The story of a woman who never feels pain

When Joe Cameron was busy with the oven, she did not realize that her skin had been burned by fire before she felt burning flesh. Mrs. Cameron did not feel any of that.

Joe did not know that she was one of only two people in the world to have had a rare genetic mutation.

This means that they feel no pain, worry or fear.

This genetic mutation was only learned after age 65, when it had undergone a serious operation without analgesic or anesthetic after the doctors had barely recognized that it did not need these painkillers because it was not did not feel the pain.

While she was undergoing an "operation" by hand, the doctors had warned her that they were expecting what she was suffering after the operation.

The surprise was not feeling pain after the surgery. At that time, his anesthetist, Digit Srivastava, sent him to experts in the genetics of pain at London University College and at Oxford University.

After tests, geneticists discovered that they had genetic mutations that prevented the normal pain felt by ordinary humans.

"Superhero health"

Jo, who lives in Whitberg, near the northern city of Inverness, told the BBC that doctors did not believe her when she told them she did not need painkillers after the surgery and they thought she was joking.

"When the doctor found that I had not hurt, I started my medical history and found out that I had not asked for any painkiller."

On this basis, Joe was converted to a geneticist in England.

After diagnosing her condition, Jo discovered that she did not have the "miraculous health" she had imagined.

"Looking back, I realize that I have not protested against painkillers, but if you do not need it, you will not often wonder why you do not need it." , she said.

"You were as good as me until someone came to see you and asked you things you did not ask for, I was a happy person and I did not think not that I was wearing something different between my neighbors. "

"It was strange not to feel pain at all, I really enjoyed this moment," she said while remembering the pain of the job.

Joe can not change anything, but she thinks the pain is important and says, "The pain exists for whatever reason, it warns you – and you obey it."

"It would be nice to receive warnings about any problem – I did not feel any pain in the bones and knees unless the problem actually occurred." I could not walk with arthritis if I was like ordinary humans, "she said.

Doctors see their chances of healing more than ordinary people because this unique combination of genes makes them more forgetful and less anxious.

"It's what's called happiness or forgetfulness," says Joe, "I've embarrassed people with my happiness and my forgetfulness for the rest of my life – I'm I have an excuse now. "

Help others

Jo says she's recently been involved in a small car accident, but she has not moved, even though it worries a lot.

"Such warnings are important and part of the human structure, but I can not change my condition," she said.

"I did not take a reaction, it's not courage, but fear, I do not know," says Joe, the driver on the other side was "shaken" and shaken, but he remained calm.

The researchers say that it's possible that many people have the same mood.

"After every operation, one in two patients suffers from moderate to severe pain, despite all the medical breakthroughs in the field of painkillers," said Dr. Srivastava. "We see if there are new drugs that can be revealed based on our results."

"The results of the research led to the discovery of an innovative house that can accommodate postoperative alums and accelerate wound healing," he said, adding, "We hope this discovery will help the 330 million of patients who enter the operating rooms every year. "

A research paper examined Joe's case and was published in the British Journal of Anesthesiology by Dr. Serafastava and Dr. James Cox of University College London.

"People who suffer from rare pain are fertile ground for medical research where we discover the effects of genetic mutations on their pain," says Dr. Cox. "We encourage all those who do not feel the pain to come and see us".

"We hope that the results of our study will, over time, enrich clinical research on postoperative pain and anxiety, particularly chronic pain, postoperative disorders and wound healing," Cox said. .