I had posted several weeks ago that I injured my chest moving furniture out of my 80 year old house's narrow front door.

Terrible pain, no improvement, was not sleeping much because pretty much any movement caused pain. Finally called PCP, she was out that day, told me to go to prompt care. I did, he basically said I was fine, I inflamed the tissue between sternum and ribs. His take home directions focused on mental health. It even said in the diagnostic description that it 'it often happens during times of emotional distress'. It didn't say...use ice, avoid lifting, rest....it said basically 'to get ahold of myself'.

I was not frantic, dramatic, etc, not even slightly.

It got no better, bad pain, swelling, etc. I started ultram which eventually caused manicky symptoms which is a seperate discussion. I went back to PCP, she said I strained a chest muscle. Come back in 7 days if still swollen/pain. I waited 11 days. Pain was improving but not swelling. I asked to come back in. Instead she ordered a MRI, which took 8 days to get in for.

They posted the results online this morning. I did not injure a muscle, I broke a rib. And it has fluid surrounding it which is just part of healing, thus the swelling. It's been almost 5 weeks now, so this was not just an itty bitty tiny hairline crack. It would not be swollen still if so.

So that jackass, pardon my language, sent me home with a broken rib and take home instructions of 'getting my emotions in order'.

LOL. You have to laugh at it.

Some, though not all, doctors see psych meds, and it's gotta be in your head.

It is so important to advocate for ourselves. In the end, would the treatment have been different? Probably not. Ribs have to heal on their own. But he shouldn't have put me on ultram bc it's somewhat of an SNRI. Which led to manic stuff and cycling, which I'm still trying to reign back in.

And he shouldn't have mentioned ANYTHING in the diagnosis, or take home instructions, about mental health. I broke a ****ing rib. WTF.

As I said, you have to laugh about it, the alternative is severe anger and it's not worth it.

We know our bodies, just like 'normal' people do. And if we go to the doctor and say there's a problem, there's a problem.

As to how I'm doing now, the pain has continued improving daily and is more of a nuance now than a problem. I can't sleep on that side, I need tylenol in the mornings and sometimes afternoons. Not a big deal. The swelling is about the same still, and I think that will just gradually improve as the bone tissue heals.