Re: The worst pain ever
The 1-10 scale used by pain management is pretty useless and entirely subjective. Since I suffer from chronic pain, I would be asked this question on every visit and it was pointless.
But essentially, I classify a 10 as the most pain you can stand without losing consciousness.
When I had my motorcycle accident >10 yrs ago, a lorry hit me side on and snapped my lower leg like a twig. SNAP. The flesh and muscle kept my foot attached to my leg, and by the time I reached Casualty I was at about an 8. I didn't realise it was compounded, so in fact my tibia/fibula were protruding through my lower leg...
It was at that point, the on-call trauma/orthopedic Dr decided to try and reduce the fracture while I lay on a cold gurny (my foot was flopped to one side while my leg was laying straight). As he was about to do this, his assistant looked nervously at him and said "aren't you going to give him anything?". In the interest of speed, he said, "no". When a physician looks like something is going to hurt you, you know you're in for something evil. The assistant held my leg, and the trauma Dr took hold of my foot that was flopping around and p-u-l-l-e-d.
This is the only time I have ever involuntarily screamed in uncontrollable pain.
Oh, it was a 10, btw.
Peculiar note: being a nice, civilised young man back then, I remember thinking in that split second that I was in a crowded hospital, and should not shout anything too obscene....! [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]
Incidentally, my everyday life ranges from a 3 to a 7 every day. I'd rather have a month of 10's than a lifetime of 3 to 7's.
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