Women and the Pain Thing

[Actinic]

When a woman suffers pain, she considers it a badge of greatness. After all, men do not get pregnant, or have to suffer through 18-hour deliveries, only to get a C-section. We only fight in wars, sometimes getting our limbs blown off, or suffering from bullet wounds or explosions. That doesn't count or compare to her pain, especially her recent dental surgery. How can any sane person argue with a woman in pain?

(A) study included 47 disorders — from cancer to back conditions and infectious diseases — and more than 161,000 patient-reported pain scores. The patients were all asked by nurses or other health personnel to rate their pain on an 11-point scale, with 0 representing “no pain” and 11 signifying the “worst pain imaginable.”
Not surprisingly, most responses clustered around either the two extremes of very little pain or extreme pain or the middle score of 5. But overall, women were more likely to indicate higher pain levels than men, says lead author Dr. Atul Butte, chief of systems medicine in the department of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine. And that was true across almost all of the different diseases.

Men vs. Women on Pain: Who Hurts More? | TIME.com

The lady doth protest too much! My definition of excruciating pain- an experience so agonizing that you can't even move. Ultimate pain- you want a friend to shoot you in the head to take the suffering away. Chronic pain is another story, and gratefully, medicine has created powerful drugs to mitigate such torture. Just to prove to my wife that I can suffer more pain than her, I'm flying to the Amazon to get stung by Bullet Ants.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it0V7xv9qu0[/ame]

 

[geochem1st]

Pain is totally a subjective experience. Did the study consider the motivation for why those that reported excruciating pain did so? (perhaps to score narcotics?)

Until we can walk a mile in another’s shoes directly and experience what they are directly experiencing there is no way to know the truth.

 

[Davio]

Pain is totally a subjective experience. Did the study consider the motivation for why those that reported excruciating pain did so? (perhaps to score narcotics?)

Until we can walk a mile in another’s shoes directly and experience what they are directly experiencing there is no way to know the truth.

Not quite true. ALL who experience "The Punisher" feel pain. It holds the panther scream induction world record for the most, loudest and in fastest succession. Be afraid... VERY afraid.

 

[Shred Astaire]

Studies based on self-reported data are never accurate. Even a bit.

 

[moodyedge]

Chronic back and neck pain for 13 years, its no picnic. Some people do wear it as a badge of honour, thats a good way of putting it.

For years I had a feeling that my pain wasnt valid because people somehow didn't believe it. Well last week I went and met an Australian lady called Sarah Key, highly regarded as a back guru, with clients such as prince charles and the queen, enough said........, well I had consultation, diagnosis and treatment with her and have a report about whats going on and now feel a sense of "well there you go, I wasnt making it up" attitude. I didnt expect waves of sympathy and attention from people but because I didn't rattle on and on about it all the time they just didnt think it was much of a muchness. Now they understand that all them times Ive been moody, I wasnt just being an arsehole, I was just in pain, theres a difference, it makes you angry, frustrated, pissy, tired, disinterested etc, etc. One thing it has done is give me a higher pain threshold, simply because Im so accustomed to it being there most days. That isnt a good or bad thing, its just a side affect.

One thing Ive learned through this is, dont make assumptions.

 

[Davio]

Don't you think maybe 11 should be total numbness from bleeding out and shock.

 

[colchar]

How can any sane person argue with a woman?

Fixed that for ya'.

 

[lucidspoon]

Don't you think maybe 11 should be total numbness from bleeding out and shock.

I've been in shock from snapping my forearm in half when I was 10. There's 0 pain when you hit that.

Actually, the pain was probably about 6 or 7 until I saw my hand was touching my elbow. On the same arm. Then the pain went away FAST!

 

[<gator>]

I dunno, after seeing my wife give birth, having to receive 140 stitches after the first one, my SUBJECTIVE opinion is that women are probably tougher than men, or at least me! I also know that a cold that my wife will barely notice will knock me on my ass....

 

[CodeMonk]

Kidney stones is the worst pain I have ever felt.
Any pain thats intense enough to make you vomit has got to be pretty high up on the scale.

 

[rxbandit]

We only fight in wars, sometimes getting our limbs blown off, or suffering from bullet wounds or explosions. That doesn't count or compare to her pain, especially her recent dental surgery. How can any sane person argue with a woman in pain?

