Hard Days, Hard Nights

Physical pain is a difficult companion. It always demands one's
attention; like monsters under the bed, it grabs your awareness
10-fold. 


Most people think activity lessens pain, but there are conditions 
which don't respond positively to activity or exercise. There are 
some types of pain that don't respond to the strongest narcotics 
either. Neuro-pathic pain (or neuropathy) is one type, but the "pain" 
is not easily described. Neuropathy can be constant feeling of
burning, tingling, "crawling" sensations (like bugs crawling on your
skin), grabbing, stabbing, scratching, or plain heightened 
sensitivity - or any combination of those symptoms. In addition 
to those, the limb or body part can feel extremely cold or 
hot, even though skin temperature feels normal. 


One doctor in describing neuropathic pain used the analogy 
of a radio that is just static, with the volume turned all 
the way up. It is constant, unending, severe, 
all-encompassing PAIN. Unfortunately, few medicines help.
Some days, I don't know how to live with this monster.