[pgrundy]

I was walking my very large dog a week ago today. We were walking in nature preserve, and I tripped over a root in the trail. I was on a downhill slope, the dog in front of me, so I fell downhill, hard, and landed right on my left side rib cage. My arm was up because it was holding the leash, so there was nothing to cushion my fall.

Well, it's been a week and it hurts worse than ever. I wake up over and over all night from it. I have to go to work today and I just want to stay home and keep ice on it and suck my thumb.

Has anyone ever had a rib injury? When does it get better. Looking around the internet I get the same info--they can't really do anything for it, so going to the doc makes no sense--it will just be a big bill so they can tell me I hurt my ribs, which I already know.

Anyone been through this? Any good advice?

Thanks in advance.

[lynn P.]

((prgrundy)) - I'm very sorry you' suffered this painful injury. I haven't experienced rib pain but my husband was in a car accident and fractured 2 ribs. He was in a lot of pain. Take some motrin or ibuprophen if you can tolerate it. Are you bruised? One thing that happened with my husband was - since it hurt so bad to breath, he started breathing too shallow and he ended up getting lung congestion, so he had to go on antibiotics to clear that up. Try to breath as you normally would even if its painful. Did you hit your head? I hope you feel better soon and you'll probably be in pain for a few weeks.

[pgrundy]

Thanks Lynn P.

I don't think I hit my head, but it does hurt to breathe. I read about that lung congestion danger so I've been trying to breathe deeply at least once an hour as you say

I don't have any bruises at all. I can't believe how bad it hurts when it looks for all the world the same as it ever did.

Well, I'm off to take some Motrin and head for work. Ugh! At least I only have a half day today.

Thank you so much for your response! If it doesn't feel better by next week maybe I'll visit the doc anyway. I need for her to refill my blood pressure meds anyway, so I could go for that and tell her about this.

[lynn P.]

Thanks for the reply pgrundy - make sure you have some food in your stomach and ask the pharmacist if its okay to take Motrin with your medications. I heard getting a rib injury is extremely painful because of the diaphragm muscles and every breath you take it hurts. If hard to believe life is so fragile where a fall can cause so much pain. Its funny the way kids fall down all the time but when adults fall we hurt ourselves.