I am Sick of Pain

I wonder how people with serious illnesses do it. I’m supposed to take pain killers every six hours except I’m lucky if I make five, and I’ve already been in pain for an hour or two by then.

It’s better if I take the Vicodin, but I can only take Vicodin following a full meal or else I get sick, and then I always feel so sad after. Also, I don’t like feeling groggy and light-headed during the day. All those scenes of House popping Vicodin all day long seem implausible to me now. I’m getting by on Advil and Tylenol mostly.

You’re all probably sick of hearing about this. I want my old mouth back!! What else can I talk about? I saw the movie Portrait of Jennie yesterday. It was so wonderfully transportive, it made me happy. Afterwards I looked around for a copy of the book at a reasonable rate. I found one at a place I won’t mention, because I can’t get there until tomorrow and I am afraid it might get snatched up by then.

One of my mood regulators. When the cats are fed and happy, I’m happy.

Stacy Horn

I've written six non-fiction books, the most recent is Damnation Island: Poor, Sick, Mad, and Criminal in 19th-Century New York.

View all posts by Stacy Horn →

5 thoughts on “I am Sick of Pain

  1. Sorry to hear that you’re under the weather. A cat’s purr actually creates a field of alpha waves which are supposed to be very calming and soothing (that’s why cats purr, by the way) so I hope the boys are doing their bit to ease your pain.

    I’ve tried Vicodin and I dislike the high; it’s also not a very good pain killer, if you ask me. I’m all for huge ass vodka tonics. Champagne is good, too, but the problem is that you have to stay drunk to avoid the hangover. Maybe you’ll get a nice warm breeze through an open window that will take your mind off your teefers for a moment or two — feel better soon.

    (I went to the Walt Whitman birthplace this past week to research an article I’m writing about Long Island Literary Hot Spots and did not see the cat, although I peeped into the caretaker’s cottage. Jeeze! Those guided tours are AWFUL but seeing a first edition of Leaves of Grass was swell.)

  2. Oh that so cool you went there too. Isn’t it strange how it across the street from a mall, NAMED AFTER HIM???

    That’s great about the article though — who is it for?

  3. I love it that the Walt Whitman birthplace is right across the road from the Walt Whitman Mall. Very Long Island. I did a write-up for Long Island Woman,a free magazine that is distributed in libraries, hair salons, bakeries, etc.

    The woman who writes the book review column for Long Island Woman, Debbi Honoroff, is a brilliant networker and connected to almost EVERYBODY on the island. She’s also the director of continuing ed at Hofstra and is great for hooking writers up with book events there. I’m doing a Writers Salon on April 2 (the island is a terrible place to do a book event unless it’s with Hofstra) and a Summer School workshop (I have to learn how to do these workshops — they are a great way to connect with readers). If you ever feel like teaching a continuing ed class, let me know and I will be happy to introduce you.

  4. Thank you, I am starting to feel better, although my mouth still feels like foreign territory, and I still have to take pain killers, but not as often.

    Vivian, I’d love to teach a continuing ed class. Good look with the Writers Salon! And what workshop are you teaching?

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