do anything but lay there. I've got a 2-year old, so the last thing my wife needs is to be taking care of her and constantly checking on me. My home meds won't touch it, and the longer it goes on, the worse it gets, and the longer it will take to get me back to an acceptable pain level. That, to me, is a 9. If I'm at a 9, I need to be in the hospital.
The decimals help me describe the severity of that 9 level pain, and helps the doctors understand that sometimes progress is being made, but I can't go home yet because I know I'll just be back in their ER within 24 hours when it inevitably gets worse. If I'm down to an 8 or 7, that's my normal. Which sucks, but I can deal with that.
10s are reserved for broken limbs and bullet wounds.
Sorry to say, ERs don't do fractions. Well, depending on, of course, but most places I've been at have electronic systems in place now that require whole numbers to be put into the computer in order for it to be accepted by the computer.
If it's being written on the board or via hardcopy, that's another story. And sometimes (most of the time) the nurse will just erase the decimal spot from their entry into the computer while listening to what you say.
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
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Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
I mean they're not supposed to identify the clinic if it's something sensitive but all they should need is like one piece of info to tell you who they are. like part of your address or birthday, not everything
First off, if it's legit, there's nothing it could possibly be. My doctor hasn't sent out any other referrals. Like, this is just a clinic contacting me out of the blue to make an appointment and are unable to tell me for what. All of my medical needs are currently being met, so I'm naturally suspicious as fuck.
right I just wanted to be clear cause like, Planned Parenthood and shit, they need permission to call and they need additional permission to identify where they're calling from, so unless you specifically tell them that they can tell anyone who answers the phone that they're calling from PP they will refuse to answer
however it shouldn't be like what's happening to you... just didn't want ppl to think what bowen was saying is 100 all the time true. you are right to be suspicious about it
You are describing a case where you are expecting a call that you set up where some minor identifying information will be asked by a person you have likely interacted with before.
And not like, an unexpected robocall out of the blue demanding you self-identify before you get the hot deets of what they be sellin'
Munkus Beaver on
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
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WeaverWho are you?What do you want?Registered Userregular
New MRI from last weekend is the first done during a relatively pain free period, and instead of showing a bulge like all the others, shows a posterior annular tear on the L5-S1 So for years now looks like what's been happening is reopening the tear, fluid leaks causing a bulge, scars over and then tears open again, rinse and repeat. So might be looking at a disc replacement but still have a bunch of other tests ahead.
Well I'm not gonna awesome that, but I'm glad it looks like you may have found the root problem.
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WeaverWho are you?What do you want?Registered Userregular
Disc fluid is also basically caustic(irritates them to hell) to nerves, which explains problems down my leg. Also it showed a 7cm renal cyst that the report lists as presumed benign.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
^That awesome isn't like "hooray, pain!", it is "hooray, hopefully with a better diagnosis a solution and and end is in sight!"
soooo, therapist is reasonably confident in saying i may have mild to moderate ADHD, likely inattentive, but suggests --especially if i want to consider medication-- taking the 3-hour battery of tests with a neuropsychologist since i got that good insurance right now. but she also seems reluctant to make that assertion in my records because pre-existing condition, yo.
what am i getting myself into?
(on the other hand, there's a whole lot that seems familiar and it is a release to think i'm not just a misfit toy)
a lot of people are also hesitant to put that recommendation on paper because it can lead to a lot of scrutiny especially if God forbid you ended up being ~drug seeking~ or a dealer they don't want to be the official source of a DX
I'm glad you found that out about yourself! it's a big relief to feel like you're not just somehow "weird"
yeah, just ordered "Smart But Scattered" on her recommendation. i should bring this up to the psych nurse on my next visit, but i am still kinda getting used to the idea of being on fluoxetine; i am so the opposite of drug-seeking, but i am at a point again where i want to get to the root of my issues, and if it takes a low dose of Vyvanse or the like...
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Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
I will say that I had gone for a recent record of the past few years of 80ish whole days without a hospitalization before my last one. And then I got hospitalized by something that I had literally never encountered before in my entire tenure as a Chronic Illness individual.
I don't know what encompasses what it's like to live with a Chronic Disease and try to recover more than that, to be honest.
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
colonoscopy and endoscopy on Monday, gastroenterologist says my celiac results from a few years ago are so vague as to be useless, wants to retest for that too
I know that it isn't a personal failing I couldn't finish my dual major and dropped down to just psych, but that hasn't stopped me from crying and feeling like shit about all that time and money
Been waiting on an MRI for a little while, with the expectation that it'd be sometime mid-spring. Got the call today saying it's in a couple weeks instead. Yay! Movement sooner than expected! Death to holding patterns! Huzzah!
