About what you are describing although it was described as a "bruised" rib whatever that was. Never had one of them fancy x-rays on it to find out more but yeah I am gonna put money on that is what you got my man.

 

I have broken a rib... on two different occasions. If the rib is only cracked, the doctor won't do anything apart from informing you that the rib is cracked. If it is broken right through, it is much more serious, since the broken edge could potentially catch upon your internal organs.
It is going to be hard for you to sleep for a few weeks, but ibuprofen will help. Good luck! It should be healed in about six weeks.
My advice: try not to laugh, cough, or use your abs to sit up. Try to push yourself up with your arms as you roll out of bed.

 

I have broken a rib... on two different occasions. If the rib is only cracked, the doctor won't do anything apart from informing you that the rib is cracked. If it is broken right through, it is much more serious, since the broken edge could potentially catch upon your internal organs.
It is going to be hard for you to sleep for a few weeks, but ibuprofen will help. Good luck! It should be healed in about six weeks.
My advice: try not to laugh, cough, or use your abs to sit up. Try to push yourself up with your arms as you roll out of bed.

Ya this was exactly what's happened to me. I cracked 2 of them, and all I could do was let things heal up. But getting things checked is important for the exact reason you mentioned. In case it's worse than a bruise or crack.

 

Twenty years ago, I had a motorcycle accident which left me with 4 broken ribs just where they’re connect to the spine. Those were the lower, longest ones. Now, broken ribs can't be stabilized or put in a cast to prevent them from moving while they heal. Ideally, you'd be expected to stop moving or breathing so as not to interfere with the severe parts to connect back together. But that,d be somewhat inconvenient.

I was kept on morphine for about two months until the pain somewhat receded and during that time I was unable to get in or out of my bed, or even chairs without help. Changing position in the bed, or simply rearranging the pillow, was absolutely out of the question.

So, literally, I feel your pain. ;-)


Pierre
Guitares Torvisse

 

If you arent pissing blood or have a hematoma in the area you hurt yourself or arent freaked out by anything protruding under the skin and still shitting normal and not dizzy and nausous or vomiting (abdominal seizures) then you can take some pain kiillers. Bed rest for 3 days. 1870's medical advice. My horse kicked me in the chest.

 

Sorry to hear this. Hope you get better soon.

 

Yes, broke a couple of ribs in a cycling crash. It sucked. Hard.

 

Yup. I was hit by a car while cycling. Broken ribs, punctured lung, broken thumb and toe. The ribs were the most painful part because they are always moving. I'm all for pain killers if necessary. Why suffer when you can manage some of the pain. For the accident I was on Oxycodone and it didn't help much.

 

Can I have your pedals?

 

We are supposed to be trying not to make him laugh! Remember!!??
(I've been laughing at this post for the past 5 minutes at least)

@mhammer Take Good Care
Hope the pain subsides soon.
Smile for your Roentgenogram(s)

 

The crappy part with the healing is that it's boring as hell because anything you do hurts. One bit of advice if they give you strong pain killers, remember that they are masking the pain. It's easy to think you are feeling a bit and do something that strains it. And you don't even know you did it until they wear off.

 

Dont sneeze...i also had bypass chest split like you and several broken ribs and punctured lung on another occasion....slow and gentle is good...many weeks

 

I feel your pain. I've just stopped lifting those pavers. Here's my advice:

1. Piss bottle
2. Don't sneeze

 

You could've added "don't laugh".


Pierre
Guitares Torvisse

 

Yep, been there and it’s not fun. Mine were the result of a…disagreement…with another gentleman and several of his friends in a licensed drinking establishment. Taking it slow and easy is the only thing to do.

 

I'm good for slow and easy. I'll have to get someone else to pick up my summer tires and throw them in the trunk to bring for a changeover, because I'm sure not doing it!

 

See, you are already looking at the positive

 

Might be best to sleep alone for a spell. Get well soon.

 

when I was a teen I broke a rib dirt biking. I never actually got it checked out but to this day one of these ribs ain’t like the others. Slammed forward into the bars and back then protecive gear was a helmet and work boots. It sucked and out of all the drugs I took back then opiates weren’t even on my radar. Probably for the best.

I bruised ribs an organs in my 20s at an outdoor skate park in Calgary. Slammed into the wall of a concrete half pipe and my right arm/elbow tucked into my side probably as a defensive measure but it absolutely made it a worse slam than many I had taken up until then. I struggled to get out of the half pipe, someone had to lower their board and pull me up. hospital said nothing was broken but there was some bruising of ribs and organs. they Didn’t give me anything for the pain. We went to the badlands Dino park that night to camp (on our way back to ont from bc) and let me tell ya, bad idea. Getting up off a bed is easy compared to trying to roll your drunk ass out of your tent to pee bc you can’t physically get up. The joints were hard to smoke and god forbid you should try and cough. A sneeze would put me out of commission for at least 5 mins. Laughing was no laughing matter.

