tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12707009.post3320089513916424190..comments2023-11-02T09:34:05.941-04:00Comments on The Seated View: Telling It Like It Is: Pain Awareness and Rheumatoid ArthritisLene Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11223128667829847717noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12707009.post-12865462021676339852010-10-03T15:30:10.000-04:002010-10-03T15:30:10.000-04:00Thank you for another wonderful, thought-provoking...Thank you for another wonderful, thought-provoking article.<br />I have forwarded it to many.Diana Troldahlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12707009.post-87810443577447541842010-09-23T15:36:42.000-04:002010-09-23T15:36:42.000-04:00I had chronic pain for many years, and until it wa...I had chronic pain for many years, and until it was gone I had no idea how much of my life it had preempted. I'm lucky: my disease isn't progressive, and it doesn't threaten my life or mobility, nor does it cause other diseases. When I saw a doctor for it around three years ago I was asked how much pain I was in on the standard 1-10 scale, and I think I said 3. As soon as it was gone I realized that it had been at least 5. I had no idea how much energy I was spending just blocking it. No wonder I was tired all the time. (I used to wake up nearly always before the alarm went off; those days are gone, which is both good and bad, because if I forget to set the alarm I may be catapulted out of bed by a call from Taz's van driver, telling me I have three minutes to get him up and changed and outside.)<br /><br />My pain was never bad enough to require big-time drugs, although if I had to take them for something else, how I did relish them. But it was not to be sneezed at, either. I'd like to see some of these holier-than-thou legislators and medical professionals live in constant pain for a week or so. That might give them a little sympathy.Lucianoreply@blogger.com