And it's at dawn, on a Sunday, on the other side of the city, when the main bridge across the harbour will be out due to construction, and public transit can be best described as "theoretical." So this will be fun.
...Win some, lose some?
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WeaverWho are you?What do you want?Registered Userregular
truthfully once upon a time I thought wtf do we need a chronic illness thread for? it can't be that different
sometimes I feel like some malevolent force with a fucked up sense of humor is really focused on proving how stupid I was to think that
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Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
truthfully once upon a time I thought wtf do we need a chronic illness thread for? it can't be that different
sometimes I feel like some malevolent force with a fucked up sense of humor is really focused on proving how stupid I was to think that
I mean, when I was 13 I really wanted a good hospitalization story because I had never been to the hospital before, so it's entirely possible.
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
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MetalbourneInside a cluster b personalityRegistered Userregular
Speaking of chronic illnesses it occurred to me that if I'm having pseudo hallucinations, then it's entirely possible that I'm having hallucinations that I don't catch and identify as coming from inside my head. My own view of reality may be different than everyone else's
i just remembered again that i probably gave myself a concussion as a kid.
somewhere around age 7 or 8, i was monkeying around on a tall slide similar to this; i don't remember if it had the hilly bits, but ours also had crossbars near the top to dangle from.
i missed a grab for the sidebar, and slo-mo fell on my back, knocking myself out. i think i remember all the breath going out of me, and pain/red/blackness, but it also felt real dreamlike. no one was around, so i have no idea how long i was out. woke up woozy and stumbled my way home.
age 6, some kid shoved me on a (different) slide before i was ready, and i somehow caught my ankle between the slide and guardrail and went flying over. cue me dangling upside down 5 or 6 feet up, yelling at my nitwit friends to go back and tell my sister, no really, your sister needs you. i remember i passed out at least once before she got there, because i was doing the most hardcore yoga crunch to try and keep my head up, and my little arms could only hold it for so long.
another, disconnected sense memory of just resting the side of my head against the cool of a wall in a darkened room, roaring in my head, dizzy and overwhelmed by light. it wasn't frequent enough for me to talk about it with anyone.
THAT IS TO SAY, i always forget about these possibly mild brain issues/injuries whenever the subject comes up, so maybe i should mention that the next appointment with the psych nurse, yeah? :x
i just remembered again that i probably gave myself a concussion as a kid.
somewhere around age 7 or 8, i was monkeying around on a tall slide similar to this; i don't remember if it had the hilly bits, but ours also had crossbars near the top to dangle from.
i missed a grab for the sidebar, and slo-mo fell on my back, knocking myself out. i think i remember all the breath going out of me, and pain/red/blackness, but it also felt real dreamlike. no one was around, so i have no idea how long i was out. woke up woozy and stumbled my way home.
age 6, some kid shoved me on a (different) slide before i was ready, and i somehow caught my ankle between the slide and guardrail and went flying over. cue me dangling upside down 5 or 6 feet up, yelling at my nitwit friends to go back and tell my sister, no really, your sister needs you. i remember i passed out at least once before she got there, because i was doing the most hardcore yoga crunch to try and keep my head up, and my little arms could only hold it for so long.
another, disconnected sense memory of just resting the side of my head against the cool of a wall in a darkened room, roaring in my head, dizzy and overwhelmed by light. it wasn't frequent enough for me to talk about it with anyone.
THAT IS TO SAY, i always forget about these possibly mild brain issues/injuries whenever the subject comes up, so maybe i should mention that the next appointment with the psych nurse, yeah? :x
Yeah, I'm not a doctor, but my guess would be that at the very least, the falls were enough to possibly cause a TBI.
Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
Oh, I have finally been able to stop drinking Cokes, by the way.
I still have to drink sweet things, but I am using those sugarfree flavor things that you put two squirts into water with in order to replace the whole urge.
Based on the advice of literally every medical professional ever this should have a noticeable effect on my health, but since I still haven't recovered from the inflammation/hospitalization I haven't noticed the full effects of it.
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
so before my procedures on Monday they wanted to do some tests including my CRP which is apparently an inflammation marker. my results automatically published and it's at 30 out of a "normal range" of 0-10 so I still have inflammation, no big shock, I've been off my biologic since September basically and I had major surgery a few months ago, whatever. I check my history of results and the day I was discharged from the hospital I was at 380
well I guess that's an improvement, holy shit
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Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
I had to look that up for a second, C-Reactive Protein. I have never heard it abbreviated like that. I think some doctors around here used to say "C-Rak"?
But yeah, when you have a flare the Protein is often being produced at insane levels, I don't remember all my exact levels from the past but you're in good company with your 380.
