Fliss

[Guest guest]

What do we feel? How severe is our pain? In the hospital, we as

nurses ask and we as patients answer questions to rate our level of

pain. I never understood the pain scale, and never knew how to

answer. I have always looked at it as how much pain can I tolerate

in still function at some capacity. I have always tried to buck the

system................

I guess I started out; after the lap chole, with this sharp peircing

pain under my right breast that went straight to my back. I saw it

as a dagger going through me, lasting a few seconds at first and

only a few times a day. They became more frequent and this burning

sensation from my sternum to the right started to follow after the

dagger and eventually just stayed. I still have that now but it

radiates from sternum to my spine and is constant. I have a sharp

pain travels from just below the breast up to my shoulder and even

to my teeth; like a slow moving lightening bolt on a surf board.

Sorry I am really visual and that how I see it, ok.. ok. Under my

right arm pit and pushing to my back is a new sharp aching pain.

The one that is the worst is the vice grip one. Its like the

sternum and spine are being pinned under a very large vice,

squeezing the breathe and very life out of me. I cant move. The

sharp dagger ones sometimes made me give out an audible gasp. I

hated that, because people can hear it. The last month or 2 my back

has been a lot more painful with the reaching pit pain becoming

almost constant and the vice grip very frequently.

You know looking back I dont know how I managed to work those 3

weeks. I refused to give in and faught hard; to the point where I

collapsed; I did finish all my duties for the day before I was taken

to the ER that friday afternoon.

What did Jim give you for valenties day Fliss? Or will you get it

later. What did you get him? How's the weather in London?

Absolutely dreadful here. Cold rain, dark and dreary.

Chrissy