broken ribs

**huckbucket** · 02-09-2007, 01:41 PM

Any way to tell if I broke a rib without an x-ray?
Double eject on some crust at Louise a few days ago. Can't roll over in bed without seeing stars. No trouble with shallow breaths, deep breaths hurt.

**PowTron** · 02-09-2007, 01:45 PM

at least cracked.....

GO TO THE HOSPITAL.....at least make sure it is not broken, puncture a lung if it is perhaps... (kind of Yoda sounding)?

other than that, can't do much but drink Wild turkey and wrap them up...

**yodaottis** · 02-09-2007, 01:47 PM

My opinion: All a doctor would tell you is "yes you have broken ribs, take it easy for a while." Can't hurt if you have insurance but otherwise, it may just be a waste of $.

Avoid opiate based painkillers while they're broken, you're already breathing shallow enough probably.
Give it 1.5-3 weeks and you should be able to ease back into it.
Not a doctor, but my two cents anyway.

**powderchick** · 02-09-2007, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by PowTron

at least cracked.....

GO TO THE HOSPITAL.....at least make sure it is not broken, puncture a lung if it is perhaps... (kind of Yoda sounding)?

other than that, can't do much but drink Wild turkey and wrap them up...

yeah man i did the samething, well sorta broke two ribs and punctured my lung. i waited to go to the hospital then finally went. so go as soon as you can

**skimoore** · 02-09-2007, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by huckbucket

Any way to tell if I broke a rib without an x-ray?
Double eject on some crust at Louise a few days ago. Can't roll over in bed without seeing stars. No trouble with shallow breaths, deep breaths hurt.

Have a friend punch you in the chest. If it really really hurts, either you have a broken rib or that person isn't really your friend.

**PowTron** · 02-09-2007, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by powderchick

yeah man i did the samething, well sorta broke two ribs and punctured my lung. i waited to go to the hospital then finally went. so go as soon as you can

for the record, I think you are rather hot even if you had broken ribs....but I digress....lol

listen to us, and go to the hospital.....good luck

**irul&ublo** · 02-09-2007, 02:16 PM

Rub some dirt on it. Rolling over in bed and taking deep breaths are both highly overrated.

Go to the hospital.

**schwerty** · 02-09-2007, 02:30 PM

Don't wrap yourself!

Go to a Doctor & get an x-ray. It's worth knowing if you puntured a lung OR something else. Drink lots of alcohol...you won't feel the pain when you roll over. Watch lots of ski porn and take it easy.

**habituallybored** · 02-09-2007, 02:38 PM

I fall in the catagory of people recommending don't go to the doctor....unless you have great insurance.

I've also cracked ribs and all the doc does is verify they are cracked. I know what you mean about rolling over in bed...that is when mine hurt the most.

**huckbucket** · 02-09-2007, 03:00 PM

Thanks all. Unless things get worse, I may just try to ride it out. Afterall, what are they gonna do, put me in traction?

Throwing off my waxin' game though ... if you know what I mean.

**telepariah** · 02-09-2007, 03:12 PM

How long ago did you do this?

Last year I broke a rib and skied four more runs with long hikes. When I finally skied back onto the piste, I realized how much pain I was in and drove myself to the hospital. Knowing my history, they kept me in doing ultrasound on my liver for 3 1/2 hours to be sure I wasn' bleeding.

20 years ago I had a broken rib lacerate my heart.

See a doctor for peace of mind.

Breathe deep and DO NOT wrap unless you fancy pneumonia.

**Superstar Punani** · 02-09-2007, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by huckbucket

Thanks all. Unless things get worse, I may just try to ride it out. Afterall, what are they gonna do, put me in traction?

Throwing off my waxin' game though ... if you know what I mean.

You should be fine. I cracked my rib early season two years ago. It hurt like fuck. I went to the Doc to get it checked out.

When I asked Dr Extreme how long I can start skiing again he said "You can ski as long as you can take the pain, so here's your 800mg vics"

I was out ripping the shit out of shit two days later, rib wrapped up and chewing Vics like M&Ms.

**Fritz** · 02-09-2007, 03:28 PM

Probably just cracked. Did the same thing earlier this year after flying off the back of a sled into some rocks. Throw down the co-pay, get your percs and flexeril, and you'll be back out tomorrow. Or I'll throw down the co-pay and buy the percs from you, either way.

**Crass3000** · 02-09-2007, 03:33 PM

At least go to the doctor and have it looked at. I had a friend that went to the doctor at the U of MN that was just trying to get him out the door. They told him he was fine. Turned out a few months later they finally realized that he had a collapsed lung. According to what he said his lung will never be the same because it wasn't treated for such a long time.

**skiing-in-jackson** · 02-09-2007, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by huckbucket

Any way to tell if I broke a rib without an x-ray?

Yeah.

It REALLY Hurts. I broke a rib (2?) two seasons ago and was like someone was jabbing me in the side with a sword.

Talking lots of slow deep breaths is important as this can reduce the possibility of getting pneumonia due to the decreased deep (good) airflow to the lungs. The more ribs broken the greater chance for pneumonia.

Caveat Me: I didn't miss any days, it hurt like hell on the couch, it hurt like hell on the hill, I chose the the hill.

**skiitsbetter** · 02-09-2007, 03:45 PM

Universal Canadian healthcare BIATCH!!!!!!

**yodaottis** · 02-09-2007, 03:47 PM

Rolling over in bed hurts....wait until you SNEEEZE..
holy jesus.

Edit: you CAN wrap but you have to do it carefully. You can not wrap all the way around your chest, that's horrible for breathing and you'll end up worse. If you wrap from spine to sternum with tape it'll keep them from floating around too much but like others have said, you've got to be very careful about wrapping w/ ribs.

**Crass3000** · 02-09-2007, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by skiitsbetter

Universal Canadian healthcare BIATCH!!!!!!

He wants GOOD healthcare. This month probably.

I wonder why all your doctors want to come to the US. Any idea?

**huckbucket** · 02-09-2007, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by yodaottis

Rolling over in bed hurts....wait until you SNEEEZE..
holy jesus.

Edit: you CAN wrap but you have to do it carefully. You can not wrap all the way around your chest, that's horrible for breathing and you'll end up worse. If you wrap from spine to sternum with tape it'll keep them from floating around too much but like others have said, you've got to be very careful about wrapping w/ ribs.

Dude, you ain't kiddin about sneezin. Holy fuck!

**yodaottis** · 02-09-2007, 03:55 PM

I found this helped with sneezing coughing (I had a cold too when I broke mine)

Sit on a chair/couch that sort of holds you in, pull your legs up to your chest, bending your knees and wrap your arms around your legs. Pull your arms tight so your legs are up against your chest. This hurts, since it puts pressure on the ribs but when you're sneezing/coughing it keeps your chest from puffing way out/disrupting the broken ribs.

Also, alcohol really was the best solution for bed/sleeping. I tried all sorts of things.

**GreenRun** · 02-09-2007, 04:36 PM

I landed on my ribs last week in the park and had my cell phone in my pocket, I actually heard the ribs crack like a chicken bone. I landed so hard that my binding pulled right out of the skis. Talk about f'ing pain!

I did not go to the doc b/c I know he is not going to do anything about it..Here is what I found online:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/broken-ribs/AN00636

The bottom line is you just need to rest and be ready to not sleep. Moving around in bed is the worst of it. Take lots of meds and give yourself at least five days before you ski again. I only waited 3 days and started to charge the hill and it just made things worse. Now I'm trying to hold off until this weekend.