However, in the past I have also had a flare but had no significant C-Reactive Protein elevation in my blood. Mind games!
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
Yeah he didn't tell me what he ordered other than the antibody test for celiac, which is useless bc I haven't had any gluten at all in 3 months so it would be negative either way? but whatever if it makes him feel better to check it. some of the language in my tissue biopsy from my necrotic tissue makes it sound like I might have Crohn's cause that's what I need! but at least it's treated in the same way basically as my psoriasis so hey.
I'm incredibly fucking nervous about this colonoscopy despite knowing people go through it all the time with no issues, complications are rare, blah blah blah, because 1: iirc you had hella fucking serious complications before and anxiety means if it happened to someone I know clearly it happens all the time and 2: with multiple autoimmune disorders "don't worry, it's really rare" is useless garbage because my body makes no sense
Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
Cabsy, if you have Cronh's then yeah, it's the Crohn's which is causing your psoriasis most likely. As in, those are just two manifestations of one singular disease.
"It's really rare" is also basically tempting fucking fate for the chronically ill.
I have had one medical statistical improbability and two medical impossibilities in my life.
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
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-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
I am essentially Real World Wolverine. Overpowered immune system and chops that could kill a moose.
As a nurse, the only aspect of the painscale we care about is the trend. Is it getting better or worse? The number helps with that when people report appropriately. When people do "it's still a 10 but it's less than my previous 10" that doesn't help at all. Because when I leave and the chart reads 10/10 for the past 24 hours despite medication, well, we can stop giving pain medication I guess, and we have no way of knowing of how things are progressing.
It's a heavily flawed evaluation tool for the most part though, but it's the best we have in regards to pain.
To add on to that, I've got a lot of nerve damage in my left arm and upper torso, and during a flare up the pain is all I can think about. It prevents me from being able to sleep, eat, take care of myself, etc. The longer it goes unchecked the more it will hurt. So in many nurses and doctors opinion, that's a 10.
But I've also broken bones, some very badly. That kind of pain is a 10/10 to me, because I'll be screaming maybe, or sometimes I'll pass out. Acute pain from major trauma like that feels worse, but in my mind I know it's temporary, even if my shin bone is sticking out of the front of my leg.
My nerve pain doesn't feel like that, but it hurts like hell. You won't see me screaming and writhing around during a flare up, because that makes me feel worse. I generally try to do my breathing exercises and stay as calm as I can. I think the worst part about it is the mental aspect; I know that if I can't get the pain down to a reasonable level, I'm going to get worse. It's never just relented for me out of nowhere after a flare. So that's a 10/10 too, but I try to make the distinction clear to the people helping me. They usually get it.
The silver lining is that with all the weight I'm losing from stress, I look great!
Here's how I have adapted to it.
10 is where you are in so much pain you are crying or cannot even react appropriately. This is the only level where "What's your pain score?" is a stupid question to ask.
9 is intense sharp pain that is ludicrous to even deal with. Often when you have this pain score you sound like a contrite German: "NEIN NEIN NEIN!" Whereas 10 is the pain that is so outwardly obvious that it needs no introduction, 9 is super intense but still needs a hype man.
This leaves 1-8 as the actual operative pain score. Well, 6-8 because 1-5 is basically worthless. Anything 5 and lower means "Walk it off you baby."
6 is baseline "I am in a fair amount of pain and need some help"
7 is "My pain is exacerbated and I am really in trouble."
8 is "My pain is intense and out of control and I cannot continue at this rate."
That's how I have been operating for the past few years. It took me a while to develop this system. Hell, when I was 17 every time I went to the ER I would say I was in a 6 amount of pain because I was comparing it to my most painful experiences at that time, which was faulty. Nowadays, I would have called that same pain a 7 or an 8.
If I am in enough pain to go to the ER, I usually just call my pain a 7 regardless (unless it's a 9 or a 10). This allows me the wiggle room to go up to an 8 or down to a 6 as needed.
Oh and, yeah, I checked with my case manager at the VA and while there were no referrals other than for voice lessons (which I've already made the appointment for), my case worker said that if I gave her the number, she would make the appointment for me.
I need to fire my fucking case manager.
First off, if it's legit, there's nothing it could possibly be. My doctor hasn't sent out any other referrals. Like, this is just a clinic contacting me out of the blue to make an appointment and are unable to tell me for what. All of my medical needs are currently being met, so I'm naturally suspicious as fuck.
I have the regular 1-9, and then I have 9.1 through 10. If I'm going to an ER for pain control, it's because I can't function due to pain. It kills my appetite, I can't sleep, I can't do anything but lay there. I've got a 2-year old, so the last thing my wife needs is to be taking care of her and constantly checking on me. My home meds won't touch it, and the longer it goes on, the worse it gets, and the longer it will take to get me back to an acceptable pain level. That, to me, is a 9. If I'm at a 9, I need to be in the hospital.
