Confessions of an 'overthinker'

Petitesse

Last time I had an appointment with my physiotherapist I was asked to fill out the usual form before leaving.

I hate forms! And I do not exactly have a record as a good and compliant 'formfiller'. I like to change the questions to something I find more relevant etc. I have yet to find an office/institution that finds this behaviour 'refreshing' :P

But there is just a little anarchist inside of me that refuse to accept leaving answers/information that I am not satisfied with. And I am very particular about everything.

My physio therapist came back twice to see if I had finished and was wondering why it took me so long to fill in the form. But there is no way I can tell her the truth and I doubt she will guess herself that this is the reason:

The form I have to fill out contains the question: on a scale from 1 - 10 how difficult is it for you to pick up a pencil from the floor without using the knee or hands to support you?

Firstly I am wondering what the pencil is doing on the floor in the first place!?
Then I am wondering why I have to answer this, since they already asked the same about clothes? Is this a trick? :x

Even if it is not, then I wonder what the difference is? Is it because I am supposed to assume the clothes will not be lying flat but rather in a heap? So they are higher up and easier to grap than a pencil?
Is the pencil different because it takes more effort for the fingers to pick up? If so, why did they not just put the pencil on the table?

Which part of me are they trying to asses? My ankle or my back? Are they using my answers when they asses my ability to work?

My back is not so bad that I can't pick things up. At least the floor in my flat is not full of pencils!
However I would not be able to do this all the time. Are we talking about just ONE pencil or my ability to pick up pencils all day long - if there is such a job?

My ankle does not bend properly anymore so actually I can't pick it up without resting on the knee. Well, actually I could if I stand on one leg. But I wonder if I can hold my balance on one leg?

I then go back and look at the question again. I am supposed to answer how hard it is to pick up a pencil, but I am trying to answer whether or not I think I can hold down a job where you have to stand on one leg!

I wonder how I answered the question last time and if they will ever be able to asses my progress the way I answer questions.

Numptydumpty

Did they mention the size of the pencil? It must be easier to pick up one of those really thick pencils if you have arthritic hands. Surely if your back is bad you would use some kind of grabbing aid, is this allowed ?
I'm pleased you don't have pencils all over your floor, they could be a hazard. I wonder whether they have carried out a risk assessment for people filling out these forms

Petitesse

Oh noooo Numpty! You have opened up a whole new series of questions now, like a can of worms!

I bet if they knew what I was thinking, they would take me off the Tramadol!

Numptydumpty

Would taking you off tramadol enable you to pick up pencils more easily?
I'm sure it's very important to assess your pencil picking capability, I'm just not sure why! :?

mig

What if its a pen ! Mig

Numptydumpty

joanlawson

I wouldn't say that you're an 'overthinker', but more of a lateral thinker, Pet.

ie. Lateral thinking is about reasoning that is not immediately obvious and about ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic.

This is an ability which is to be encouraged in everyone who has to fill out any such forms. Then maybe it would make the people who devise the questions think a bit more carefully about what they are asking. There should be a box where you can rate the questions on a scale of 1-10 too.

Long may the little anarchist inside you continue to flourish :!:

Joan ( a fellow anarchist form-filler )

Petitesse

@Mig: LOL
By the way, is mig your initials? It means 'me' in danish, so always makes me smile to see you sign your postings 'me'

@Joan: How lovely to meet a fellow anarchistic form-filler*HUGS*

And you are absolutely right. Even though I find it funny to 'overthink' the pencil question, this way of thinking can be very useful. I actually worked as a 'problemsolver' in a logistics firm

And it is not too crazy to be particular when filling out these forms at the hospital.
There was another question I discussed with the physiotherapist and she managed to persuade me to answer a certain way even though I disagreed.
The result was that it now says in my file that I have a severe degree of symptoms that I actually didn't have at all! :?

I am very much looking forward to moving to Denmark again and get a clean file

LignumVitae

I love your style! I always struggle with the question 'on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst pain imaginable, how would you describe your pain?'
There are two problems for me here-imagination is subjective and mine is fantasy based so compared to somebody more practical, my answer may always be lower, thus under estimating my pain. As I say, my imagination is overactive so for me, 10 would be something so bad hollywood don't have the special effects to visualise it yet...therefore, I always fall to bits and fail to answer that question, partly because there is a Hollywood scene beginning to play out in my head as I read it and partly because I then think of my pain and think that on my imagination's scale, I can't be more than a five but really the rest of the population would Probaby put my pain in the 8-10 category...I'm so glad I haven't had the pencil question yet and I'm glad you're out there Petitesse, I'll think of you next time I get one of those questionnaires. LV xx

Petitesse

Aww LW, I find your post very endearing (((hugs)))

I can just imagine you sitting with your question form with a hollywood imagination going wild
I fully understand the frustration, as you don't want to have your pain under estimated!

I have been thinking about things like gallbladder/kidney stones or natural childbirth.
But as I haven't experienced either, it doesn't make sense to try to compare with those. I just imagine they must be worse. And maybe people who have experienced these things can also imagine something worse? Like having you foot sawed off? :shock: ( I just watched 'Saw')

When I am at my worst I put the number 8. Just to leave room for improvement - well actually the opposite off course!

Regarding comparison: At a previous appointment my physio therapist poked me really hard in different places and asked if it hurt. It DID hurt, but I told her that I still don't think it hurt enough to show there is inflammation there. That I would think this kind of treatment would always hurt at least a little!
She then asked how it usually feels? Huh? How on earth would I know? I don't usually have people poking me!!?

I spend so much time there arguing, so by now I am sure they think my name, Pia, stands for Pain In A**