Broken ribs

[Dan J]

Went down on my bike and broke 7 ribs and my L/scapula
Anyone dealt with this? Got plenty of drugs but still pretty uncomfortable

[Buckterrier]

Geez Dan!! Never had broken ribs but sending well wishes!!

[pete3799]

Wow.....sounds like that would be a bit more than uncomfortable.
Never broken any ribs.......i did break a spatula once though.......oh wait.... scapula?
Hope you are feeling better soon.

[pavulon]

wow! Rib fractures are amongst the most uncomfortable injuries...each breath can bring pain. Ribs have nerves that run along each one and the fractures irritate the nerves. Coughing and sneezing can bring tears. Failure to breathe deeply will bring pneumonia. People can suffer a lung puncture (pneumothorax) or worse with a big chest injury...that can require a tube to be placed between your ribs and then to suction while the puncture heals--->also painful to get/have one of those. Will your scapula require surgery?

Glad you're ok but it won't be any fun for awhile. Make yourself take deep breaths.

[speeder]

So sorry to hear this. Seven ribs?

I've broken one and it took a little while to heal. This is a time to really go easy on yourself and let that body heal. Best wishes sent.

[MFAFF]

Sorry to hear about that. No fun.
Keep up with the over the counter pain killers.... After about 2 weeks I was getting worse ( lack of sleep mainly) ... Luckily a quick trip to my local ER and effectively an epidural to each rib gave me sufficient deep pain relief to get better. A direct injection to each nerve is a pain in itself but works wonders. ( only five ribs mind, acquired by a medal winning run on the extreme indoor urban body surf course, also known as falling down the stairs in the tube! ). Good luck.

[Skytrooper]

Ouch...7 ribs is a biggie. It takes a long time for ribs to heal and the discomfort remains for most of the time. I broke several back in October and it took about 6 weeks before the discomfort eased. Try not to laugh, sneeze, cough, or move in general...especially at night. Good luck with your recovery.

[Roosterrusek]

Broke 3 about 20 years ago and STILL get pain pangs in my side. Go slow, don't laugh, eat lots of fiber so you ain't gotta strain to move things out, and for god's sake try not to sneeze.

Good luck...

[Mark Henry]

Not much you can do, but do try to keep moving. You could tape it up but the benefit is questionable, most doctors will say it has none and it still hurts like a *****.

I broke 3 ribs when I dropped my bike. Hurt like SOB for a couple of months, I still feel it to this day. That was 30 years ago.

That event, plus being smart enough to know I was stupid, neighbour lost a leg, friend that broke a leg bad, another had major trauma (never right again) and myself being hit by a drunk driver is why I gave up street bikes.

[doug_porsche]

7 ribs!

My suggestion is DO NOT WATCH Robin Williams in concert.

Get well soon

[Jess]

One year ago, yesterday, I broke six ribs and my left scapula, too.

I feel for you right now and the extreme pain you're in. It took me most of last summer to get off the couch and I've only been able to do real physical activity in the last couple of months. My ribs rarely bother me now but I'm aware of my shoulder injury pretty constantly.

I didn't do my physical therapy as well or as often as the docs said and that may have added to my slow healing.

Really, all you can do for the next few weeks is rest.

Jesse

[repp]

Do not visit the joke thread!!!!!
I have broken two of the same ribs twice, feel for ya

[Jim Bremner]

I broke 4 ribs 10 years ago. I didn't tell my wife that I broke them but gruised them.

3-4 months into the healing process she rolled over in her sleep and used all 4 of the broken ribs as a place to pull her 125 pound body closer to mine in bed. They snapped!


I would ICE the poo out of the area to drwa more blood flow. Your body has a ton of blood flow in it's trunk but I would up it. I would also eat plenty of calcium rich foods and walk tons

[LeeH]

I had a displaced fracture of #1 (bottom) rib on my right side from getting kicked very hard while playing goalie in a soccer game. Displaced = the two pieces of the broken bone weren't lined up end to end, but actually overlapped each other. Doc said it would eventually all grow together in a lump.

It bothered me for a little over two years. It doesn't hurt any more, but when I punch (ie practice martial arts) there's a wheezy, involuntary exhale sound from my chest. I went to the top pulmonary doc in Phoenix who said she'd never seen/heard anything like it.

[Tobra]

the next few months will suck

try not to get pneumonia

[widgeon13]

Dan, sorry to hear this. Take it very easy, going to be uncomfortable for a while and not much you can do about it.

[vash]

you just have to ride it out, right?

man, imagine a sneezing attack from allergies? good luck.

Dan, how did you go down on the bike..on one of the motorcycles? or a bicycle?

[Baz]

How's the bike doing? Any pics?

[gchappel]

You do need to still take deep breaths several times a day.
Carry a pillow with you- you will find out why the first time you cough.
Been there, done that.
The worst is over in 2-3 weeks
gary

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Tobra

the next few months will suck

try not to get pneumonia

7 ribs is a lot. And a scapular fracture is typically considered a high-energy injury.

+1 on avoiding the pneumonia. It's not a joke. A lot of people will take short, shallow breaths due to the pain. That can lead to atelectasis (alveolar collapse), which can then lead to pneumonia. Then you can wind up in the ICU for a week or two. You should have been given some sort of breathing toy (incentive spirometer) to help remind/force you to take deep breaths. If not, you can even use a child's pinwheel for practice.