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I guess it depends on what kind of pain is being referred to. I can't imagine myself being both conscious and in a vegetative state without experiencing a lot of psychological distress.

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You're imagining who you are now being in that state, not who you would be after enough brain damage to leave you in a vegetative state. Imagine that you're not (for example) laying down long-term memories, or that your ability to sense the passage of time is compromised.

The article says he was able to lay down long-term memories - he knew that his sister had a daughter, who was born after his accident.

That was another patient, not the main focus of the article:

> Another Canadian patient, Steven Graham, was able to demonstrate that he had laid down new memories since his brain injury.

It's been 12 years, though. I think that in all of that time, you would have found some sort of acceptance of your situation.

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