
Formidable People Reveal The Most Pain They've Ever Experienced
[rebelmouse-image 18349841 is_animated_gif=What's the worst pain you've ever experienced? For me, it was my ongoing battle with ulcerative colitis, and the relentless, unending feeling that my guts were going to shoot out of me. For others, broken bones or cluster headaches left them reeling in agony. Fair warning, these stories are brutal.
dazzler964 asked, What's the most pain you've ever been in?
Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.
Sounds like the pain I experienced when I sneezed after having my colon removed.
[rebelmouse-image 18349842 is_animated_gif=A sneeze.
I've been shot (once), stabbed (twice), had gallstones, kidney stones, and pancreatitis, but that sneeze was the worst.
I had open heart surgery (congenitally bad heart valve). They gave me a little pillow and told me to hug it tight if I felt a sneeze coming on. I thought they were crazy but kept it close. Next day, sneezed without warning.
I ceased to exist as a person. The universe and all in it ceased to exist. Reality was a single point of formless, featureless pain, exquisite in its purity, unparalleled in its intensity.
This is the pain of nightmares.
[rebelmouse-image 18349619 is_animated_gif=Had a blood clot burst in my spinal cord, affected all of my nerves and I was pretty much stuck and frozen laying down. Couldn't move, could barely breathe, my neck was crooked and my whole body felt like it was burning.
Eventually, the ambulance arrived, I was able to breathe again once I got the breathing mask. It left me paralyzed at first but after years of therapy, I've been recovering. I'm nowhere near the condition I was before the incident though, probably never will be.
I have a hernia in my neck that paralyzes me when it flares. Working out the muscles around it helps. The pain is off the scale.
[rebelmouse-image 18349843 is_animated_gif=Woke up one morning with back pain that I've never experienced before in my life. I couldn't even lift myself out of bed.
After 10 minutes of struggling to find a position so I could lift myself, I stood up and my hip was dropped and my spine was crooked. I can't even explain the pain, I've broken bones, painful recoveries from surgeries, this was the worst pain I have ever had. It was relentless shooting hot pain while my hamstring also felt like it was being pulled from my hip and femur. I couldn't even walk. People always talk about severe back pain and I always thought it was just relative to their pain tolerance.
I'm a healthy 21-year-old that is in shape, this pain would shoot down my legs and took my breath away, I'd literally DROP to the floor because my legs gave out from it. I went to the urgent care twice and they said it was probably sciatica and gave me steroids and stretches which didn't work. Got X-rays that said maybe it was arthritis between my L 1 and L2. This has been going on for around 4 months, the pain has thankfully decreased but it's still always there. I started working out again despite the pain because either way, I'm in pain so I might as well get a workout in.
I'm scheduled to get an MRI soon, so hopefully, that can answer some questions. I still don't know how or why this happened, but I have a lot more understanding of people suffering from chronic pain, it's absolutely exhausting and takes a toll on the mind and body.
Kidney stones sound like torture. *Chugs water*
[rebelmouse-image 18349844 is_animated_gif=I once had Kidney stones due to not drinking enough water. It was not a big one, but multiple very tiny one. It was the first time where I, a grown **s man, had to yell from the pain in the waiting room. I even had to throw up just because of the pain. So dear Redditors, please drink enough water during the day.
Like kidney stones, gallstones get a big old nope.
[rebelmouse-image 18349846 is_animated_gif=Gall stones brought me by far the most pain that I've ever experienced. Basically incapacitated me until the pain subsided.
Pleurisy is when the membrane lining your lungs becomes inflamed. Ouch.
[rebelmouse-image 18349847 is_animated_gif=Pleurisy is a hell of an illness. The way my doctor put it for me was "there is a liquid between your lungs and your ribs. That liquid has now evaporated, and your lungs are rubbing on your ribs like sandpaper."
I know that's not scientific, but let me tell you, it's definitely an accurate description of what it felt like.
Strep throat has nothing on this...
[rebelmouse-image 18349848 is_animated_gif=Throat ulcer which made me cough and every time I coughed it felt like dragging razor blades down my throat which made me cough even more.
