Shit, I have trouble at 6 or 7. Yeah 4, which I have as long as I do all my stretches and take Tramadol is managable. But then I have to drive, and I have to skip pain meds, and pain level goes up to six or seven. Cannot imagine functioning anywhere near as well as you do at freaking 8. And yeah, what you described is definitely functioning.

Oh, ita_!, I am glad you found some relief.

That level of pain is just hard to even imagine until you've been there. I remember thinking I had an idea of pain before my pancreatitis. It was when that hit that I realized what I thought was a 8 or 9 was really more like a 6. No one should have to go through getting their pain scale calibrated like that.

I calibrate using my shoulder. When the procedure wears off I'm left with a pain that makes me want to smash my head against a wall (I say literally, because it has made me self-harm just for a variety in the pain), and it's *constant* and all I do is cry. I only leave the house for the doctor's office, and I don't usually drive.

Sometimes I've had headaches that bad, but not usually. I wouldn't be able to get myself to the ER during the peak of one, so thank god those have waves.

I'm glad the new ER was able to help, ita.

jeez ita, you've really been operating at an 8 or 9? Damn. When I have reached a 7, I call it fucking quits.

I'm thinking the only time I've experienced more than an 8 was upon waking up while the oral surgeon was sawing my bad wisdom tooth in half for extraction. I was ready to give up the Allied invasion plans for Normandy until they turned up the happy juice, I'll tell you what!

I'm not even sure appendicitis was an 8 or 9, at least until the vomiting hit, and at that point I was greyed out. I suspect if it had burst it would have gotten there.

I think the only 8 or 9 level I've experienced was the leg infection I had last year where at points I wanted to crawl instead of trying to stand on the leg in any way. The only thing that stopped me was realizing I'd need to get up again at some point, which would have been worse. Needless to say, I was nowhere near functioning the way you have been.

I wish (and am vibing hard) that they would find a more permanent solution to all this, ita_!

Good and Bad from last night.

Good...I listed some items from the for sale pile on ebay

Bad...went out for dinner and could not use the free entree coupon I had planned on.

Good and Bad...discovered that a favorite fb game that had gone away is now back. (stayed up too late)

ita, man, you amaze me. I've been bitching and moaning all week because I have vertigo and nausea, and that complete knocks me out, and here you are still getting your work done and meeting your deliverables while in so much pain.

You shouldn't have to. It's not right. But I'm still impressed.

I am definitely doing better, but I'm so worried about getting hit with the vertigo again that I'm going to work from home. I'm pretty sure they'll be good with that. Also, the landscaper is coming today to start removing the charred junipers, yay.

No one should have to go through getting their pain scale calibrated like that.

No doubt, ND. I've had a kidney infection, drove 70 miles 24 hours after I unknowingly broke my arm, took Vicodin 3 days/month for 2 years for level 6-7 cramps before I had my hysterectomy, and suffer migraines (nothing like ita !, thank dog) and those 7 gall bladder attacks were absolutely hideous.

There's no way at all I could have driven with them, and I went to the ER once, a week before my surgery, and only because my surgeon told me to (and by the time they got to me with IV Dilaudid, it was 3 hours later, and the pain was mostly a 4. I took it anyway. I mean, I'd been waiting writhing and sobbing anyway...)

Research showed me gall bladder attacks are more painful than kidney stones AND childbirth. I tend to believe it. I thought I was going to die.