connie, I bet he reacts like I do to the question "Is the pain bearable?"

Dude. If I'm not in hysterics, of course the pain is bearable. Bad question.

Sparky, I'm too tired. For a second I thought your sister was a meth professor.

I have never told them it's 10, and I hope never to. There's more pain out there than what I've had--I need to believe that.

I think my Mother feels the same.

As far as childbirth... she says it hurt but a) the pain came and went; b) she knew why she had it; c) she knew it would be going away -- so to her it wasn't "that bad".

Yeah, I often use childbirth as my pain meter.

When I got my tattoo, my mental mantra was "I've had 2 kids, I can do this". Well, and looking at the tattoo artist's tat over his adam's apple. That kept me thinking "no matter what pain I have, that had to be worse".

She then held the exam out for me.

so that it could be set on fire?

ION, My sister seems to feel little to no pain ... she dislocated her shoulder swimming (hitting the finish board hard, because coach told her to) and got out of the pool thinking it was strange that people were looking at her funny. She is not allowed to use the pain scale.

The reason why is related to the fact that I have her nerve endings, as well as mine own. I'm not allowed to use the pain scale either. Paper cuts, meh - but kidney stones was given as a 14.

sparky, I am looking for a good puppy pic for you...

When I got my tattoo, my mental mantra was "I've had 2 kids, I can do this". Well, and looking at the tattoo artist's tat over his adam's apple. That kept me thinking "no matter what pain I have, that had to be worse".

Yeah, but -- there are different kinds of pain. When my lumbar discs were herniated, the pain was about a 9 (perhaps not a 9 by ita/connie's DH/Trudy's mom standards, but a 9 nonetheless), but it was a constant, burn-y, pulling type of pain. It wasn't "dull" pain, but it wasn't sharp, either.

But getting my tattoo -- parts of it were such a *sharp* pain that I thought I might pass out. (I didn't, but it was close. I was so damned stubborn that I refused to tell the tattoo artist to stop.)

but kidney stones was given as a 14

Wrod, those are supposed to be the worst. Hubby's only had one procedure worse, a bilateral retrograde, and my top pain gague is when I had my sinuses packed when an artery burst inside my skull. Fortunately I don't remember much about that.

was a constant, burn-y, pulling type of pain

Constant lower-grade pain is worse than a sharp, finite pain to my mind.

But getting my tattoo -- parts of it were such a *sharp* pain that I thought I might pass out.

Kinda like getting a red-hot toothpick dragged through your skin's top layers? That's what my last one felt like, esp. in the outlining stages.

Constant lower-grade pain is worse than a sharp, finite pain to my mind.

I'd agree, though really I haven't had much of the latter to contrast with. Knock wood.

My worst pain ever was a burn from having a potholder slip when taking a big tray of tuna melts out of a 500-degree oven. It was only a second-degree burn, but it had the feeling of a sharp, finite pain with the endurance of an ache.