Auds

.... I'd like there to be as many words for
pain as the Inuits have words for snow.

Anyway, in order to do something
constructive with the rather insane
pain levels, I started thinking about
types of pain. Herewith the initial
list - it's a work in progress,
so there's bound to get more added.

The Ginsu -
this describes the pain experienced after
surgery.  It's clear and sharp and  you
know it's temporary.

The Gym -
much like the pain experienced after a
serious workout, this is the tired, achy
feeling you get, usually after doing too much.

The Taffy -
this is a variant of chronic, daily pain. It
feels sticky and chewy (imagine the
sensation of pulling taffy or a caramel
stuck in your teeth),  enveloping
everything and impossible to wash off.

The Dirty Cotton -
imagine a used cottonball - grey and a bit
greasy. Add dull glass splinters.  This
type of pain feels like being inside that ball.
(actually, I've been describing chronic
arthritis pain like this since I was about 12)

The Fog -
much like the Dirty Cotton, this type
of pain has the added benefit of invading
your brain, making you feel fuzzy-headed
and incapable of clear thinking.

The White Noise -
when the pain becomes so pervasive
(an all-body pain) that you can't hear
anything else. The type that gives you the
almost itchy, hyper-sensitive feelings in your
ears. Where watching TV hurts your ears
and makes you dizzy, because it's just
too many types of stimulation. Where
it's like you can't gather all the information
into a coherent, seamless flow - the
visual and auditory input are just random
lights and noises that hit your motion
sickness/screaming place. Where you
can *feel* your eardrums vibrating.
 

Copyright @ Lene Anderson
Toronto, Canada