To deal with the pain, I would tell another 17 year old, you're not the only person who has gone through it. Try not to feel sorry for yourself. Just think about all the other people who are in worse situations that you are. You are allowed a certain amount of feeling sorry for yourself. But realize the people who are taking care of you and your family are probably going through some sort of emotional pain, too, watching you be in physical pain. That is not to say you can't tell people when you are in pain. Obviously you have to do that in order to recuperate but don't make it worse than it is by feeling sorry for yourself.