I have ulcerative colitis, which is Crohn's ugly cousin, and I can confirm - the pain has made me beg for death.
[rebelmouse-image 18349849 is_animated_gif=I have Crohn's disease and psoriasis only in my ears, both ears, even in the canal. Both diseases aren't under control. Also used to have horrible Kidney infections. Good news is, if the pain is severe enough, my body shuts it all down and I pass out. The bad news is, sometimes I wake back up seconds later only to pass out again. There have been many more times I can count that I have begged for death because the pain is so bad.
Magic mushrooms are being researched as a cure for cluster headaches. They have no agreed upon cause or treatment.
[rebelmouse-image 18349850 is_animated_gif=Cluster headache on a plane while it was descending into Amsterdam. The longest 10 min of my life.
Needless to say, I had tears streaming down my face and mouth full of fabric to muffle my screams.
Pancreatitis sounds absolutely dreadful, and ER's sometimes don't take pain seriously enough.
[rebelmouse-image 18349851 is_animated_gif=Pancreatitis.... all I could do in the hospital waiting room was yell, "help me". They finally took me seriously when I kept going in and out of consciousness.
Well, at least they have a story to tell...
[rebelmouse-image 18349852 is_animated_gif=I went home with a guy one night, and he got a cluster headache for the first time in the middle of it. I thought he was having an aneurysm. Called an ambulance because I was sure he was going to die. We're both dudes, and he just started yelling and his roommates ran into the room - and that's how they found out he was gay.
I don't have a caption worthy of this pain. Or the mental image. You can't unsee it.
[rebelmouse-image 18349853 is_animated_gif=Broke my leg playing soccer. Friends all laughed at me for a minute thinking I was faking until they saw the blood and bone sticking out. My friends loaded me up into the backseat of my car. I was 6'4" so I could barely fit sprawled out back there. One of my moron friends thought my leg was all the way in and slammed the door close. My leg wasn't all the way in.
These pain stories are getting dark... cement in your eye thought? Ouch.
[rebelmouse-image 18349854 is_animated_gif=Physically: I got wet cement in my eye.
Emotionally: I held my dog as he seized to death. Similar to I AM Legend.
This is similar to what burn victims have to endure, and just, nope.
[rebelmouse-image 18349855 is_animated_gif=Debriding an infection. Nothing like slicing open a tender area and the scrubbing the crap out of it.
And this is why I still have my wisdom teeth.
[rebelmouse-image 18349856 is_animated_gif=When I had my wisdom teeth removed, I got dry sockets which turned into lockjaw.
I could open my mouth less and less, then not at all. Then the lower part of my jaw started being pulled outward. It felt like somebody was tearing my jaw off.
My mom doped me up with painkillers, but it didn't help. We made an appointment with the doctor the next morning, but it was the worst night of my life. Constant pain and couldn't fall asleep.
The next morning, on the drive to the doctor, I threw up because of the pain but couldn't open my mouth. So I chocked on my vomit and either had to swallow it or blow it out my nose.
I've never experienced physical pain worse than that.
My brother had to have this corrected (before it got this bad) - it was excruciating watching him dealing with it.
[rebelmouse-image 18349857 is_animated_gif=Testicular torsion. Got my balls in a twist. Swelled to the size of my fist. Had an operation to untwist them. Swelled to the size of my head. Walked like Butch Cassidy for 3 weeks.
*Squirms uncomfortably in my chair*
[rebelmouse-image 18349859 is_animated_gif=Having a badly ingrown toenail get stomped on, break in half lengthwise, get severely infected, and then removed without much in the way of numbing (doctor missed the nerve). There's a reason pulling toenails off is used as a form of torture. 0/10, would not recommend.
There's some irony here, considering he needed the morphine - let's hope the addiction gets treated.
[rebelmouse-image 18349860 is_animated_gif=Got my leg rebroken. I was in so much pain. They asked me and my mom if I wanted morphine. My mom said no. I was 13 and had no say in the matter. Fun fact, 3 years later I got addicted to heroin.
