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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

...IT FELT LIKE I JUST GOT SHOT

The question is have you ever been shot? Probably NOT!!! And if you have been, and I asked you to describe the pain...what would you describe it as?

AS IF YOU'VE BEEN SHOT? Or really though, how would you describe it?

While you're still thinking about whatever I did as the intro above, I'll move on to what I have to say, and make it quick.

"When you hit your hip on a counter and you feel like you just got shot."

That's the tweet that started this post (and actually it's just an excuse, and a perfect opportunity for me to write something on the blog, lol)

Or maybe not really...

I'm taking this class called Literature and Medicine, and we're currently discussing a topic on how difficult expressing pain for us humans is. Pain makes us to revert to babies in that it strips away language from us. We don't know how to communicate it. If you've ever bumped your foot against a stone...You don't say much, I'm sure!

Ouch!, #%$^$, Man! god! Whoo! Wheee! AAAAAH!!!! .... the list is endless but the point is whatever we blurt out doesn't really communicate or do justice to the extent of the pain we are experiencing at the moment.

On to the issue of measuring pain. How do we measure pain? How do we know someone is actually going through pain, since it is very subjective? How can we be confident of what a pain is like?

If I've never been shot, how can I confidently say such pain as I felt while hitting my hip against the counter can be equated or compared to that? It's something beautiful, that I can definitely assure you.

For example, I have this headache (it's like an ongoing tension headache I've had for few years now), and it constantly feels like someone is pounding yam on my head CONSTANTLY, with my head as the MORTAR. That's how I can describe it. The question is how do I know or be certain that is how it feels like since no one has actually ever pounded anything on my head before. For the stomach pain I have as well, due to my poor eating habits (I'm talking eating my first meal of the day late in the night sometimes) TRUST ME it hurts! And I usually liken the pain to a beast ripping out my intestines, pulling, and chewing on it at the same time. Anyways, you get the point...

Just something to think about...and again an excuse for me to write something on this blog. Till later, when I get another inspiration to put something down.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hehe I hear you big time. Sometimes when people make such comments I have to think twice to make sure that I understand their gist. I also find people not completely understanding what I have been through when I describe it which such metaphors you have used. I love the inspiration for this post.

Ms. Yellow Sisi Unspoken said...

haha I love this and so true...sometime thinking of certain phrase over just make you think so much

@ilola said...

The level of pain different people can take is relative.

Even though I have never been shot, I have gone through worse pains than being shot, pains I wouldn't even wish on my enemies

AFalomo said...

Your guys' comments are so lovely lol.

@Funmi, the subject of metaphors is another topic I might write about. Usually it's the only way we fundamentally as humans can attempt to describe pain.

@Ms Yellow Sisi, it's so true indeed. And you do have a lovely blog Miss. I just checked it, and now following.

@ilola, you just affirmed the whole point of the post lol. How do you know your pains are worse than being shot if you haven't been shot? Ahahaha :p. Just teasing...