When you go into the ER, one of the first things they ask…
““When you go into the ER, one of the first things they ask you to do is to rate your pain on a scale of one to ten, and from there they decide which drugs to use and how quickly to use them. I’d been asked this question hundreds of times over the years, and I remember once early on when I couldn’t get my breath and it felt like my chest was on fire, flames licking the inside of my ribs fighting for a way to burn out of my body, my parents took me to the ER. A nurse asked me about the pain, and I couldn’t even speak, so I held up nine fingers. Later, after they’d given me something, the nurse came in and she was kind of stroking my hand while she took my blood pressure and she said, “You know how I know you’re a fighter? You called a ten a nine.” But that wasn’t quite right. I called it a nine because I was saving my ten. And here it was, the great and terrible ten, slamming me again and again””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Pain assessment is subjective; people often downplay severity to appear resilient, revealing internal struggles versus external perception.
In simple terms: People hide true pain to seem strong.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge and express true feelings.
Themes
health
psychology
resilience
Mood
introspective
empathetic
Type
personal
medical
When to use this quote
- medical visits
- mental health
- support groups
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
subjective experience
self-presentation
pain perception
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we downplay pain?
- How can honesty improve care?
A Different Perspective
May generalize individual experience.