Comments on One Crafty Mother: People-Pleaser In Pain

I chuckled. So funny. I, too, would rather use the...

2012-01-16T17:13:13.869-05:00

I chuckled. So funny. I, too, would rather use the 'shin kicks' than those silly faces. However, I have also read your next post. Where I shed a tear. I suspect you are now at the 'slamming finger in the car door' stage. You are in my thoughts and my prayers, Ellie. I hope we will soon see only smiley faces. Hugs.

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/02/boyf...

2012-01-15T10:12:50.567-05:00

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/02/boyfriend-doesnt-have-ebola-probably.html

ellie...check it out...it might help!!! hilarious!! you are too funny!! glad you have the energy to find the humor in it all.
i think you know i'm a nurse...er for years...what's really funny is the pain scale on non-english speakers!!! :)
love from the coast!!! valary

I am literally,laughing out loud. I swear, I'...

2012-01-13T22:00:37.239-05:00

I am literally,laughing out loud. I swear, I've had that same conversation, more than once.

Keep them guessing, Ellie - glad you are seeing the humor in all of this.

Love to you...

Just leaving you a word of support! Thank you for...

2012-01-13T13:25:36.976-05:00

Just leaving you a word of support! Thank you for sharing your incredible journey with us. Hang in there!

I love it Ellie! You're too funny. I can total...

2012-01-12T23:05:32.091-05:00

I love it Ellie! You're too funny. I can totally relate to the people pleasing! Hope they can do something for your pain. A swift kick in the shin doesn't tickle!

xo
Libby

You are one very special lady! I do the exact sam...

2012-01-12T13:03:45.789-05:00

You are one very special lady! I do the exact same thing too. What Jen said. We experience all these faces when you write like this. You do have, and ARE, an amazing gift.

Jeannie

Love it! I tend to experience that full range of ...

2012-01-12T11:45:19.838-05:00

Love it! I tend to experience that full range of facial expression/emotions while reading some of your posts!! Sad to happy to worry to laughing...you do have an amazing gift!

You're amazing. Thank you for your sense of h...

2012-01-12T09:11:10.710-05:00

You're amazing. Thank you for your sense of humor.
Lee Ann

Ellie, my love, you just brightened my day with yo...

2012-01-12T08:06:16.901-05:00

Ellie, my love, you just brightened my day with your sense of humor amongst all you're going through. It's amazing how you still give so much.

I LOVE Steve's idea for a pain collage of fine art. Just.FANTASTIC!

On a serious note, I know you will tell them when you need help with your pain. If you are hurting, let them help.

If it helps at all, whenever I've been shown the pain chart, I always dramatize it up a notch. What can I say? I'm an alcoholic. : D Love to you! xoxo

I have always felt the same way. Here's the ...

2012-01-12T06:54:07.863-05:00

I have always felt the same way.

Here's the source of the alternative pain chart Amy mentions above==very funny.:
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/02/boyfriend-doesnt-have-ebola-probably.html

Amy, I just love that chart! That makes so much mo...

2012-01-12T04:20:57.951-05:00

Amy, I just love that chart! That makes so much more sense than those stupic round and oval ones. I am forwarding that to some frinds...

Ellie, keep that sense of humour. Worth more than anything, that is. Hugs to you!

I see you are feeling better today, Ellie. And so...

2012-01-11T21:23:48.059-05:00

I see you are feeling better today, Ellie. And so am I after I got up off the floor from laughing so hard. Thank you!

But please keep irritating the nurse, that way she will know you are still alive and kicking. On the other hand, take anything that they can give you to help. In this situation there is no such thing as being a wimp or a good patient, those words are not part of the vocabulary for radiation, I know only too well.

Take whatever they are willing to give you to feel better, well no wine, but otherwise ...
I will send some other information via email.

Hug and laughs,

Mike L

OMgoodness!!!!!!!!!! Ellie you are such a freaking...

2012-01-11T19:29:01.081-05:00

OMgoodness!!!!!!!!!! Ellie you are such a freaking HOOT even in the throws of cancer and chemo and radiation. I laughed my ARSE off at this post. Girl...you are going to have a book deal by the end of this with your humor and writing talent. Not that it is the intent of this journey at all.

I remember being at the urgent care on Christmas eve and they pulled out the top chart and asked our 2 year old son how he felt. He pushed out his lower lip and pointed to the saddest face possible. Then he immediately wanted a lollipop.

Oh my you gave me a giggle! You might get a kick ...

2012-01-11T17:33:28.303-05:00

Oh my you gave me a giggle!

