Ow.

[kitsap_charles]

Last weekend I finally succumbed to the necessity of clearing the barn and porch of several months' accumulated trash. (In these parts, weekly garbage pickup is upward of $40 per month; a monthly or bi-monthly trip to the transfer station is usually $10-20. This is an intelligence test.) Having left the job undone for far too long, I rented a 14' U-Haul, spent several hours loading it up with both garbage and recycling, and headed for the transfer station.

Unfortunately, by the time I started offloading the recycling, the day's rain had left the rear bumper of the truck just a tad more slippery than I expected. My foot slipped, and I fell several feet onto the asphalt.

Scraped my chin a bit, but mostly landed — hard — on my right side. It hurt like a mofo, but I really didn't have any other option but to "walk it off" (so to speak) and finish the job.

I couldn't see any bruising, but throughout the week the pain in my side didn't really abate. So finally, at riverheart's insistence, I took myself off to the urgent care clinic. One set of X-rays later, the doctor on duty tells me I broke a rib. Fortunately, the break is well below the lowest lobe of my right lung, so there's no chance of unpleasant complications. Just another month or two of (eventually) lessening pain as the rib heals.

That's the thing about broken ribs: you can't splint them, wrap them, or do much of anything to hold them in place. All you can do is try to mitigate the pain while the break knits itself back into place, and remember to breathe deeply a few times a day to keep everything else in its proper place. Oh, and try to cough as well, no matter how sharply it hurts; phlegm leads to anger, which leads to hate, which leads to the Dark Side. (No, wait… that's "fear", not "phelgm".)

Anyway, for the next month or two, OW.

Comments

[varushka.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh! Best wishes for thorough if not speedy healing.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

*stern look* You can quit doing this sort of thing at any time, young man.

*melts* Baby. My poor wounded baby!

You get better fast and stay out of the ER. Those places are no fun whatsoever.

[firefly67.livejournal.com]

OW!! Damn and blast! That's rotten, Charles. Please take care & heal well. Last winter I did exactly what you did, loading stuff into the side of my van for a holiday art show--but was lucky enough to catch myself before doing the ribcage slam--just bashed my knees hard on the ground, etc. Was lucky the side of my van was NOT as high off the ground as the back of your pickup. Hugs to you, and hopes for easy breathing SOON.

[seawasp]

Ow. OW. Ow.

Good luck with the healing. And try not to do that again.

[mba500.livejournal.com]

The whole thing sounds like a day in hell.

It never ceases to amaze me how a series of events based on a distant decision made long ago has cascading impact in our lives

[5footwave.livejournal.com]

Add to the prescription: some gentle hugs daily, along with the deep breathing and coughing. Collect whenever opportunity arises.

Laughing probably doesn't count as coughing, does it? Dang. Well, at least smile a lot while you're healing.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

Laughing works well also. I recommend it. Other than that, take it easier for a bit. I know just how that hurts. (I have done it about four times so far. Not smart.) The pain will lessen over the next several weeks. Understanding and healing energy until you can breathe easier.