Thank you all-you are good "thread buddies". Comparing notes can help us learn what we have-or how to deal with it-

Here's a clue maybe. Even though a car passing by outside my house can trigger pain-it struck me while we were on a walk, that passing cars never
hurt. So I am trying to figure out the difference.

So far, these are the only difference I have come up with:

Outside on a walk:
1. I am more relaxed.
2. I know the car is coming-I can see it.
3. Even if it comes from behind-I expect cars to be coming along-so it doesn't ambush me. I can get ready for it. (Not in a conscious way-but maybe in an automatic way.)

The expectation or "preparing" for something could also explain why light will not hurt as much if you see someone turn on the light as if it is just suddenly lighter in the room and you didn't know it was coming.

"Staying ready" for stimuli creates stress, though. And the more stressed you are, the more stimuli can hurt.

Things being mellowed or smoothed out is not the total answer, though. For example, the only way I can stand to watch TV much of the time is to curf. ckick, ckick, ckick. Changing the channel breaks the pain for a second and nerve pain goes down-then starts building-until I click again. The jerkiness (or lack of continuity) in that instance is the "fixer".

Just had a wild thought-what if I tried a hand held clicker (like a dog training clicker) and tried to click pain away by interrupting it as it starts to build. hmmmm.