Ribs
The fall that resulted in my broken hand last Monday produced no other serious injuries. However, my upper left arm was between the ground and my upper left ribs at impact. X-rays revealed no fractures. The ribs were only bruised.
Big deal, you say. Right?
Well, on a pain scale of 0 to 10 with 10 being the worst pain ever experienced, bruised ribs come in at 13. They are breath-taking.
The broken hand, by comparison, was a lowly 2 on the pain scale.
Now, the rib pain is sharp and local. And, it is either there 100% or not at all. Off or on, with no middle ground. It is, in fact, caused by muscle cramps.
What typically turns the pain on is a change in position. Sitting down on a couch or bed and turning to lay down is sufficient to release about half the Devils from Hell. Getting into or out of an automobile will generally release all of 'em, plus a few more that haven't even been born yet. And, naturally, a burp or sneeze is also sufficient to set off the fireworks.
The best method for causing the pain to stop is to not let it start, meaning avoiding movement of any kind, including breathing. Once the pain has started, the best thing is to avoid further movement (including squirming) and to enter a state of tranquility. I was able to accomplish the latter by using the same techniques we learned for Lamaze over thirty years ago. With sufficient incentive, they work!
In conclusion, I should address the issue of the pain intensity itself. When I first visited Wake Orthopedics, I explained that I was there for a broken hand and bruised ribs. They informed that they didn't do ribs and hadn't done so in 15 years. I naturally made some smart-assed remark about ribs no longer being a part of the skeletal system. The staff was not nearly as amused as I.
Apparently doctors can do nothing to heal bruised ribs other than to advise bed rest and prescribe pain medication. And, that's exactly what Dr. Tuttle did. In fact, he doubled the dosage. And, on the night following surgery, I halved the time between doses, thus effectively bringing the dosage to four times the "introductory" rate. I must admit that the boundaries between sleep and wakefulness were blurred that night but I survived without bruising my ribs further.
I have never handled pain very well, folks
Big deal, you say. Right?
Well, on a pain scale of 0 to 10 with 10 being the worst pain ever experienced, bruised ribs come in at 13. They are breath-taking.
The broken hand, by comparison, was a lowly 2 on the pain scale.
Now, the rib pain is sharp and local. And, it is either there 100% or not at all. Off or on, with no middle ground. It is, in fact, caused by muscle cramps.
What typically turns the pain on is a change in position. Sitting down on a couch or bed and turning to lay down is sufficient to release about half the Devils from Hell. Getting into or out of an automobile will generally release all of 'em, plus a few more that haven't even been born yet. And, naturally, a burp or sneeze is also sufficient to set off the fireworks.
The best method for causing the pain to stop is to not let it start, meaning avoiding movement of any kind, including breathing. Once the pain has started, the best thing is to avoid further movement (including squirming) and to enter a state of tranquility. I was able to accomplish the latter by using the same techniques we learned for Lamaze over thirty years ago. With sufficient incentive, they work!
In conclusion, I should address the issue of the pain intensity itself. When I first visited Wake Orthopedics, I explained that I was there for a broken hand and bruised ribs. They informed that they didn't do ribs and hadn't done so in 15 years. I naturally made some smart-assed remark about ribs no longer being a part of the skeletal system. The staff was not nearly as amused as I.
Apparently doctors can do nothing to heal bruised ribs other than to advise bed rest and prescribe pain medication. And, that's exactly what Dr. Tuttle did. In fact, he doubled the dosage. And, on the night following surgery, I halved the time between doses, thus effectively bringing the dosage to four times the "introductory" rate. I must admit that the boundaries between sleep and wakefulness were blurred that night but I survived without bruising my ribs further.
I have never handled pain very well, folks
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