Skiing with busted rib?

[SIIHP]

Have been missing all the great early season snow because I have had a pretty nasty case of walking pneumonia for the last 3 and a half weeks, along with a sinus infection. To top it off, from all the coughing I have either a cracked/seperated rib, or the infection is inflamed between the lung and chest wall (or some shit like that). More than likely cracked a rib as moving certain ways, stretching, breathing hard... pretty much everything... sends sharp pains and nothing makes it quit.

Gettin ansy to get back on the skis as soon as the cough goes away. However never had an injury like a cracked rib. Doesn't seem like it would be that big of a deal. Anyone skied with one? Any risks of more damage or would it just be having to deal with pain?

[TurxSki]

You're gonna have to give up that bong, you know.

Can't you get it "strapped up", take some Ibu, and go skiing ?
I've not had as serious shit as you to deal with, but like most everybody, I've crashed into barriers/trees, felt lot's of pain, but carried on with the day, took a lesson, whatever.
Ice it on the way home. Don't drive. Good Luck.

[SIIHP]

You're gonna have to give up that bong, you know.

Can't you get it "strapped up", take some Ibu, and go skiing ?
I've not had as serious shit as you to deal with, but like most everybody, I've crashed into barriers/trees, felt lot's of pain, but carried on with the day, took a lesson, whatever.
Ice it on the way home. Don't drive. Good Luck.

Pretty much figured just take Ibu and go. Have a pretty high pain tolerance, but its a brand new injury (maybe 3 days old and I still have the cough so its not like its getting better) and right now its like gettin stabbed every time I cough, breath deeply or such (guess the good part is I am on percocet. lol.) I can deal with some pain easy enough, just don't want to really mess it up and have to leave the ski hanging longer than if I had let it heal for a few weeks beforehand ya know? lol

[Vinman]

More likely the injury would be a muscle strain between the ribs or inflammation of the pleural lining(sac that surrounds the lungs).

A broken rib is possible so if it is a broken rib it would hurt pretty much all the time no matter what you do. Uncomfortable to lay down, breath normally, hurt to push on.

[peterslovo]

More likely the injury would be a muscle strain between the ribs or inflammation of the pleural lining(sac that surrounds the lungs)

Years ago I went to my GP complaining of similar symptoms - hurt with every movement. He examined me and concluded "Oh you have pleuracy" and put me on antibiotics. Didn't do shit. Talked to my wife's dad (internal doc) a couple days later, and he said "Pleuracy? I doubt it." He had me feel up/down each rib and when I pressed on one spot - yowza! Cracked rib.

I went back in to my GP to insist on an x-ray and tell him he was an idiot. Ofcourse, X-ray showed a cracked rib.

[SIIHP]

Pete, you are scaring me. lol. Its usually fine to just breath normally. Hurts a bit to put pressure on it, lay on my side and to sit up, but its not constant. So I dunno what it is. I just had a coughing fit and it popped. Felt and sounded like when one crackes their knuckles. Doesn't hurt any worse than before really though. Ah well. Long as I can go ski soon as I am over the pneumonia...

I gotta start taking better care of myself so this don't happen again.

[aspenskibum]

Hey man, i know theres good early season conditions, but the seasons just gettign started. Why not let yourself heal instead of doing some retarded shit and ruining the rest of your season? I'd thinking being able to rip it later would be a lot more fun then gimping around now.

[Endlessseason]

I remember skiing with a broken rib hurts quite a bit. Especially if you have to do a lot of poling, like at Alta. It hurts like a mutha but that shouldn't stop you. Pain is good. It makes you reeallly appreciate times when you have less or no pain.

[Vitamin I]

Don't stay on the sidelines, just take it slow for a long time and make sure you don't re-injure it.

After my similar injury last March, I tried to continue to ski somewhat hard, play soccer, and take little risks. I got burned when a hard soccer shot hit me right on the injured rib. That hurt bad and set my healing back a lot, so it was a big mistake.

So, coming back from that re-injury, I was careful. I skied at girlfriend pace for a long time and left the big boards at home, which is not very exciting, but at least it is skiing. After some time my ribs began to feel less fragile, I started skiing a little harder, took a few easy falls, which did not seem to re-injure me, so I stepped it up a little bit at the end of the long season.

I was not 100% healed even after 3-4 months. Be patient. But don't get fat like I did.