Precerpt from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary: On Painkillers and Paying Attention
People talk about painkillers like they’re magic — and yes, they can bring real comfort. But they also do something subtle: they blur the edges. They make it easy to believe everything is fine when your body is actually waving a bright red flag. Because I can’t take most painkillers (NSAIDs are the exception; local anesthetic is not), I’ve had to build a different relationship with pain. Not a heroic one. Not a martyrdom one. Just… practical. Pain gives me information. It tells me where the problem is, how intense it is, and whether it’s getting better or worse. That’s incredibly useful when you’re trying to explain something to a doctor — especially for things like dental work or small outpatient procedures. Pain becomes a guide, not an enemy. Now, NSAIDs are a different story. They work well — sometimes too well. They can make me feel like I can do anything, even the things I probably shouldn’t. So I use them sparingly, because I know myself and I know my tendencies. That’s a ...