We all like to see ourselves as invincible and completely immune to pain. We can handle that really long and really thick needle. Sure. Pain killers, for a stab wound... no not me. I feel nothing.
Ironically as we get older it tends to be smaller, less dramatic injuries that leave emotional scars. For instance, anything involving the mouth is going to lead to misery. But some people can laugh off a gunshot wound. Pain is different for all of us, and it is very real for all of us.
Redditor u/elle-bathory wanted to see who could bare sharing some of life's more traumatic moments by asking.... What's the worse pain you've ever felt?Foot Issues
top of the foot pain GIF by ePainAssistGiphyGout. The foot swelled up massively, it was bright red and hot to the touch. Touch was the LAST thing I wanted, just having enough air movement to shift the hairs on my foot was excruciating. Unbelievable pain that I couldn't escape from. I swelled so much that when it finally went back to normal, the skin sloughed off like I had had a massive sunburn. I could feel EVERY heartbeat, painfully, in my foot.
The Femur
I broke my femur in a car accident, all I felt was pure adrenaline like I had never felt before and no pain. They got me to the hospital fairly quickly and hit me with 2 shots of morphine ASAP. Next thing I know they were drilling a hole through my calf with a power drill so they could set the leg with a pin and I was wide awake with no pain due to the drugs. It was the other drivers 6th DUI offense.
Everything Hurts
Trigeminal neuralgia (also called the suicide disease) I'm one of the lucky ones though, that it improved with treatment so I only had it for about a year. Basically felt like someone was slamming an ice pick into my ear, jaw, and face. Even brushing my teeth hurt.
On Ice
accident falling GIFGiphyI slipped on steps one winter fell on my back had my wind knocked out, cracked 2 ribs and dislocated shoulder. And worst part is that it was like 3 steps.
Passed out pain
This is the worst pain I've ever seen someone feel. My sister had open heart surgery at 23 to repair a murmur. Several days later when she first got home the nerve block in her side started to wear off. She managed to fall asleep at the beginning but she woke up screaming like a banshee. I'll never forget it. I got her to stand up but she looked at me and went white as a sheet and passed out.
The Spiral
I shot a 3.5" spiral nail into my finger.
The doctor pulled it out with pliers, no freezing or pain killers. I had 3 nurses holding me down. I've broken many bones and it doesn't even come close to comparing.
They gave me Percocet after the fact. I have no idea why they didn't give me anything.
The nail was also almost all the way through, so you'd think they cut the head off and pull the remaining 1/2" of the nail through. Nope the grabbed the head and pulled all 3" back out the way it came. It came from a coil gun so they also pulled the coil wires back through my finger. It was excruciating.
Life is Excruciating
I've had two open-heart surgeries and I have a pacemaker to boot. Also had to major spinal surgeries, and I'm having a third one next month. (I just can't stay away! My doctor has a real nice car now!)
Anywho... they're very painful, so I get it entirely. In fact, until I met my current wife, I'd decided I was going to forego the surgery next time my heart starts failing (it's a given; 2-5 years from now) to let nature takes its course.
I just couldn't justify all of that for what little life had to offer.
Now I'm married and there's so much worth fighting (and suffering) for!
CRACK! SNAP!
I was ice skating and going through a major growth spurt when I was 13. The skates were too tight. I hit a crack in the ice and did a maneuver to stop from falling on my face. Well CRACK! SNAP! I shattered my tibia from just bellow the knee all the way down to the ankle, in a spiral fracture.
Because the skates were so tight in fact that when I hobbled and limped off of the ice and had them removed my leg did not immediately swell up. I knew my bone was broken. I could feel and hear the various shards of shin bone grinding up against one another and the muscles.
Yet, people assumed at most I maybe bruised my bone.
I went home. Limping and in the worst physical pain. My father said I was ok. But after about 12 hours and the pain just getting worse I finally was taken to the ER - where I learned I fractured my leg in 8 different spots on the tibia.
I had to get metal pins put in, and was in various casts for 4 straight months and a boot for two.
Missed a Step
spongebob squarepants cringe GIFGiphyI missed a step one morning and I folded my foot over so much that my big toe touched my heel. I made a noise I had never made before. It was like a dying rabbit who was into Finnish death metal.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
@xray_media/X
@LauraLoomer/X
reply to @LauraLoomer/X
reply to @LauraLoomer/X
@DHSgov/X
