Hey Reddit, what’s the single most painful (physical) thing you’ve ever had to go through?

I went through a minor surgery for the thigh/hip area and was discharged form the hospital. However, I still had cotton stuffed in the hole that the surgeons had essentially 'drilled' into my thigh, so every few days or so, a district nurse would visit and remove/replace the cotton. Without anaesthesia (or pain killers). I clutched my mum's hands and cried into the sheets as the nurse probed into the hole with tweezers, unravelled and pulled out maybe 3cm of cotton wool. Now, I don't know if I imagined the amount of cotton embedded in my thigh, but the agony was real. Each visit was less painful than the last, and, eventually, she stopped coming. That first time though... I'll never forget...

/r/AskReddit Thread