On Being Disabled

[JDPriestly]

67. I wish you well, but I have some questions.

If you don't want to answer, I will understand and not be surprised.

I know from talking to a doctor who deals with a lot of people who are genuinely in pain and also a lot who appear to be drug-seekers that our medicine can do little to help people with chronic pain other than to deny that it exists or simply sadly admit that they cannot help. (How the doctor reacts depends on the degree of his compassion and empathy.)

But, then I notice people including a lot of people who live very long lives who should be in pain but don't seem to feel it.

I wonder whether sometimes pain is actually due to a body or maybe even a psyche that notices or senses pain more than the bodies of those who have less pain.

I am wondering whether you tried alternative pain solutions like acupuncture or some of the Chinese herbs and exercise disciplines or maybe yoga. I'm not asking because I think you should try these. I just would like to know whether, if you tried one or more of these alternatives, they helped at all.

Do you think that maybe your nervous system is just sort of more sensitive to pain that others? Or is your injury due to a serious incident like an accident or illness?

I'm puzzled because I notice that several people in my family who grew to be very old had serious physical problems that should have been very painful but weren't yet, as you explain, many people including some of my good friends, have constant acute pain without that much of a reason for it. What do you think? Could there really perhaps be a difference in sensitivity to pain born into different people?

Please don't think I am suggesting that you are malingering. That is not at all the focus of my questions.