A fall in the woods

Health Care & Carte Vitale
#1

Miserable weather this morning, wet and raining, as I set off with the 2 dogs. Halfway through the woods I tripped on a protruding rock and went my full length, landing heavily on my chest. Attempts to rise were complicated by Harper Grace coming to see what I was doing down there, so I fell again. There was a really sharp pain in the right side of my chest but, feeling with my fingers can find no evidence of anything broken, so think the ribs are ok.

I was breathing heavily for quite a while as we continued the walk but that is normal for me if I have had a difficulty, like untangling dog leads for instance.

As I know these days that there is no remedy for broken ribs unless a lung is punctured I am inclined to see how things go for a time. My only question is, is it easy to feel a broken rib or can it be hidden from the touch?

#2

Definitely can be hidden from touch ,especially if cracked rather than broken completely

1 Like
#3

Thanks Eddie, that is as I thought, a question of taking it easy for a time then to see how it develops. Might just be bruised. :slightly_smiling_face:

#4

Be very careful if you cough

#5

I’ll try, but I do quite a bit of throat clearing due to asthma, so will be difficult. :roll_eyes:

#6

Having broken the lower ribs on my right side a few times (but all fairly minor - no punctured lungs/bits sticking out through skin etc. ) you will know if you have broken them when;

  1. when you wake up (after laying still they will have re-set and then the movement of getting up will un-set them)
  2. you laugh
  3. when you cough
    but the most conclusive way is when
  4. the doctor holds up the x-ray and tells you the pain is due to fractured ribs
    :slight_smile: Get well soon
1 Like
#7

This is a I worry I have when I’m walking with the dogs on uneven terrain in the forest that I may take a tumble and am unable to get back up. I always carry my mobile phone and have downloaded the French version of the What3words app. I would hope to be able to use this in an emergency to give the pompiers precise details of where I am, assuming of course that the French emergency services are familiar with this particular app. Hopefully I’ll never have to put it to the test. Hope you get well soon.

#8

Thanks Ray and Joyce. When you get to a certain age, I will be 78 in a few days time, it is a worry when you realise that not only the likelihood of a tumble is increased but getting back on your feet (literally) and recovery is more difficult too.

Harper Grace was free as usual but Jules was on the lunge and several metres ahead, so I suppose my fall was compounded by hanging onto him and not able to break my fall. I missed HG but when you are lying in sopping wet mud and leaf litter the first instinct is to get up again with as little contact with the ground as possible. Then HG came back to investigate, colliding with the peak of my cap (she is blind of course) sending it upside down into the rain and, hurrying to arise, I failed and fell forward again.

Going through your list Ray I think I may have escaped serious after effects. I have sneezed, coughed and cleared my asthmatic throat a few times while sitting here and the dull ache is no worse each time, so fingers crossed. :laughing:

I suppose I can definitely avoid the last point by not going to the doctor at all. :laughing:

#9

You can strap it, clean the bit of skin with alcohol then just stick big wide elastoplast on it overlapping the bits to make a sort of rectangle covering the sore bit. I broke 3 ribs in Pakistan and it was the only thing that helped a bit.

#10

I’ll see how it goes Vero, but thank you I’ll bear it in mind, but I thought strapping was no longer recommended.

#11

Probably isn’t, but it really was the only thing that helped, for me.

#12

Take care David.

#13

Thank you, doing just that with laptop and on settee. :wink:

2 Likes
#14

I have the same app. It actually depends on you being conscious of course.

#15

I sacrificed a cracked rib for a bone china tea cup. Am I bananas? Sure as eggs.

The dog-eared house I bought in Brsl was a right do-up job. The stair carpet was navy blue. Ceiling deep water blue. Lighting was non-existent. Call it virtually black out. Ex hippy.

Before daylight, half way down I missed my step. I was pitching head first from about 6-8 treads up. In my right hand I was carrying a very fine bone china tea cup. Russian Caravan, no milk or sugar? Only the best china will do.

In the fractions of second one has to make these decisions I decided I would the fall on the ball of the newel post at the base of the bannisters, whilst balancing the tea cup from any harm. I knew it was going to be painful but I had been in a rugby squad that included the future captain of London Scottish and Scotland. You take it for the team or in this case, the tea cup.

And so it was. I landed on my chest onto the ball finial. The tea cup never left the saucer. It was less painful than when I fell 3m out of the loft hatch. I actually had to have a day off for p.t.shock for that one.

No point going to the doc.

I found that the most painful times of all were at night lying on the opposite side to the cracked rib[s]. That was intolerable. Couldn’t breath. I could feel the cracked ends fridging against each other.

Lying on the cracked side was far better. Daytime, going about, it was a bit sore but not ‘light exercise - unchanged’

Took about 3-4 week to be able to lie on the ‘broken’ side, night time.

1 Like
#16

I feel your pain Christopher, but you will understand that it makes me feel better, being already on the mend. :wink: :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like