mixed blessings

i've been stuck in a contemplative state for a couple days now.

see i got 2nd degree burns (warning: this pic is UGLY), on my thighs, the other day when preparing some Kraft EasyMac for myself in the office. evil!

kraft easy mac - single servings that includes a portion of macaroni and a mixture of processed cheese and milk powder. Unlike the boxed version, it is designed to be prepared using only water and a microwave in 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Instructions are included on each individual packet. Recently, Kraft released new additional flavors and sizes of Easy Mac, meant for varied appetites (the original version is small enough that a standard serving for an adult consumer was actually two packets).

now, if i had sensation like the rest of the world out there i would've been crying, popping the painkillers, and insisting to leave work to head to the hospital. well i'm not normal. i sat through the rest of my shift with the burning sensation, went to he mall, had dinner with a childhood friend, hung out catching up on old times, and went to sleep. i saw a little bit of the damage when changing to the PJs but it's amazing how it looks the next day, in the daylight when you're actually awake. thankfully i had already had the morning off for hospital appointments; but, after nurses who were treating me for other issues saw the burns they had to check with the doctors to verify that i could receive my treatments.

the first nurse set me up with an appointment to see the minor injury clinic because she was worried about me. i may have flabbergasted the doctor because i wasn't requesting a prescription for the pain. it feels like lil tingles to me for such a big icky wound. the poor doctor kept returning to check, double-check, and triple check my answer to the pain killers.

i feel the pain but i don't belive i'm feeling the full-extent of it.

1. i've broken a couple wrist bones when i was a child and still went to class to take a test.
2. i fell, broke a rib and returned to work right after. only going to the doctor because my chest was moving all funny like.
3. i've broken a leg and still kept on trying to walk. i actually went out to dinner and followed that with some sleep to see if the leg would be better in the morning. nope, it was broken and i got it casted.S

those are just a few incidents where having a good sense of pain can come in very handy.

i don't blame this all on ms. part of it can very well be from how my father raised me to deal with pain. i.e.: as blood is pouring down my leg for a cut i was told to make/use a tourniquet and go on with whatever i was doing, it'll get better. he was a military man trying to raise his eldest daughter as a son. wheee!

is it a blessing to not feel the brunt of these thorns at my side or is it a curse because the pain is a good indicator of when i should seek professional help?