 

Yep broke one cracked another (not sure the difference) a couple years ago. Was taking my utility trailer off the hitch. I was on ice, and knew it, but I figured if I kept my shoulders in line with my hips, in line with my feet I should be OK. My wife said at one point I was completely horizontal. I half caught myself against the frame of the trailer, thank God, cause that was bad enough. I remember almost blacking out with the pain and could not draw a breath. I could exhale, but nothing coming in. My wife (nurse) is trying to assess my injuries but I couldn’t speak. She’s asking this asking that… I managed a “please shut up”.
I lay in the snow at least 10min.

You are in for a rough ride. Everything is tied to your ribs. Eating, drinking, laying down, getting up, wiping your ass! EVERYTHING!

I found relief sitting as upright as I could, one couch cushion between me and the arm of the sofa, and another against my chest. Kinda hugging it. It kept me rigid. Thankfully when I sleep I find one spot and die. I am not a tosser turner. If you are, my condolences.

6 weeks is about right.

 

I managed a “please shut up”.

Funniest thing I have heard all day and it is so true.

 

I didn't read all the responses, but it may be a cracked rib(s), which is very painful (as you describe). I had a few of those from martial arts. My father suffered a few broken ribs; a wide elastic bandage (to hold everything in place) is all they did for him.

 

They don’t do that anymore. The compression (they say) can make the ribs heal angled instead of in place. There’s enough muscle and tissue to get them to set in place as is. Except extreme case I suppose. No idea what they’d do.

 

Cracked one once, half a lifetime ago when I was young and healed fast. Was told I just had to wait it out. I was doubtless prescribed a painkiller, T3's were common then, and I was huge into self-medicating with booze.

 

I've never broken a rib, but my wife has Osteoperosis and has broken ribs more than once simply by coughing. It's a tough break because naturally it hurts like hell sneezing, coughing or even breathing.

 

Rough night last night. Off to get x-rayed now
Yeah, ribs and diaphragm seem to be connected to everything. When I had bypass, and they cut your sternum to spread you open like a Swiss Chalet chicken, the sage and validated post-op advice is to have a cushion handy to hug with both arms if you have to do anything that might distend your rib cage. That works well, since the "break" (and suture stapling) is smack along the midline. Less applicable if the issue is well off to one side and anything that might be broken is not directly connected.

 

Huh… whatdayaknow… the cushions thing is actually prescribed!
I guess it’s true that even a blind squirrel finds his nuts once in a while.

 

try to use a fully reclining rocker to rest and even sleep in .
the kind that goes from almost flat to upright by itself (electric or lever).
saves rolling out of bed on one side or the other .

sorry to hear about the incident ,
you're in for 4 weeks of misery ,
then another 2 - 4 weeks or lessening pain.

try to "play guitar" as much as possible to keep your mind off it .

 

I broke a rib, waited in ER for hours to be told to take an aspirin and there was nothing they could do.

Can't really put a case on your rib cage.

 

Yep needed to wash my hair while in Victoria was so hot hair got real sweaty, so no time for a quick bath so leaned over the tub and started to wet my hair and rolled to my left side while leaning on the tub and shite snapped my third rib up from the bottom. And holyshite was the worst pain ever at the time. Every breath was so painful and we had a dinner engagement we had to go to, so off we went and every bite was excruciating to say the least.
But my friend that wasn't the end of the story to this date ( was over 20 years ago ) if I bang that area its like I re-broke the dang thing again and then several weeks of shite loads of pain.
Hope yours isn't like mine is and that you just bruised the thing so you have a full recovery but you have my sympathy and hope the pain goes away real soon.
My Dr. recommends one of those body pillows ( long and firm ) and suggested that I use a long rope to help pull myself over to the side of the bed when it flairs up.
But thank god that they don't bandage anymore as that caused more problems then it fixed, good luck buddy.
hope everything else is ok and next time remember we are no longer young and that kind of work is better left to young STRONG people who can actually hold and lift that kind of weight, silly boy ( boy this took a long time to Type )

 

I got two broken ribs from a fall at work. After going back to work on light duty and still healing I was having problems sleeping. So I bought some Valerian Root. Take one or two 1 hour before bedtime. An hour later i was worshipping the porcelain goddess and while barfing up that Valerian root along with the dry heaves, I broke two more ribs.

 

I got two broken ribs from a fall at work. After going back to work on light duty and still healing I was having problems sleeping. So I bought some Valerian Root. Take one or two 1 hour before bedtime. An hour later i was worshipping the porcelain goddess and while barfing up that Valerian root along with the dry heaves, I broke two more ribs.

I shouldn't be laughing, but I am, and very heavily. Sorry about that. ;-)


Pierre
Guitares Torvisse

 

Yes, cracked two ribs plus other injuries after being hit by a car. Breathing pain lasted for quite a while.