Gotta admire this person's optimism... being 1/4 is pretty cool tbh.
[rebelmouse-image 18349861 is_animated_gif=I got hit in the eyeball with a badminton birdie. Freak accident. I turned around to give my partner s*** about taking so long to serve. My eyeball bled, behind my eyeball bled and I was rushed to ER with the risk of losing my eye. Has to get freezing needles into my eye and wasn't allowed to bend over for fear of the clot bursting. It was a pain like no other. Just this horrible throbbing, pounding pain that resonated around my whole head. I was dizzy, couldn't see, shaking and any light at all caused significant pain. Having a needle come right up to your eye isn't the most pleasant thing either.
I have no peripheral vision in my right eye now. I'm like 1/4 pirate. It's cool.
I've had the same thing (yeah, I'm a mess), and the pain is indescribable. My worst was having three abscesses under my armpit merge into one giant abscess overnight.
[rebelmouse-image 18349862 is_animated_gif=I had an abscess the size of a golf ball in my armpit lanced (I have hidradenitis suppuritiva), and even with the acid-feeling numbing agent he injected, the process was incredibly painful. The gauze wick that was stuck in there afterward was uncomfortable and felt so gross.
Comedy is in a very tricky place right now.
There is so much to NOT laugh about in this world.
In truth, many of us have forgotten how to laugh.
And certain jokes that are told, make people afraid to laugh.
So what do we do?
We tell inappropriate jokes apparently.
Let's hear some...
Redditor CrewCreation wanted to hear some "risky" comedy. So they asked:
"What’s the best morbid joke you know?"
***WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SENSITIVE MATERIAL. PROCEED WITH CAUTION!***
I can't think of anything hilarious at the moment. Make us LOL.
Lady
"I have this friend, love him to bits, but his wife has a tendency of just constantly showing everyone pictures of their son at every social event. At the start it was understandable, but now I'm just like 'Lady, it's been two years; they're not going to find him.'"
UnoriginalUse
at 9am...
"Not the most morbid but I love Anthony Jeselnik’s story about his neighbor who has Alzheimer’s. 'One of my next door neighbors is a 90 year old man suffering from Alzheimer’s. And every single morning at 9am he knocks on my door and asks me if I have seen his wife.'"
"'Which means that every single morning at 9am I have to explain to a 90 year old man suffering from Alzheimer’s that his wife has been dead for quite some time. Now I’ve thought about moving. I have thought about just not answering my door in the morning. But to be honest, it’s worth it… just to see the smile on his face.”
dreagan021
Comedy?
"Why can't orphans play baseball? They don't know where home is."
GW2RNGR
"Why can't orphans play tennis? They get confused when they hear love."
JayDub506
People who make comedy are evil. LOL.
The Darkness
"Dark humor is like food; not everyone gets it."
storm_the_castle
God Laughs?
"A Holocaust survivor dies and goes to heaven, where she meets God. To break the tension she tells God a joke about the Holocaust, but God doesn’t laugh. The lady shrugs and says 'I guess you had to be there.'"
“'I guess you had to be there' is a common expression used when someone doesn’t laugh at a joke. It means that the comedy may not translate without the context of the situation."
"In this case the Holocaust survivor is saying it, meaning that during the Holocaust God was nowhere to be found. It’s not really a joke about the Holocaust, but the absurdity of belief in a benevolent God. Hilarious right?"
semimillennial
Oh Baby
"How many dead babies does it take to fix a light bulb? More than 3 cause my garage is still dark."
sirnibs3
I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Because I don't know what it says about us as people if we laugh. Oye.
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Life can change in an instant.
It can always change for the better.
Just ask any lottery winner.
Sadly, life can also take a turn for the worst and leave people shattered beyond repair.
Watching someone's life fall apart in a short amount of time is difficult.
You have to wonder if there really is such a thing as karma, bad luck, or Voodoo.
Redditor OkImagination5852 wanted to hear about the times we've been witness to personal disaster. They asked:
"People who witness a person's life crumble in a single day, what happened?"
