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!!! :( :( :(