Meditating on a room full of cotton balls?

A room full of cotton balls

Lately I've been in so much pain, and I find it so hard to meditate.  It's like I just can't reach a meditative state of mind because my mind can't get beyond the physical pain.  I used to imagine myself on a raft, near an island on the blue ocean on a sunny day.  I would concentrate on feeling the heat on my skin, the wind blowing over my body, and the raft rising up and dipping down with the ocean.  Now when I try to feel myself there, I feel the pain of the hard, rough, raft under me, the burning sensation of the heat of the sun, the nausea from the motion of the waves.  I need to find a new place to imagine myself in when I meditate!  This one just isn't working anymore.  It seems like every scene I only feel the pain it would cause, instead of the relaxation I'm seeking.  I tried a room full of bubble wrap, or a room full of cotton balls, but neither of them seemed "real" enough to work.  I'm at a loss.  I've never had this much trouble with meditation before.  Any ideas?