Thread: Internet Doc help requested

On Sat. 20th I dropped a 30 footer to windblown crust/hard pack. Sometime during the ensuing ragdoll I took a ski pole to the ribs. I eventually landed on my feet and continued skiing. My ribs were sore, but not too bad so I figured that I had just bruised them. When I got home I checked them out and there was no visible bruising or swelling and did not hurt to the touch, so I didn’t worry about it too much. During the week my ribs never really felt much better, but only hurt when I coughed, sneezed, or lifted something. Sat I decided to try skiing. Every icy bump and rut hurt and caused me to ski defensively. I tried wrapping my ribs, which cut down on the pain from the bumps, but made most every breath hurt. I figure I will see a Doc sometime this week, but I would like to know what to expect. I have been told that there is not much that can be done for ribs, other that let them heal, but comments from anyone with knowledge and/or experience in such matters would be appreciated.

http://www.epicurious.com/db/recipes/photos/108088.jpg




(bummer - sounds painful. Hope you heal quickly)

The advise you have already gotten just about sums it up. Unfortunately there is not much that can be done with a bruised or broken rib. The good news for you is that you were able to continue to ski after the injury. To me that makes a little less likely that you fractured, sounds more like a bruised rib. Go get an x-ray to be sure. With a bit of rest this will be heal up with no problem. If it is fratucred most will be healed enough to allow activity in 3-4 weeks with ful healing around the 6 wk. mark.

Fellow rib pain guy. I hit a snowdrift on my sled at about 50kph in flat light and was thrown into the bars, my passenger then pushed me a little harder into the bars. That was 2 1/2 weeks ago and my ribs still hurt. Nothing can be done for broken/cracked ribs. I cracked one a few years ago when I crashed my luge sled. The doc basically said "tought shit, it'll heal." So, if you don't have medical coverage and have to pay to see the doc forget about it and spend the money on booze & drugs instead.

of course one side effect of a broken rib, is if it is really messed, it can puncture a lung. A real bummer for the breathing inclined.

My sister in law had this happen, 2 days after the initial injury she bent over to, well, she bent over and had a sharp pain, followed by a hard time breathing, turned blue in the fingernails, etc. She punctured a lung that then collapsed.

I'd check it out.

Frozenwater ---> So practical right now.

What Rev read....

Originally posted by frozenwater
My sister in law...bent over....sharp pain....hard time breathing....fingernails punctured...I checked it out.

Originally posted by The Reverend Floater
What Rev read....My sister in law...bent over....sharp pain....hard time breathing....fingernails punctured...I checked it out.

Rev--------> so in my head right now



& I fell on the last of the crappy hot slush days right on my pole, it has hurt just like you described all week.

I have had this happen before ( When beaching a houseboat DO NOT dance on the front deck while beaching, you will fly off the front & hit a rail on the way.)
went to the dock & he flt it & said it was not a sever fracture ( like frozen's sister) and I COULD have it xrayed but the treatment is the same, so he said save your money & wrote me a scrip for meds.

Yes, but what did she bend over for?

drC

Doc appointment scheduled for tomorrow. I am sure that it is a $15.00 co-pay to be told what I have already been told. X-ray cost will be covered, so I may as well find out the damage. Thanks for the comments.

Wow, rib injuries galore... Saturday I fell sliding a rail and smashed my chest on the rail. Pain almost exactly what you're describing, except one area near my armpit hurts to the touch. Toured a bit on Sunday and pain wasn't too bad, but I seemed to be moving slower than my normally slow pace. Let me know what the doctor says, it may save me a trip .

me --> tried my famous rodeo 450 off a 20 foot cornice (i know it wasn't the brightest idea, but it was a pow day) and caught my edge on landing, really hard. I managed to get a pole plant in right before that though... got thrown violently into my pole, felt a crunch, searing pain, and then kept skiing. That was in january, and my ribs still fucking hurt.

I know this doesn't address the pain but...

My friend has soemthing he calls a tech vest for slednecking he says he's slammed into the bars going 30 and it didn't hurt a bit no bruising or anything, does anybody use em? or even know what I'm talking about?

Got the results back from the x-ray, and it turns out that I am just a wimp. No signs of any trauma whatsoever. Worth the trip to the doc so I don’t have to be worried about causing more damage and hold myself back.

Originally posted by Szyslak
Got the results back from the x-ray, and it turns out that I am just a wimp. No signs of any trauma whatsoever.

But that means no good meds...

Actually the doc asked if I needed anything for the pain before the x-rays were even taken…