I have lived through a lot of bad days. But thankfully they've been one disaster at a time days. So I guess I'm lucky.
Horror
"A friend of a friend had his entire family killed overnight. He was from my college and was home visiting his family. His parents, siblings, and extended family were all there together. One night, while they were all asleep, his father got up, took out a gun, and went on a shooting spree. He then killed himself."
"Everyone except this guy died on the spot. When my friend visited him at the hospital, the guy was still in shock. He had no idea why his father did that. This was more than a decade ago, and I have no idea how he's doing now."
DeadOnDeparture98
The IRS Called
"Knew a guy who had a nice house, wife, 3 kids. Machine shop in his garage, Snap On tool truck, sign out front, great mechanic. Never incorporated, didn't pay taxes on his business, cash only. Took nice vacations, bought a boat, then a camper. Five years later, the IRS came. I don't know what they estimated he owed but they seized everything. He lives alone in a trailer now."
Nobody_Wins_13
2 at Once
"My mom’s dad and dad’s mom both died on the same day. Completely unrelated. We were pretty messed up for awhile. It was 2010. Mom's dad had emphysema (lifetime smoker) and was pretty sick for a few weeks. I was in college at the time and came home to be with him, because we knew he was about to pass. Dad's mom was in the nursing home, as she had had a stroke and also had dementia (she often thought I was my dad, she thought we were in the 70s, etc.)."
"She took a turn for the worst, and so my dad left the hospice my grandpa was at and went to be with her. The towns they were in were about an hour apart, so I stayed behind with my mom to comfort her when her dad passed. A few hours go by, and he passes peacefully (huge thanks to the hospice workers for their respect and grace during this time)."
"Within an hour or so of his passing, we get a call from my dad saying that his mother had passed as well. It was a terribly dark day in our family, and the next couple years for me in college were pretty much a blur. Thankfully, things got better in time and we are all doing well now."
She lost everything...
"Her husband left her after previously persuading her to remortgage their house to save his business and he's already made her take multiple credit cards out in her name. She lost everything. He did it the week after their youngest turned 18 so he wouldn't have to pay child support. He'd obviously been planning for years."
Ieatclowns
a black sheep...
"My cousin was in a motorcycle accident with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend died. She broke her back. When she was in the hospital she learned she was pregnant. It's been 16 years and we're still trying our best, she took an all too familiar path of drugs, burning bridges and more pregnancies."
"At this point she's fairly stable and clean as far as I know but a bit of a black sheep. Her mother has custody of all one of her kids. She has her youngest and seems to be doing good by her, but who knows. It's been hard on everyone, especially her mother and her brother."
Paradigm6790
Well this is the stuff of nightmares. I'm grateful for every moment I have alive.
Several lawsuits are filed...
"Here is multiple lives ruined in an instant. A friend was over at some other people house, drugs were involved. They had been playing with a gun. My friend points the gun at a girl, pulls the trigger and shoots her in the head. Girl dies, friend gets locked up until he turns 18. Parents at the house get arrested because they knew what the kids were doing. Friends mom goes into a depression and ends up getting evicted from her house. Several lawsuits are filed."
sentondan
Gone Forever
"It was me... got in a car accident and suffered a traumatic spinal and brain injury that I had no chance of surviving... a 7 vertebrae spinal fusion, yrs of physical and mental therapy... 18 yrs later and the pieces, though many forever gone, are finally coming back together."
2boneskuLL
A Bad Night
"He trashed his fathers vacation house with an axe before setting it on fire, stabbed the neighbor nearly to death, stole their car and then crashed it into a cop car so bad the cops were injured. He also got his girl pregnant, so once he is out of prison they're gonna start a family."
Dumbing_It_Down
"dangerous"
"Pregnant friend found out husband (43) was having an affair with young woman (19) who was a volunteer at their ecolodge. Friend had 'dangerous' pregnancy and had to spend a lot of time in bed. This betrayal destroyed their marriage, split the little town where they lived and caused two employees to quit because witnessing the affair going on was just too painful."