You might get a kick out of this ;) http://api.ning.com/files/MK*vrU5pP1QzAylq*esczHRxM-cunPAv3HCBWDdlwgZTl3sICdOj24aRTTDCdHrd*7JyR8GAMPiPBZuRbFPmmtbHTmGWmIPC/painchart.jpg

Oh Ellie, it just feels good to laugh sometimes, d...

2012-01-11T14:29:59.950-05:00

Oh Ellie, it just feels good to laugh sometimes, doesn't it?

I can't stand those pain questions. I was in ...

2012-01-11T13:44:08.392-05:00

I can't stand those pain questions. I was in pain management for a year before my spinal fusion surgery and got so annoyed with the pain scale. It was such a relief when I finally met a doctor that asked me, How has the pain affected your life?

I love your attitude! Keep it up!

Love this, Ellie! Also love Steve's idea of th...

2012-01-11T12:42:51.098-05:00

Love this, Ellie!
Also love Steve's idea of the collage with the Mona Lisa, "Scream," etc.!

Oh my gosh-- I have felt the exact same way. My pa...

2012-01-11T12:27:47.276-05:00

Oh my gosh-- I have felt the exact same way. My pain is relative! I've started to liken the ten to natural childbirth, and a four to cramping. A six is stubbing my toe. But that's only for me, right? Once they asked my younger son how much pain he was in after falling and hurting himself. He told them eight and they proceeded to FREAK. OUT. I told him that I thought he should reconsider-- that it wasn't likely that serious. He told me that any pain to him is serious!

My mother-in-law-- who is an oncology nurse-- told me it's all about what an individual can bear. If you are in a place where you cannot bear it anymore, you need to say that-- because help is available. If you have an idea of how it might be managed (even if it's something you cannot do right now- just as an example) that can also help. So, you might say-- it would feel better if it was massaged, or it would feel better if I could take Advil. That usually gives them a better idea!

Or it might irritate the nurse even more. Which could also be funny...

I love Steve's idea of making your own chart.....

2012-01-11T12:17:55.984-05:00

I love Steve's idea of making your own chart...that'll make the nurse's head spin!

I'm so glad you still have your sense of humou...

2012-01-11T11:27:27.723-05:00

I'm so glad you still have your sense of humour. I hope that stays with you through this whole process. Hugs!

This was very funny. YOu could make a new scale wi...

2012-01-11T10:52:24.910-05:00

This was very funny. YOu could make a new scale with things like "shin kick", "fingers slammed in door", "tongue bite."

I'm not sure how useful pain scales are. My brother in law had an exploding apendix in him and was like "oh, it's a 3."

Next time they show you the pained faces you shoul...

2012-01-11T10:51:35.977-05:00

Next time they show you the pained faces you should just make a pained face and tell them to tell YOU which one it is!

Life is rich with irony, even within the great difficulties. Glad you aren't missing the opportunities to laugh. They are around every corner.

Hope this is a good day for you, Ellie.

Very funny - I can relate - for me, I knew I was ...

2012-01-11T10:48:13.809-05:00

Very funny - I can relate - for me, I knew I was truly in pain when I stopped caring about whether my oncologist liked me and trying to be a "good" patient... but by then, I was just about finished with treatment...at that point, I was pretty much without any dignity. Hey, since you are one crafty mother, you should make your own pain chart... maybe a collage. You could have the Mona Lisa, the Statue of Liberty, Munch's "the Scream" painting etc. It could definitely bring some artistic value into the process... yes... maybe everyone in the infusion center could work on making pain chart collages during those long hours of sitting. Wouldn't it help pass the time better than watching "The Price is Right" on the wall mounted TV?

Ellie you've just written my life for the past...

2012-01-11T10:46:47.476-05:00

Ellie you've just written my life for the past 2 years...I don't know how much bloody pain I'm in because I have short term memory issues and can't remember what yesterday feels like.

Duhhh

And I love when the female staff says something like does it hurt as much as giving birth??

Umm no I wasn't trying to mother 2 children, be a wife, converse with people in that moment and I had DRUGS with my csection

They don't like me for the same reason. I just...

2012-01-11T10:38:15.282-05:00

They don't like me for the same reason. I just got a tattoo (my 3rd one) and the outline made me throw up. But I've been having horrid cramps since I was 14 during my period. You know, double over want to stay home under the bed cramps, but you get up and go about your day anyway because you have to.

@Robin - No, I crush pretty hard on Spencer. I'm just sad Monkey doesn't watch it much anymore.