Very few of us can say we’ve never felt pain in some form—whether it’s a splitting headache, a throbbing stubbed toe, or something a lot more excruciating. How much pain we can tolerate before it becomes too much seems to vary wildly from person to person. Sometimes we can [be bad] it up and keep moving; other times, even the smallest twinge can feel utterly unbearable.
ER doctors and nurses see it all. So when someone on Reddit asked them, “Have any of your patients surprised you with their amount (or lack) of pain tolerance?” the responses did not disappoint. People chimed in with story after story. Some described unbreakable “little old ladies” whose fortitude held strong even when their bones didn’t. Others recalled patients who seemed to feel absolutely everything. We’ve gathered some of the most memorable stories below. They’re a fascinating reminder that pain is a deeply personal experience—and that the person you’d least expect might just have the highest (or lowest) pain tolerance in the room.
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#41
I had a patient who was on his motorcycle with his child and was hit in an intersection by a drunk driver running a red light. Fortunately, it was right in front of the ER. The guy and kid get thrown off the bike. The guy got up, ran to his kid and picked him up, and walked in the front door of the ER, maybe a block away. He got sent to me (xray) pretty quick and no pain meds had set in yet. He was taking the minor positioning I had to do like a champ and didn't really do more than flinch. I quickly saw he had a mid shaft femur fracture in one leg and the other legs tibia and fibula were completely shattered right above the ankle. And he had a calcaneous fracture and dislocated AC joint as well. Adrenaline can give you balls of steel.
Also, just last night, I had a cop with BOTH shoulders dislocated during an altercation... Yet he managed to get up, relocate his right shoulder, and taze the guy twice before his shoulder dislocated again. He was in pain but not anywhere near enough for me to think both shoulders were out. He's gonna need his moms help for a while.
Also, just last night, I had a cop with BOTH shoulders dislocated during an altercation... Yet he managed to get up, relocate his right shoulder, and taze the guy twice before his shoulder dislocated again. He was in pain but not anywhere near enough for me to think both shoulders were out. He's gonna need his moms help for a while.
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#42
Not a doctor, but once I was bouncing at a club in a historic part of the downtown district where my college was located. Being in the historic district, the building had high ceilings and big, tall windows with thick, heavy glass.
One night some kids got upstairs and decided it would be a good idea to kick one of the windows out... right over top of the crowded smoking patio out front. I felt a great weight come down on the top of my head and heard the sound of breaking glass. I thought (being that it was a pretty rough bar) that someone broke a bottle over my head, so I turn around raising the dukes and ready to fight when I feel what only could be described as my ear peeling off the side of my head.
What had happened was, a shard of glass about an inch wide and over a foot long connected with my head at the top most point of where my ear connected to my head, slid down through my ear canal, and lodged in the back of my jaw bone, making it impossible to close my mouth properly.
I turned to my boss who was standing next to me (apparently, because I don't remember this next part, this is what bystanders told me) and said "Hey Mike, would you pull this out for me?"
Went to the hospital, got stitched sans numbing aid, and made it back to the bar before close for a beer.
**tl/dr: piece of glass almost cut off my ear and part of the side of my face. Got stitched without numbing agent, went to get a beer after**.
One night some kids got upstairs and decided it would be a good idea to kick one of the windows out... right over top of the crowded smoking patio out front. I felt a great weight come down on the top of my head and heard the sound of breaking glass. I thought (being that it was a pretty rough bar) that someone broke a bottle over my head, so I turn around raising the dukes and ready to fight when I feel what only could be described as my ear peeling off the side of my head.
What had happened was, a shard of glass about an inch wide and over a foot long connected with my head at the top most point of where my ear connected to my head, slid down through my ear canal, and lodged in the back of my jaw bone, making it impossible to close my mouth properly.
I turned to my boss who was standing next to me (apparently, because I don't remember this next part, this is what bystanders told me) and said "Hey Mike, would you pull this out for me?"
Went to the hospital, got stitched sans numbing aid, and made it back to the bar before close for a beer.
**tl/dr: piece of glass almost cut off my ear and part of the side of my face. Got stitched without numbing agent, went to get a beer after**.
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#43
Well, I'm not a Doctor or an ER nurse but I wanted to share this one. About 6 years ago now my mother wasn't feeling well and hadn't been for about 10 days. She had been going to work, doing her normal routine but thought she had a cold or the flu. One evening she asked my brother for a 3rd blanket to put over here because she was cold. He ended up calling one of her friends who came over and made her go to the hospital. The doctors in the ER quickly ascertained that it was a ruptured appendix. She had been walking around and working for 10 days since it had ruptured. She went in for immediate surgery and is still alive and kicking to this day.
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