I read some studies when I was practicing that showed that the 1-10 pain scales were actually fairly good indicators. Obviously, no one can feel what another feels, but when patients rate their pain on a 1-10 scale, it correlates fairly well with functional levels, and it seems to be fairly consistant from day to day within one patient's reporting. I used to tell my patients to consider that 10 was pain so bad they would have to go to the emergency room. Now that I am a pain "victim", I feel like I can rate my pain 1-10 extremely consistantly -- for me-- of course, I have no idea how it compares to someone else. I guess that doesn't really matter -- what matters is that when it is bad enough -- for me --, I need pain meds! And when my pain is a 7, I quit wanting to talk to people, and when it is 8, I just want to lie still and think about breathing, and when it is 9, I start wishing I could go to heaven. When it is 3, I feel like I can take on the world! And if it stays at 7 or above very long, I want better pain meds!!!! I know exactly what each level feels like for me!

Honestly, I can't imagine what the doctors are thinking. Do they really think that someone wakes up in the morning and says to themselves, "Gee, I think I'll go to the doctor today and tell him that I am having a lot of pain even when I am not. After all, I'd just love to get some more of those drugs that make me constipated, nauseous, and dull-minded, give me a dry mouth and ruin my short term memory. And I'm just crazy about the way I get patronized and treated like I am some whining child. Yesiree, I think that's what I'll do today for fun!"