Ok I fell off the front step yesterday morning and when I hit in the grass (soft landing) my right arm was under my side. In my ribs I hear and feel crunching. immediate pain. I was in pain all day and this morning it is bad, but the part that has me a bit worried is the pain and hard area under one breast. I don't know muscle structure so I am not sure what to think. Don't scare me please.

You may have cracked a rib. You might want to go get an x-ray. I put my elbow through 2 ribs once when I fell. They really don't do anything for broken ribs anymore - don't even wrap then, due to water in the lungs issue. Take pain pills and take it easy!

Check for any bruising or redness or lumps. It wouldn't hurt to call the doc either. It's only a phone call...

kwhite, I would definately get it checked out. You may have cracked a rib and they are very painful. Let us know how you are doing.

Kyia

Go and get it checked our, now!

Ice it to reduce pain and swelling and go get checked out!

I think beachlady is right, cracked/fractured,chipped ribs are one of the most painful injury you can have, in my opinion. I'd get it x-rayed, then you know for sure, even though there isn't a thing they can do for it, except pain meds.

Please see the doctor. It will be find, I'm sure, but you'll feel better just knowing what it is. Like others said, probably a cracked rib.

Ok, don't want to scare you, but it's important. Go get x-rayed.
Hubby broke 3 ribs, and two months later, he started building up fluid.
He has also been dx'd since then with emphysema, which has nothing to do, with breaking the ribs. so don't worry about that.
You just need to have this medically documented, and your doctor needs to be aware of this injury, as well as needs he x-rays for referral later on. Go! gentle hugs. :wink:

Go straight to the ER right now. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.00. I'm a nurse practioner in emergency medicine and you definitely should be checked out. GO NOW. And when you get home, take your pain meds, rest, and then let us know what is going on.

What are you waiting for? You don't need to read any more posts. GO!

Definitely get your butt to the ER!!! (I once cracked a rib by coughing -- had bronchitis -- and it's very painful) SO GO NOW!

hubby did that too, and I didn't know you could actually cough that hard.
I hope I never crack a rib, seeing the pain he went through. He was on his motorcycle and a guy cut in front of him, giving him the choice of hitting him head on, sort of...run into his back end, as he slowed to turn off...GEESH!!! or, try to avoid hitting him...and it had been raining, so bike fell over and slid on highway! No other cars coming, thank God.
Doctor told me yes, the scratch on his lung, could have easily been a puncture, and yes, he could have.... :cry:

Gaigai, what is a nurse practitioner? My DH went to rehab for his heart this week and met one and came home raving about her. Said she was more straight talking than the doctors and she could write prescriptions.

In case gaiga is too modest, I'll tell you. A nurse practioner is between a Registered Nurse (RN), like me, and a Medical Doctor (MD). She started out an RN and went onto further education and certification. She can see patients for the doctors in the office and even write prescriptions. Most clinics are staffed mainly with NPs. I think she can suture and perform other minor operative procedures. Thanks to her nursing experience, she has a better sense of communication than most doctors. I forget what else, just that a Nurse Practitioner is to be admired.

Cathy, you are too kind. Yeah, I did all that. But I actually got my practitioner back in '81, before there was an advanced practice act. Once it was established, I could have been grandfathered in if the program documentation were available, but it was no longer in existence and there was no one to fill in the paperwork. I would have had to do it all over again. I actually started, and then said, well, heck, been there, done this. So I'm just a plain old critical care nurse now. I probably shouldn't have even mentioned the NP thing, although I do try to keep up.

Go, get that X-ray. I'll be praying until we hear back from you!

I picked up the phone immediately after I posted to call her, and no one answered. So I hope they are at the ER.

I agree with the rest.
GET AN XRAY!
There are so many things you could have done....you also have a "floating" rib there that could have been cracked. Don't mess with it....

Let us know!

I'm waitng for news now that she doesn't answer the phone. Hope she gets what she needs and will not be in pain for too much longer.