 

[geochem1st]

Chronic back and neck pain for 13 years, its no picnic. Some people do wear it as a badge of honour, thats a good way of putting it.

.....

One thing Ive learned through this is, dont make assumptions.

I agree. The worst is not being believed. I've had a neurologist tell me to just bear it, that pain never killed anyone. I disagree. Chronic pain that is intense can easily lead to suicide.

It's far better to err on the side of the subject being in pain and for doctors to do their best to ease that suffering.... that is their job.

 

[acstorfer]

Thank you!

 

[sk8rat]

pain is pain, everybody feels it.....its okay to complain all you want, just don't try and say how your pain is worse than everyone elses...

 

[acstorfer]

I'm no hero. I have chronic knee, back and shoulder pain. I have no qualms about taking pain meds.

I recently had the harshest, grinding surgery I've ever went through. It's three weeks out and it's still terrible. I mean it is really, really terrible. My treatment at the VA hospital was criminal. My surgeon didn't answer his pages my first night. I told him the next morning if he treated the child I never had like this, I would kill him. He knew I was serious. I still feel like I'm never going to be able to walk without my walker or crutches ever again. Even when I use them I turn white as a ghost while I soak my shirt with sweat from the pain, even with lots of morphine. I've had kidney stones three times, and a few gout flare ups (it feels like a broken toe). Oh, and ten other knee surgeries, but in retrospect none of my past compares to what I'm going thru.

When all is said and done, I'd go thru any of this again before having a baby!

I served with many women (as Air Force Security Specialists) in my past. The overwhelming majority were tough as nails. Very few of them complained more or as much as us men. My mother died from Leukemia. Up until she went to the hospital where she died soon after, she sucked it up more than I thought possible.

Maybe I've been blessed with knowing amazing women throughout my life? From my experience women are way tougher then men.

Oh, an anecdote about my mother. When I was very young I was at a park with my family for a community picnic. There was a wasp approaching me. My mother reached out, grabbed it, and squashed it in her fist. I think by nature (as in all animals) mothers will endure anything to protect their kids.

 

[sk8rat]

obviously he was speaking in generalities....yes, women are in the military but they aren't allowed to do infantry and aren't forced into selective service. it was only two years ago that direct ground combat exclusion for females was ended....about 15% of the army are women and about 7% of marines are women...

 

[Actinic]

Hey, guys, the story went like this:

Me: "Honey, I sympathize with your pain. I remember getting two wisdom teeth extracted in one day, and had to drive myself home. The night was horrible."

Her: "How dare you compare your pain with mine? This is almost as bad as ... being an amputee."

Don't you love how women come up with analogies to much more traumatic events? Yes, pain is relative, but I'll never compare myself to a quadraplegic just to dramatize my suffering.

 

[questionman]

Live with bad knees your whole life to the point where sometimes its impossible to walk and you laugh your ass off when someone says they are in pain.

 

[acstorfer]

Hey, guys, the story went like this:

Me: "Honey, I sympathize with your pain. I remember getting two wisdom teeth extracted in one day, and had to drive myself home. The night was horrible."

Her: "How dare you compare your pain with mine? This is almost as bad as ... being an amputee."

Don't you love how women come up with analogies to much more traumatic events? Yes, pain is relative, but I'll never compare myself to a quadraplegic just to dramatize my suffering.

And the lesson you should learn...

If a woman tells you something regarding something like pain, don't answer, don't compare, don't convince her it will be better. Simply say, "I'm sorry. You don't do a thing, let me take care of you. How about I give you a nice massage, and then draw a bath for you." When she's going through a hardship just give her the spot light and don't tell her you know how she feels, or you've been thru anything like what she's going through.

 

[rockinlespaul]

If having two wisdom teeth pulled out of your mouth is your idea of pain, then you have never experienced real pain....

I've taken dumps that were more painful than the teeth I've had pulled out of my mouth.

Everyone's pain IS different though so please know I'm being sarcastic here.

My most painful moments in life was when I shattered my leg downhill skiing at Schuss Mountain(broke in 5 places). That ended up being a week in Munson medical center.

The blood clot I got in my left testy from a bad vasectomy. Doc said it happens to 1 in 500 guys. Go figure I'm THAT guy. That wrecked my whole summer. You KNOW the doc screwed up when he gives you his home phone number and tells you to call him anytime you need painkillers. Shoulda told him to cut me a check for 20K and we'll call it good. Bastid.