Ten steps back, one step forward: Meditations on pain, uncertainty, and recovery - opinion
The pain after my recent bowel surgery was devastating. For weeks, nothing seemed to help, even while I was hospitalized and had access to the best drugs.
In the realm of chronic pain, some individuals are born with a rare condition known as congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP). For these sufferers, everyday injuries like burns, cuts, and unnoticed fractures go undetected because their nervous system fails to generate the warning signal of pain. This starkly contrasts with most people's experience, where pain serves as an urgent and protective mechanism.
As someone who has experienced significant pain from a recent bowel surgery, I can attest to the devastating impact it can have. The pain persisted for weeks, resisting even the strongest pain medications. Acamol, opioids, and Optalgin—all of which I had previously relied on—proved inadequate in providing relief.
During my recovery, I faced a dilemma when faced with a choice of pain management options. While Acamol is a common and fast-acting remedy, opioids were off-limits due to their potential to exacerbate bowel issues like ileus, a condition that arises after abdominal surgeries. Morphine, similarly, can suppress bowel function and even induced hallucinations in me during the intensive care unit phase of my recovery.
Interestingly, I had previously taken Optalgin, an alternative pain medication, nine years ago for severe back pain. Unfortunately, it led to a recurring stomachache that lasted for three years. While it's impossible to definitively link the two events, I decided to avoid Optalgin once more after considering the potential risks.
Throughout the weeks of intense pain, I grappled with the philosophical implications of suffering. I questioned the necessity of pain as a warning system and acknowledged the varying pain tolerances among individuals. At times, I found myself overwhelmed, despondent, and at a loss for how to cope with the debilitating nature of chronic pain.
In my conversations with the Hadassah Medical Center chaplain, Avital, I shared my feelings of despair. While her concerns about my mental health were understandable, I reassured her that I was not acting on these thoughts. However, the profound impact of chronic pain can be all-consuming, leaving individuals feeling like mere shells of their former selves.
The presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in the medical field raises the question of whether machines could one day experience pain. While AI can produce language that mirrors human suffering, it lacks an actual physical or emotional experience of pain. Comparisons to a thermostat reacting to temperature changes and Freud's observations on human happiness offer a different perspective on the nature of pain and suffering.
Ultimately, I found solace in the possibility of relief and the potential benefits that AI could bring to the medical field. While I yearned for a reduction in my own pain levels and a greater understanding of human existence, I recognized the importance of embracing the imperfections and uncertainties of life.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
