I've never actually lost a piece of myself, but I've had two deep finger lacerations, both accidentally self-inflicted. The one from the Swiss army knife on my thumb, almost ten years ago, has largely faded; the one from the electric hedge trimmer, about three years ago, is still pretty distinct.
In both cases, the pain didn't hit right away. I felt a little stunned, even seeing stars; I grabbed a rag, squeezed the hell out of the wound site, and held it over my head until I could get to the first aid kit to give it a proper dressing.
A sliced finger isn't a severed arm. But I can extrapolate a bit. I can see how someone who managed to handle that crisis, who knew enough to stanch the bleeding and stay conscious, could maintain a no-nonsense demeanor when telling the tale. Especially if the "yes, ma'am" level of courtesy is taught from earliest childhood and is as natural as breathing.
agreed. i might add that i sat in the er with no pain killers, told the nurses that my pain level was 1 (instead of 10), for 4 1/2 hours before a doctor came back and saw that part of my finger was hanging off and that there was a pool of blood on the floor. instead of claiming that the pain i was feeling (and it was minimal due, i think, to severed nerves) was greatly exaggerated, i just waited my turn.