THIS good pain

During my too long and intermittantly illustrious but mostly mundane dance career, i, like so many others before and after me, managed to tear cartilage in my right knee, tear both calf muscles, and roughen up the kneecap in my left knee in preparation for a lifetime of decending stairs like a 90 year old man with shrapnel in his pelvis. THus, I am no stranger to pain in the joints.

However, I must say that taxol, combined with herceptin, combined with neulasta, has redefined the term "joint pain".

Now, if I am to listen to my body, I have joints in places where Grey's Anatomy says no joints should exist. If I am to listen to my body, I have more folds than extreme origami. If I am to listen to my body, I am some sort of segmented worm. I have phantom limbs where i haven't even lost real ones.

YES, there is pain.

Also during my dance career, I used to see a Chinese doctor who performed tui na on my stressed out knees. Tui na is weird. Mostly the tui na adept seems to be doing nothing but wimpily caressing your offending joint. However, occasionally, during the wimpy, sorta circular rubbing, they stab you with a thumbnail or fingernail (presumably in one of your "points") and it REALLY hurts.
Usually during treatments I was pretty quiet, already thinking of lunch. Once, however, I, venturing to comment, said "ow." At this, Dr. Ting (not his real name) chuckled.

"There are 2 kinds pain" he said. "Good pain. And bad pain. THIS, good pain."

Ok I get it, taxol. THIS, good pain. bring it on.