"She had a beautiful baby girl (to go with her other two girls, lol) and after the breakup was clinically depressed. Worked hard and got a divorce (she had a great lawyer); got the business back on track; beat her depression and now is planning a great vacation trip with her girls."
"Meantime, Dad has generous visitation but just 'hasn't gotten around to' buying a car seat so he can pick up the baby and for a long time asked my friend, 'Can you drop the girls off at my Mom's?'"
NoBSforGma
Lost it All...
"Recently, I know of a guy that had borrowed all his family’s life savings for the most part to participate in the whole game stop stock thing happening… he lost every penny of his money (credit card advances), and his parents retirement, and every other dime he could get… it makes me sick to even think of it."
Bangbangsmashsmash
Well those are A LOT of bad days. Good luck to all of you.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
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Those who are wealthy have the luxury of acquiring the best of the best–whether it's dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant or status-identifying clothing from Chanel or Yves Saint Laurent.
But even the rich have their limits when it comes to frivolous spending before casting judgment on friends or colleagues.
Curious to hear examples of this, Redditor Sasquatchfl asked:
"Rich people of Reddit, what's the craziest/most unethical thing you've seen people in your circle spend money on?"
Expensive experiences were a priority over prized possessions.
Live Sushi
"An ex worked for Dell in the late 90s/early 2000s. He was pretty high up and there were lots of partiers in his work circle. Went to a party hosted by one of the dellionaires and there was a body sushi girl. I don’t know what was paid to her, but it was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen."
– 5hrs4hrs3hrs2hrs1mor
Pissing Contest
"Paid a group of homeless guys to only use the bathroom on a competitors business. Eventually bought that place for a massive discount."
– Haboobalub
Let's Work Out
"My mother woke up one morning and said she felt she was way too fat and she wanted to get a treadmill. The treadmill wouldn’t be a problem, but then she saw where it would be and didn’t like the lighting. Fast forward 2 months later there’s a 40k outdoor gym built and connected to the house. She hasn’t used it once."
– Herrera5449_
Taking A Leap
"Travelled with a bunch of ex 'friends' all fairly wealthy."
"First trip to SE Asia together and as an ex-local I was a de-facto tour guide (despite not being there in over a decade)"
"They somehow found and offered a bunch of kids diving off cliffs to jump for spare change."
"They increasingly challenged each other to land their coins as close to the cliff base and small surrounding rocks for the kids to dive for."
– Satakans
It's about the finer things in life.
Expensive Party Gag
"A 3k ouija board from Gwen Paltrow's store. I didn't even know it was a thing until the dude brought it out. I really wanted to cut it up and see what it was made from. Looked nice don't get me wrong but the thing is basically a party gag. For 3 grand, it better summon a demon that's all I'm saying."
– con_this
Slow Burn
"$600 USD for a candle."
– Jeffranks
It's not always about the things you acquire.
Minor Inconvenience
"I know a guy who went to get a new drivers license and had to pay ~$100k in back parking tickets, then joked about it after."
"Apparently he couldn't get a permit to park in front of his house, so he just did anyway, and accepted like a $200 fine everyday."
– melodyze
For A Successful Election
"Not me, but I know a guy who crowd funded (read: threw a bunch of money into, then solicited more at a flea market) $80,000 toward his friend's DA election campaign. The guy won. So far, this has paid back at least $120K in avoided legal fees. I know some rich people. Most of them are more boring than you think. Hell, most of them drive Hondas, Toyotas, and Nissans."
– KP_Wrath
The Lance Corporal
"I was stationed with a Lance Corporal who was wealthy beyond means after selling some of his patents. He owned and piloted four helicopters. Lived in a palatial waterfront house in Jacksonville, NC."
"The cheapest one cost 400K. That's the one he trained on. The most expensive was about 1.2 million. That's 1.2 million 1981 dollars. The two he's got now are about 5 million each."
"Had a floating landing pad out back moored to his dock and another landing pad in the back yard. Kept two helicopters and a Rolls inside his custom-built hangar at Norfolk International Airport."
