Bruised ribcage today, this ought to be interesting tonight

Well. Laid my scooter down today, and even doing so gently in sand caused a pretty bruised ribcage that hurts when I so much as take a breath. The X-Rays showed no fractures or breaks, but oh, do I hurt. Can't move, can't breathe, can't sit, can't stand.....Will be on pain meds tonight, so will definitley have to use the machine, but am not looking forward to it or tomorrow....<pained embarrassed grin>

I made sure to ask the ER doc if the CPAP would be a problem, he said no, definitley continue.....but oooooooo, it's gonnnaaaaa hurrrrttttttt!

You know, until I started on CPAP I woke up EVERY morning with bruised ribs and back.

Since I started CPAP, that problem has gone away completely.

Is interesting the word that you are sure you want to use? I just went through open heart surgery and the EMT's tore the ribs on my left side loose doing manual CPR during the heart attack. The words I used were a lot shorter and a lot more forceful. I'm sure yours will heal a lot sooner than mine. It took 2 months before I could lay on my side and not hurt. You may find a position that doesn't hurt "so bad" but any whiggle may effect this. Good Luck!!!

Jerry

6PtStar wrote:Is interesting the word that you are sure you want to use? I just went through open heart surgery and the EMT's tore the ribs on my left side loose doing manual CPR during the heart attack. The words I used were a lot shorter and a lot more forceful. I'm sure yours will heal a lot sooner than mine. It took 2 months before I could lay on my side and not hurt. You may find a position that doesn't hurt "so bad" but any whiggle may effect this. Good Luck!!!

Jerry

Well, let me apologize on behalf of the EMT's but there wan't much choice. There just isn't any way to not tear that cartilage holding the ribs to the sternum when doing compressions. Been there, done that. Good though that you are around to use those forceful words...<grin>....Hubby had his heart attack 3 years ago, he follows the rules and does very well today, even with a 37% ejection fraction.

Ok, I was using a few more forceful words earlier, but can't use them around hubby. His poor southern gentleman's ears would fall off if he heard his wife using such language...<grin> Having grown up in Michigan, we had some culture adjustments that had to be made when we first got together.

OUCH!

I just ripped the muscles next to my spine right next to my right lung (two different times in one week) and I was scared to death to use my machine but I did and it actually helped along with muscle relaxers and naproxen. It felt like I was having a heart attack or something, I couldn't hardly breathe, I had to bend over for awhile just to get a breath

The main problems I had during sleep was moving around, turning over, and getting out of bed was horrible, I am still hurting like heck but it is getting better! I couldn't raise my arms or move anything without it feeling like it was ripping all over again, I thought I was going to have to call 911 and I was at home alone, my hubby was at work, i've never experienced that kind of pain in my life and a few weeks before that, my back went out (worse than ever before) and that lasted for 2 months and 2 weeks- man, it was awful to say the least...

I feel for you and hope you recover very soon, keep us posted.

SleepyNoMore

Hope you feel better!
Try to avoid sneezing or coughing.

I wish you a speedy recovery, Deb. Try to find some relaxing music that you love - you'll have to avoid laughter for a few days I think, despite its being a good muscle relaxant in other conditions.

O.

Deb,
You get a LOT of empathy from me. I cracked/broke a rib last Jan. and am just now able to lay on my side without waking up. Patience, patience, patience.

Ed

6PtStar wrote:Is interesting the word that you are sure you want to use? I just went through open heart surgery and the EMT's tore the ribs on my left side loose doing manual CPR during the heart attack. The words I used were a lot shorter and a lot more forceful. I'm sure yours will heal a lot sooner than mine. It took 2 months before I could lay on my side and not hurt. You may find a position that doesn't hurt "so bad" but any whiggle may effect this. Good Luck!!!

Jerry

Jerry,
You're not REALLY complaining about the EMTs, are you?

As an EMT/AEMT in my local volunteer FD Rescue Squad I have separated ribs on hundreds of patients from newborns up to people in their nineties. As you are doing compressions, you can feel them pop. I believe people are intrinsically good so I'm sure that you sent the EMTs thank you notes as the alternative would have been death.

Ed

FoxNewsFan wrote:Deb,
You get a LOT of empathy from me. I cracked/broke a rib last Jan. and am just now able to lay on my side without waking up. Patience, patience, patience.

Thanks to all. Ohhh, it was a long night last night and an even longer day today. I went to work because I do not get sick time, have a desk job, and am already losing 2 and 1/2 days of pay this pay period due to the holidays. I had to take the max on the pain meds tonight, and will be loopier than normal soon. I will not be going in tomorow. <sigh>

FoxNewsFan wrote: As an EMT/AEMT in my local volunteer FD Rescue Squad I have separated ribs on hundreds of patients from newborns up to people in their nineties. As you are doing compressions, you can feel them pop. I believe people are intrinsically good so I'm sure that you sent the EMTs thank you notes as the alternative would have been death.

Ed

Oh, the first time I did compressions for real (back in the days when ALS was slap a bandaid on, hold pressure and drive like the wind to the hospital with the lights and siren blaring) and I heard the "zipper" go off, I came up in the "CLEAR" position with hands high above head as if ready to resume with a look of absolute "OMG I just gave him a flail chest" terror on my face and my gut below my toes. I had only been working rescue for a few months. The driver saw me in the mirror, screamed at me "IT'S NORMAL! KEEP GOING!", I started back up and for the next 20 minutes the adrenaline kept me going.

When teaching CPR after that, I warned my students in advance......

Debjax wrote:Oh, the first time I did compressions for real (back in the days when ALS was slap a bandaid on, hold pressure and drive like the wind to the hospital with the lights and siren blaring) and I heard the "zipper" go off, I came up in the "CLEAR" position with hands high above head as if ready to resume with a look of absolute "OMG I just gave him a flail chest" terror on my face and my gut below my toes. I had only been working rescue for a few months. The driver saw me in the mirror, screamed at me "IT'S NORMAL! KEEP GOING!", I started back up and for the next 20 minutes the adrenaline kept me going.

When teaching CPR after that, I warned my students in advance......

I taught CPR some years ago so I knew of the posibility but had never been there when it happened. I would not restart with the paddles but lived only 6 blocks from the hospital. My wife and I both called the EMT's and told them I survived and thanked them for tearing that cartilage (doing what was necessary). They also had trouble getting me out the front door and my wife gave them permission to kick the fence around the front porch down. They were reluctent to come to the phone when we first called but were very friendly when we explained why we called. They get way to much flack for what they do. Most people who call it is to complain.

Jerry