Just Point

For those that do not know me , I have done a lot of work picking people up off the ground, the snow, and off rivers over the last 7 years. It seems that I gravitate towards helping broken people (just ask any X). My jobs throughout the years have included ski patrol, river rescue, emergency medical response , fire fighting and the like. I just completed yet another first-aid re-cert course and while sitting there letting my mind wander, some of the more memorable calls I have attended came to mind. One common thread though all my training and responses is that you need to determine how bad off a person is and pain is usually a pretty good indicator. If you have ever had an ambulance ride or tried to check into an ER you most likely had to communicate to someone how bad is your pain was. To help you out this you may get a question formated something like this

With 0 being no pain and 10 being your worst pain EVER what is your pain from a scale of 0 to 10?

Now to judge how much of a wimp you are, this follow question usually follows

What was your worst pain EVER?

Now some people, during a painful episode, are incapable of answering this most seemingly simple query. This inability may be caused by a few things such as extreme pain, no lower jaw, a smuck to the head and even sometimes death - most dead people tend not to answer.

So - if you are injured and you are unable to answer the question there is an easy way to communicate your pain level. If you're dead - sorry I can not help you. But for those of you still with a pulse, you can print off this handy-dandy Pain Chart and leave it in your wallet. Then when you are writhing in pain on the sidewalk with your foot next to your head after a bus ran over you and someone asks you how you are doing, all you have to do is whip out your little chart and reference the corresponding number.

While your at it, why not print out the rest of these charts too and whenever you're asks a pertaining question use the appropriate chart and point.

Charts used without permission form BLOGOGRAPHY.COM
Is that a level 3 evil or level 4 dick???
Check out Dave's blog - very funny.