When I woke up this morning, one of the first things I noticed was that laughing was painful. It wasn’t much of a surprise, as I had an incision at the base of my neck just at the bone, where tubes had been stuffed under the skin yesterday. And I had also had a bronchioscopy, so my throat was expected to be sore. But the grogginess and woozy feeling of the previous evening was thankfully gone.

Day after lymph node biopsy: http://youtu.be/ZbiCjcuTBh0

Pain is a hassle, certainly, but it is localized and manageable. That feeling of disorientation and general illness, while not the worst thing in the world, is one of my personal least favorite sensations. When I am drugged up, whatever the reason, I am not entirely “myself.” Frankly, I like being myself and prefer it. Even if it entails some other issue to deal with. Or hurts.

Pain, unfortunate as it may be, can also be a point of focus. But beyond that, we have the remarkable ability as humans to actually “get used to it.” Living with pain is entirely possible, often even without medications. While extreme pain benefits from varying levels of treatment, and I am on Vicodin as I type this, I appreciate pain for what it is: a necessary indicator of our physical condition.

One thing I don’t quite understand, however, are those hospital pain charts. From 1 to 10, where does my pain rate? You’re kidding me, right? What does that mean? Is my 5 the same as your 5? I don’t think so. In fact, I know that some people feel more pain than others.  Just like we do not any of us see colors in exactly the same way, so we do not feel the same types of pain (or even have the means of actually measuring it). While the tissue damage of holding a finger over a flame for an extended period would be the same for multiple subjects, no two will feel it the same way. So a scale of 1 to 10 becomes subjective to the point of near meaninglessness. Certainly, more dramatic personalities will be inclined toward higher numbers than more pragmatic personalities, even for the same “sensation.”

And pain is something that everyone is essentially afraid of. For good reason. It is built into our DNA to fear pain as an important aspect of our survival as a species. The fear is natural. Embracing the fear and facing the pain, on the other hand, comes with its own opportunities for reward. No one should choose needless pain or suffering. But when the pain is unavoidable, welcoming it in and dealing with it is a healthy way to face the world.