"He drove a pair of Rolls-Royces. He also toyed with a 900K Miami-Vice type speedboat. He also housed and transported his squad to Camp Lejeune and back in a custom mini-bus."
– ApplicationConnect55
The dude was very giving and lived a very clean life. He'd fly us to Norfolk, pickup the car and we'd do our shopping and eating. Hop in a chopper and return home. He'd fly his fire team down to Miami on weekends. He kept a Limo there and wore a chauffer's outfit and did all the driving.
He bought a full-service and licensed pub in Northern Ireland. He lives there with his wife. Does a lot of charity work there. We still keep in touch."
– ApplicationConnect55
When there's plenty of money going around, there's no need to worry about a single thing.
That peace of mind is a luxury in itself.
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When marriages or relationships fall apart, infidelity is not always the cause.
Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor Liam_Tang asked:
"People who've divorced, aside from adultery, what were the irreconcilable differences that ended the marriage?"

You think you know a person when you walk down the aisle.
These Redditors were in for a rude awakening.
Pet Neglect
"My wife divorced her ex for many reasons, but the final straw was when she went out of town for a few days, and when she got back he had not fed or given water to the dog. The dog lived a long and happy life after that."
– StrangeCrimes
Obsessed With A Crush
"Not me, but I had an old coworker that divorced his wife for spending their entire savings on candy crush and games of the same type."
– Hexis40
Compatibility Musts
"ITT: Intimacy (sex/romance), beliefs (religion/spirituality/politics), kids, and I haven’t seen it yet but it’s coming: finances."
"The big four. You REALLY need to discuss these things in detail BEFORE getting married."
– rabbiskittles
Physical violence is a legit reason for people to peace out of a relationship.
The Flattening
"She threatened to hit me with a hammer."
– michaelrohansmith
Hitting The Bottle
"She became an abusive alcoholic. It was sad but I had to get out."
– diegojones4
Emotional pain is too damaging to recover from.
Truth Hurts
"She told me as we stood in front of the judge ending our 7 year marriage, 'I never loved you, I just wanted kids.'"
– Pinch_Dogs
Can't Fix Angry
"She was beautiful/smart but an angry angry person. I thought I could be sweet to her and 'fix' that. Heh. She kicked the crap out of me emotionally. Wife II has been a walk in the roses for 32 years now :)"
– lowlandr
A change of heart is worthless if comes too late.
"We Could've Had A Nice Marriage
"He could not understand that my wants and needs were as important as his wants and needs. We tried to make it work for 7 years. During that time, for things that were really important to me, I tried explaining logically, asking nicely, begging, crying, yelling, passive aggressiveness... cycled back through all of these options multiple times."
"(If I knew something was important to him, I would do that. For example, he was really into sports, so I went to all his events, even though that is not at all my thing.) When I finally threw up my hands and told him it was time to get a divorce, he suddenly panicked and said 'What can I do? Do you want me to do half the chores? I'll do it! Do you want me to get a job? I'll do it! Do you want me to buy you presents for your birthday? I'll do it!'"
"So, in other words, he could have been doing that all along, but just couldn't be bothered. That made me so angry. We could have had a nice marriage that we both enjoyed, but no, by the time he saw the light, that ship had sailed."
"We are both happily remarried now (to different people) and I joke that his new wife owes me a thank you note. It was his experience with me that taught him to listen to her and take her needs seriously."
– Bluebird-True
"What Can I Do?"
"My ex was exactly like this. I didn't marry him but when I told him let's break up, he went all like, what can I do? Let's get engaged, let's look at houses, etc. Basically all the pre-marriage topics that we should be discussing about after being together for 7 years."
"I got so angry and straight up told him it's too late... I don't need you anymore."
– gudetarako
As much as a couple wants to stay together, unforeseen circumstances can eventually tear people apart.
Very few people can maintain healthy long-distance relationships.
When a new job opportunity takes a significant other away, would you begrudge them for wanting a better position to earn more money? Or is it better for them to reluctantly turn down the opportunity so they could stay with you? Do either scenarios breed resentment?
These were questions I've often asked myself with past relationships, and my answers varied depending on the person I was with.
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