Thursday, October 28, 2010

Pain

This is about physical pain and what my opinion is of it.  Recently I had a shoulder issue that caused me very severe pain.  I am still going through some pain but the most of it has ceased.  Well, at the worst,  I couldn't lift my right arm over my head or backwards. 

Pain can be a very debilitating issue for those who have to work and can't get the time off.  I am very lucky that I work at a place that doesn't really discriminate against people with some physical issues like pain or sickness.  I now have been off for 3 weeks straight and without any complaints from the supervisors at work.  I told my boss that I needed one more week off to go to therapy and she just said ok.   First I would like to thank my supervisor for that.

Many things went through my mind as I lay on the hospital bed before my arm manipulation under anesthesia at the surgical center.  Was I going to wake up after all this?  What am I going to feel like afterwards?  Will I be totally without the use of my right arm?  And for how long?  The doctor told me that I should not feel too much discomfort but of course that is what they are supposed to say to make you feel more at ease.  As they wheeled me into the operating room, the anesthesiologist was talking to me and was explaining in layman's terms what is going to happen to me and how I was going to feel before I went out completely.  As he was talking, my eyes started to get heavy and then suddenly I was out.  The next the I knew, I was in the recovery room and the same anesthesiologist was calling my name "Linda, Linda wake up!"  Suddenly, when I was aware of where I was, the pain came flooding back into my arm.  I then had thoughts of taking a scalpel myself and cutting off my arm just to end the pain.

After taking pain medicine for the discomfort, I was wheeled into the waiting room for my ride to pick me up.  I know many people who have more life threatening sicknesses such as cancer have to endure this type of pain over and over again until they go into remission or they are overcome by their sickness.  I don't know how people can endure pain like they can and still keep smiling about life in general.  Like one of my facebook friends who I believe succombed to his cancer but always had a nice thing to say to me when I would catch him on facebook.  He also always had a smiing profile picture of himself as well.  I don't want to give names but I hope he rests in peace. 

I just thought I would blog about my journey through pain and my little thoughts no matter how boring this may seem to some.