Talking about pain

[HectorsDad]

Does anyone else on here have problems when they ask you to talk about your (heart) pain?

I can feel it, imagine it, but actually describing it is very subjective. Yesterday it was short and sharp, or was that intermittent and bad, it didn’t feel stabbing- not that sort of sharp, more like being hit hard by a very small hammer. Etc etc.

But day before was like a knife......

A lot of my diagnoses seems to be based on how I describe the pain, but I don’t think I can do that consistently.

And don’t get me started on the ten point scale....... ( was my HA a 10, or is that an 8 and I have two more levels to achieve 😳).

[Sunnie2day]

I have the same problem and it doesn't matter if I'm trying to describe it to friends, family, or the medics. Some days it's a dull ache, some days a sharp stabbing, some days the pain is throbbing and other days just constant...I actually had a cardiac nurse tell me my symptoms (meaning pain descriptions) were so inconsistent she thought I was 'attention seeking using Google to sound authentic'.

And no, she didn't apologise when my echo came back showing significant scarring and the very pericardial effusion I told her I was worried was present and causing the pain. Needless to say, I made a point of requesting assignment to a different cardiac nurse.

But luckily, no-one recently has asked me to score it on the 1-10 scale.

[HectorsDad in reply to Sunnie2day]

We have the same pain🤪...

[HectorsDad in reply to HectorsDad]

Possibly🙄

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

I think I could write a book on my pain! It hurts.

My vasospasms feel like being in labour except you don't get a baby at the end of the process😂

Over the years I have had variations of the comments below.

' I don't understand how you have so much pain?

'It can't be as bad as you are saying it is!'

' Stop crying I don't believe your pain is that bad you are just making a fuss '

I have also had some amazing supportive comments too

Even from the most hardened senior Consultant....I softened his heart and he told me I had his upmost sympathy.

All the nurses and doctors on the ward round jaws dropped in surprise!

Pain is subjective it is an emotional and physical sensation. It is ours and it is for us to judge how severe it is.

[HectorsDad in reply to Milkfairy]

Thanks, wise and encouraging as always.

Some of my cardio notes describe me as stoic, doctor’s code for ‘puts up with pain and doesn’t complain about it enough’ according to the cardio nurse. Not sure my wife agrees.....