Women who have experienced both childbirth & a kidney stone tell me that the kidney stone is about as close as men will come to labor pains... but the pains are *different*. I had one bad kidney stone, and nothing ever hurt so bad.... though I'm sure that other types of pain are just as bad in their own way.

I am reasonably tolerant of pain, but not to the extent that gnu describes. I WILL use meds when necessary.

One of the Watergate burglars, G. Gordon Liddy once demonstrated his attitude by holding his palm over a burning candle. When asked if it didn't hurt, he replied, "Yes..it hurts. The trick is in not minding."