This has become too common a sight in the last week:
I think I mentioned (probably early) last year that I injured my knee in our move in 2021. It has flared up from time to time since, but I thought it was basically healed when a couple of weeks ago, after months of being good, it flared up again. It wasn't too bad last week, but since the weekend, it went from annoying to agonizing.
I saw a nurse practitioner in my GP's office on Wednesday and was asked to rate my pain on a scale from 1-10. I hate being asked this question. Pain is subjective, and describing it is too.
Having seen graphics of how to rate pain - where the smiling face has morphed over several pain levels to a crying face, I said, "Well... I want to cry, but I don't - for the most part". I thought (still do) think it was fair to rate my pain around 8-9, depending on what I'm doing. He seemed surprised - I suppose since I was sitting there fairly peacefully and almost happy (having a hope of relief will do that to a person). That, and... this seems to often happen to me: I suffer and suffer at home, but when I finally get up the nerve to call the doctor and there I sit in their exam room, I start wondering where the discomfort went and why I am there.
Anyway, when I commented on disliking the pain scale question because of how subjective it is, he agreed with me. He told me he doesn't ever judge a patient's description of their level of pain. In the end, I don't know if I have a high pain threshold in that I could let something get to 8 or 9 before calling a doctor, or a low pain threshold for assigning those numbers while I'm still conscious.
Amazingly, I was able to get an appointment at the orthopedics office for Friday. That's today. Heading there shortly for x-rays and a consultation.
Here is how I process these things:
I'm feeling discouraged that a part of me is hurting badly enough to call a doctor. Again. But thankful that a doctor was available so soon. I'm also expectant that he is able to diagnose and provide me some relief soon. I'm thankful to live in a time and place where our owies are so often fixable. When I'm not feeling well, I think about people who lived even just a hundred years ago and probably suffered through what today is easily (if expensively) fixed. I also think of people who still today live places where they don't have the kinds of resources we have to heal their maladies. And people here who, for various reasons don't have resources, or don't know about their resources to get help for their fragile, hurting bodies.
I'm keeping the thoughts above forefront as I anxiously anticipate another round of doctor visits, imaging tests, whatever solution is decided upon, then healing which probably includes physical therapy - which is a pretty serious drag. After last year, that held two surgeries, and still recovering from one, it unnerves me to think about entering the process of treating something painful again. But hope and thankfulness need to overcome my anxiousness. Prayers to that end are so appreciated. I may not get all my answers today, but I'll surely be back with hopeful news, and a plan for moving forward.
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So sorry that your knee is causing so much grief. Pain is never a good thing. I'll be watching with interest as I also have wonky knees that go in and out of flares. Most annoying. When I have to make decisions based on whether the knees will hold up, it gets most frustrating. Have never liked the pain scale either.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to sharing what I found out, Vee. I suggest getting yourself to a doctor. It may not be as worrisome as it feels. I'll write more in the next post.
DeleteSubjective scales are always difficult for me as well Becki. That said, I think you did exactly the right thing in looking at it across the whole of your experience, not just "how you felt that day". I would tend to think that this is what helped things move directly on to getting you the help that you actually need.
ReplyDeleteIt happened to me again today, TB. I was not in too much pain at the doctor's office and now that I'm home I feel crippled again as I try to walk. It's (apparently) not as bad as I worried, though. More in next post.
DeleteI'm so sorry you're paining Becki - that's not the least bit fun. And I agree with you about those scales because pain is definitely subjective. One person could say they are at a 10 and another would say a 3, all depending on their pain tolerance. I hope you'll get some answers at your appointment.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary Anne. It's interesting reading about pain scales and how doctors keep working at ways to make the process of describing pain less subjective. I don't know why simple words like excruciating and crippling aren't understandable. Unless it's common for people to be like me... everywhere but the doctor's office, the pain is just awful, but once I'm sitting in a doctor's exam room, suddenly the pain takes a temporary hike. We talked about that today, and the PA said this isn't uncommon. I felt better hearing that, but it's still very frustrating to feel like you have to convince a doctor how bad pain is when it's bad, even if it's not that bad in the few minutes you're sitting in the doctor's office.
DeleteI hope you get relief, lasting relief, this time.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Liz. Hopefully pain relief is around the corner. It will be a long block before I get to the corner, but I am hopeful, nonetheless.
DeleteSending up some prayers for you. How wonderful it is that an appt with an Ortho Dr was so quickly available.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marsha. Yes, especially because next steps requires a bit of a waiting period. I am so glad I got such a quick doctor's appt.
DeleteOh I do hope surgery is not the thing you have to do. There are some new things out there, so hopefully they will have an idea. A prayer for you is lifted.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sandy! I look forward to sharing what I found out and what the treatment is. It's not a new thing. It's an old thing, and it's not terribly scary.
DeletePrayers for relief and a proper fix
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with happy via relief anticipating pain will be stopped. Feels like pain gremlins hide as soon as I ealk out the door to a doctor appointment.
Thank you, May. It's good to know I'm not the only one this happens to.
DeleteI'm praying for you. I can empathize with you about not wanting lots of doctor visits-but being thankful we have such easy access to doctors. It can be so hard to remain objective, especially when we're in pain. Please know that I'll keep praying for you, and hoping this will be temporary-with no more surgery.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Debra.
DeleteMay God help you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha.
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