The decimals help me describe the severity of that 9 level pain, and helps the doctors understand that sometimes progress is being made, but I can't go home yet because I know I'll just be back in their ER within 24 hours when it inevitably gets worse. If I'm down to an 8 or 7, that's my normal. Which sucks, but I can deal with that.
10s are reserved for broken limbs and bullet wounds.
right I just wanted to be clear cause like, Planned Parenthood and shit, they need permission to call and they need additional permission to identify where they're calling from, so unless you specifically tell them that they can tell anyone who answers the phone that they're calling from PP they will refuse to answer
however it shouldn't be like what's happening to you... just didn't want ppl to think what bowen was saying is 100 all the time true. you are right to be suspicious about it
Sorry to say, ERs don't do fractions. Well, depending on, of course, but most places I've been at have electronic systems in place now that require whole numbers to be put into the computer in order for it to be accepted by the computer.
If it's being written on the board or via hardcopy, that's another story. And sometimes (most of the time) the nurse will just erase the decimal spot from their entry into the computer while listening to what you say.
You are describing a case where you are expecting a call that you set up where some minor identifying information will be asked by a person you have likely interacted with before.
And not like, an unexpected robocall out of the blue demanding you self-identify before you get the hot deets of what they be sellin'
what am i getting myself into?
(on the other hand, there's a whole lot that seems familiar and it is a release to think i'm not just a misfit toy)
I'm glad you found that out about yourself! it's a big relief to feel like you're not just somehow "weird"
I don't know what encompasses what it's like to live with a Chronic Disease and try to recover more than that, to be honest.
I know that it isn't a personal failing I couldn't finish my dual major and dropped down to just psych, but that hasn't stopped me from crying and feeling like shit about all that time and money
And it's at dawn, on a Sunday, on the other side of the city, when the main bridge across the harbour will be out due to construction, and public transit can be best described as "theoretical." So this will be fun.
...Win some, lose some?
sometimes I feel like some malevolent force with a fucked up sense of humor is really focused on proving how stupid I was to think that
I mean, when I was 13 I really wanted a good hospitalization story because I had never been to the hospital before, so it's entirely possible.
somewhere around age 7 or 8, i was monkeying around on a tall slide similar to this; i don't remember if it had the hilly bits, but ours also had crossbars near the top to dangle from.
i missed a grab for the sidebar, and slo-mo fell on my back, knocking myself out. i think i remember all the breath going out of me, and pain/red/blackness, but it also felt real dreamlike. no one was around, so i have no idea how long i was out. woke up woozy and stumbled my way home.
age 6, some kid shoved me on a (different) slide before i was ready, and i somehow caught my ankle between the slide and guardrail and went flying over. cue me dangling upside down 5 or 6 feet up, yelling at my nitwit friends to go back and tell my sister, no really, your sister needs you. i remember i passed out at least once before she got there, because i was doing the most hardcore yoga crunch to try and keep my head up, and my little arms could only hold it for so long.
another, disconnected sense memory of just resting the side of my head against the cool of a wall in a darkened room, roaring in my head, dizzy and overwhelmed by light. it wasn't frequent enough for me to talk about it with anyone.
Yeah, I'm not a doctor, but my guess would be that at the very least, the falls were enough to possibly cause a TBI.
I still have to drink sweet things, but I am using those sugarfree flavor things that you put two squirts into water with in order to replace the whole urge.
Based on the advice of literally every medical professional ever this should have a noticeable effect on my health, but since I still haven't recovered from the inflammation/hospitalization I haven't noticed the full effects of it.
well I guess that's an improvement, holy shit
But yeah, when you have a flare the Protein is often being produced at insane levels, I don't remember all my exact levels from the past but you're in good company with your 380.
However, in the past I have also had a flare but had no significant C-Reactive Protein elevation in my blood. Mind games!
I'm incredibly fucking nervous about this colonoscopy despite knowing people go through it all the time with no issues, complications are rare, blah blah blah, because 1: iirc you had hella fucking serious complications before and anxiety means if it happened to someone I know clearly it happens all the time and 2: with multiple autoimmune disorders "don't worry, it's really rare" is useless garbage because my body makes no sense
So you're saying there's a chance. Thanks.
"It's really rare" is also basically tempting fucking fate for the chronically ill.
I have had one medical statistical improbability and two medical impossibilities in my life.
My employer's healthcare offerings this year were mediocre with terrible prescription coverage, which was a drastic and unexpected change.