Hope you are at the doc's now and I will be checking back later for an update!!! :( :( :(

when you hear a crunching noise - there is probably some damage -
let us know what's going on - please

A crunch and a lump is not good...needs a look for sure...and some of the good stuff to take...feel better soon

I've cracked ribs twice - once I went to sit on a chair that was no longer there (yes, I'd had a few drinks - misspent youth!) and the second time from a bear hug from a teenage boy I was pulling out of a lake. He'd fallen out of a boat and couldn't swim. Both times the docs said nothing to be done but pain killers. BUT you should get it checked out - hope you're there now - because a broken rib can pierce soft tissue (I think, Gai correct me if I'm wrong!) The bad news is cracked ribs take a while to heal. The second time it happened to me, I was working as a gardener and was off a few weeks - well, the heavy stuff at least! :? Let us know how you get on, K.

You are exactly right, K, and the soft tissue you're most concerned about is Lung.

Yeah, tincture of time and lots of pain meds is the only treatment. I had a cracked rib years ago, and although they don't bind you like they dild a long time ago, I went to the drugstore and bought a rib beld and wore it just under my breasts (not too tightly, but firm) and it did help the pain.

Also, whether or not you do have a rib injury, try holding something like a pillow to your side if you need to cough, or sneeze, or laugh.... I know I know; how can you just happen to be ready like that? I dunno. I just know from hospital patients who can always have their's handy.
Another thing... be sure to take deep breaths... your brain still wants oxygen!

You might want somebody else to do your cutting for quilting until you heal, from whatever injury you incurred. Just sit quietly and quilt or plan your next projects.
Cathy

I'm not even going to tell you what happened to me after falling like that, but a dr. needs to see you asap. Just know that I had a wrong diagnosis and now can barely walk.(My ribs were broke, which started a chain reaction.) All from a fall......I hate to see what happened to me, happen to anyone else.

Sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to hear the outcome. I sure do hope you are at the ER! I've broken ribs more than once (I used to show hunter/jumper horses...yeah, yeah...I know) It is very painful!

Cathy and Gaigai - thanks for the response. I don't want to hijack this thread. I'll start another one about the wonderful nurses, whatever their cert is, that my husband and I have met and gone through over the past 6 months and 4 hospital visits. Boy, you talk about angels!!!

Hi Everyone,

I couldn't stand it and woke up and tried calling kw again and she answered. Upshot of it is, she has NOT gone to the ER, and I think that she probably DOES have a cracked rib, but after speaking to (GRILLING) her at length, I am comfortable with her waiting to see her private doc on Monday (with all sorts of condtions implicit in the agreement). She has some good pain pills left over from a previous injury/surgery, is not having any difficulty breathing , and isn't in enough distress that we couldn't laugh together. I know, it's mean to make someone laugh when they're hurt, but hey, it's what I do best! LOL.

Anyhow, she's going to take another pain pill right now to recover from ME (I can't imagine why!) and will post for us later this evening. I did tell her to sleep with a pillow on top of her chest, because I just KNOW that Evil Kitty (Or Sweet Angel Kitty) is going to do "touch and go" on her chest.

Well, that update does make me feel better gai. Thanks so much for checking up on her and letting us know. :D

Glad to hear someone is checking on her. Thanks, Gaigai.

I still hope she goes to the doc on Monday!!

OK OK Here I am. (on drugs so you will have to read betweent the lines and drool). I have been asleep all day and having bad dreams. As Gai said I have decided to go to the Dr. on Monday morning. Our hospital is so amazingly awful that you only go if you have NO other option. Going there could be fatal in itself. I have been taking it easy and moving very slowly. I SOOO do appreciate all of you all. Thank you for your thoughts and concern. Only a couple of you have scared me. HEHEHE.

Hope it turns out to be nothing. The bad dreams are most likely from the meds. If you can breathe fine, and move around (albeit slow), and sleep, then it sounds like you'll be OK. Fingers crossed!

Yeah MQ that was my take on it. If breathing normally was painful I would have gone to the next county hospital. As it is I can sleep eat and breath so i figure Monday will be ok.

I still think a visit to the Dr is in order. Just to make sure it isn't something that should be treated.

Yeah I will call first thing Monday morning. I promise

K, you just take care of yourself and you BETTER go to the doc on Monday!! Hey, tomorrow is Monday for me! :) :)

I still have fathers day to go through.

Just take it easy!
Also, if those meds are giving you nightmares,,,I'm thinking you are taking Vicodin? STOP TAKING THEM or just take 1/2 of one. That stuff did the same to me and now my doc has them on the "allergic" area of my record.