On a scale of 1 - 10

I feel pain just as anyone else does. However, I have been told by physicians that I need to let other physicians know that I have a "high pain tolerance." I have trouble remembering pain after it has happened. If asked the question, how bad was your pain, I have trouble answering that. I remember that the pain was severe before I had my knee replacement surgery, but I don't remember how bad compared with my other knee now. In the hospital, one is frequently asked, "How much pain are you feeling on a scale from 1 - 10?" I have no idea and am frustrated with the question. If you're confused thinking that anyone can judge the severity of pain, know that in 1980 I had a bad stomach ache which sent me to my doctor's office. He diagnosed the ailment as well as he could based on tests and my description of the pain and sent me home with some remedies. A day and a half later, my appendix burst, sending toxicity throughout my body. I had not relayed to the doctor the severity of the pain I had been feeling. There is a reason for pain. It is an indicator of a problem. Because I have trouble determining the level of my pain, I must be careful not to let myself get into trouble before getting medical assistance. While my difficulty is with physical pain, others have trouble knowing the level of their emotional pain. That can certainly be just as serious a problem.