This Is Going To Hurt

It is probably safe to say that no-one in the world really enjoys having to get a shot for any reason. It's just one of the necessary evils that we, as human beings, must endure in our quest for a healthy life.

When I was younger, the most popular phrase used by any syringe-wielding health care professional was, "This won't hurt a bit." That statement, in itself, probably led to many children and adults alike learning to distrust these doctors and nurses and instead viewing them as needle-poking enemies. When you are in the business of helping and providing care for patients, it seems to me that one of the first items on your agenda should include "build trust with patient." If you precede a skin-piercing jab to a patient with "This won't hurt a bit," chances are that the goal of building trust will not be met on that day.

So as time progressed and people caught on with the realization that "This won't hurt a bit" is roughly translated into "I am insensitive and I think you are stupid, plus I'm not the one getting poked so I don't care," they came up with a new term. Now we are told that we are going to "feel a slight pinch." According to our friends at Mirriam-Webster, the word "pinch" can be defined as "to squeeze or compress painfully." Although I still don't agree that a sharp, stinging stab into my arm really resembles "squeezing OR compressing," at least we're getting a little closer to admitting that a little pain may be involved.

Rarely have I ever had any infliction of personal injury, whether on purpose or accidental, prefaced by either of these statements. As we make progress though our journey of life, we are going to feel the need to scream "OUCH!" at some point. I, as most people do, can use my own personal scale of pain to be the judge of that.

I just prefer that, if I am going to willingly allow someone to impose this unpleasant sensation on my delicate skin, I would rather they just be honest and give me fair warning. "This is going to hurt."

It is impossible for me to see the similarity of a "pinch" verses a "sting," or even a "jab." But don't bring your syringe full of healing medicine and poke it into any skin on my body and say that I am going to feel a "pinch." If you do, I will invite you to allow me to inflict MY interpretation of a "pinch" in the form of a "jab," directly to the area from where that misguided statement emerged...and hope that my liability insurance will cover the dental visits that will ensue.

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