Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A Gut Feeling

I'm often asked about my level of pain and I have a difficult time giving a succinct answer.

There are times when I feel so so much better than I expected to feel at this point in my recovery, and there are times when just exactly like someone who had their head cut open. Overall, I consider this to be a positive outcome.

I still answer people that its too soon to determine how much of my concussion plays a role in my pains, but I can say that on average, I hurt less now than I did prior to the surgery (which, for the record, pre-surgery hurt was "a whole lot")! I'm doing much less activity than before, but when I rest and recover, it is wonderful to feel pretty okay!!

Pain is subjective, hard to measure, and difficult to truly recall. That's why I get excited when I can discover something that helps me gauge just how much better I'm feeling... something tangible.

**warning this story may contain too much information for some but it has just the right amount of happiness for me, so I'm telling it anyway:

A few days ago I had a dull ache in my belly. It only lasted about an hour before neck pain eclipsed it again, yet it puzzled me. I spent the better part of the morning trying to figure it out.

Was I hungry? no.
Was I full? no.
Did I eat something bad? no.
Did I do too many sit ups? hahaha, just kidding!

After going through a full check list of options, the lightbulb went off - it was that time of the month! So for the first time in 4 years 5 months, I was feeling cramps!! yay! (again, sorry for the TMI) But seriously friends, my overall pain threshold has now lowered to the point of occasionally feeling measly abdominal cramps!

Next thing you know-  I'll be aware of blisters, paper cuts, shin bruises, hangnails, and other fantastic maladies I've been missing!

This may sound sarcastic but its not, I promise, its not. It has been years of discovering bloody socks with no recollection of stubbing my toe, or finding a bruise on my funny bone with no remembrance of injury, or getting burned while cooking something but not realizing till a blister bubbles up. Now I have hope of feeling these things! So can I get a non-sarcastic hip-hip-hooray for cramps!?!

For those of you that get uncomfortable with the discussion above and can't sit through commercials where a cup of blue liquid is poured over a sanitary napkin - thank you for reading this far!
Your reward is an awesome video...

a group of friends that give artists one take to sing one song in the back of their London cabs
I also recommend Mumford and Sons and Fleet Foxes

2 comments:

  1. If you start feeling pain, I fear that your career at a superhero will be cut short before it even begins. I guess that's alright. You'll just have to be a nurse or a midwife instead. :)


    HUZZAH FOR MENSTRUAL CRAMPS!!!!

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    1. I'll gladly hang up the cape my friend, and HUZZAH indeed!

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