Any advice apperciated !!

[A-GIRLINSANE]

Hello

I’m wondering if there is anyone out there who has or knows of anyone who has suffered issues after broken ribs. I’m desperately looking to share experiences.

I fell and had rib fractures plus a punctured lung in December 2016. I was in hospital until the lung was re inflated then sent home.

5 months later, after living with pain and many X-rays, it was discovered I had 5 broken ribs undiagnosed leading me to have a rib fixation operation having 3 ribs plated.

I have never recovered from the operation and have been living in daily chronic pain ever since. It’s been a very long painful sad life changing journey. I have excellent support from my GP and am under the pain team at Charring Cross. I was discharged from another pain team, told I had to learn to live and cope with chronic pain.

It effects my right arm and torso and also is now affecting my lower back and pelvis. Somedays unable to move at all. Sadly I now have a dependancy on opioids (oxycodone) there are times I feel so isolated and alone, frustrated feeling whatever I try never seems to help.

I would love to hear from anyone who has experienced anything similar. Or can offer any advice or insperation it would be so much apperciate.

Many thanks. xx

[cyberbarn]

Have you tried osteopathy, or at least physio? It sounds like this is effecting all your muscles, and that makes sense because the whole body is interconnected. Osteopaths can started to get the muscles back into doing what they should be doing, and a physio could give you exercise to keep it that way.

Some osteopaths are now working under the NHS so you might want to try locally to see what is available.

I hope you get some relief soon.

[A-GIRLINSANE in reply to cyberbarn]

Hi

Thank you for making contact with me and your suggestions.

I have spent a fortune with an osteopath, sadly with no benefit. The same with acupuncture. I do try various things when I have the strength. Yoga is something I have actively done for years, so when I can I try gentle yin yoga , or just basic stretches to try and keep the muscles from seizing. Also swimming, although, not so much lately. I can’t use my right arm to swim properly as it is too painful so I use a float, there was a time I was getting in the pool daily, but sadly it became harder and harder to do. Just being in the water is so nice. I have had hydrotherapy through the NHS, which really didn’t make even a small dent. As lovely as it was, sadly the sessions are very limited.

Unfortunately……and this is what does make me so sad …..is, when I do try these things I end up in more agony. I guess the trick is knowing where the line is and not to push too hard past it. Sometimes just walking is enough to send me into a spiral of unbearable pain. Even breathing can hurt.

If money was no problem, I for sure would have a pool built!!

I am with the pain team at Charring cross right now and have had a procedure called radio frequency abolition done about 5 weeks ago. (Nerves are killed by burning them) Very painful procedure. I have to wait up to 12 weeks to see if it has properly worked, so fingers crossed there.

I think the physio may be offered from there.

I now have the onset of scoliosis, due to the way I have carried myself for the past 4 years, so that is now a separate issue, causing pain in lower back and across my pelvis. As some of my discs have herniated.

As a last resort taking the plates out has been suggested, but no guarantee it will help at all.

I do try to keep on keeping on, but sometimes I loose sight of the light at the end. I end up exhausted and highly emotional.

I do however have excellent support from my GP, which is one blessing, as I am very aware the nightmare some people have.

Thank so much for your suggestions, everthing & anything is hugely appreciated.

[Frankieandgracie in reply to A-GIRLINSANE]

I feel for you chronic pain from something you know should not have lead to this, does, I too am in the same boat being pain , like all on this site but reaching out is something we all have to do as it is a very cruel and lonely position to find ourselves when most people who are well, maybe a few aches and pains but not like how chronic pain is, I feel could be a combination of things and surgery does sometimes nick nerves who knows the body is so complex we never really know, the flow of it takes all muscle's, nerves you name it, the brain all sooo complex, we just took the perfect storm to do it, now we need the perfect calm to heal it, we all find our days where it really is unpredictable, our mind is often racing to think of how to calm the pain, you know we never catch time as our brains are so switched on to this, I feel for you I can understand, please take things slow after this operation be mindful of your movements but try and do small things each day, I will keep my prayers for you. If your medication helps you some why are you so hard on yourself your suffering pain also ask your doctor if he thinks its nerve pain this would help in terms of medication types, as nerve pain medication does differ alongside supplements which you can ask your doctor about for nerve pain. My heart goes out to you l do sooo hope you find some relief from your surgery.🌺👼🌴

[A-GIRLINSANE in reply to Frankieandgracie]

That is such a sweet heartfelt message....thank you 🙏🏼 . And every word really does resinate with me. The problem with my pain, is the main surgery was 4 years ago in May. No one can be sure if it is nerve damage from the incision, or if the plates on my ribs are causing an irritation, or both. Nerve damage is so very hard to treat, in fact it’s near on impossible, well, it feels like it to me!! There are some days when I really do not know which way is up. Then there are other days where I can function as the pain is bearable, but trying to describe it, I find impossible, as I just don’t have any words. My medication situation is a bit confusing and makes me very sad but it is a need, I do sometimes wish I was never prescribed the oxy as my body is now dependant on it and that in itself can be a bit nightmarish on its own. I do have Lidocaine patches, which we have to pay for privately as they are not covered by the NHS at £100 a box, but they do give me relief when its really bad. I can’t lie……there are times, in the evening when I can just float away and be comfortable for a few hours.!!!!

The complexity of how pain works is a real mind bomb, which I am sure we (human race) are only just really starting to understand….mind over matter….. there is a lot to be said for that. But, as everyone on this site knows, I am sure, is a lot easier to say than to put into practice. Not for the want of trying…Lord knows I do, but when my mind has switched to completely irrational, which is what pain does to me, all I want are my meds to have any kind of relief, even if that means being knocked out.

Mindfulness, meditation & yoga are all things that 100% do help, it's just implementing them that can get tough. Distraction techniques sometimes can help for sure, I have started painting, if I can get myself to sit and focus I can get absorbed for hours in creating a painting, that also gives me a feeling of worth if I’m pleased with the result 😉

My surgeon has mentioned today to me that there are oxycodone patches. If anyone has ever used them I would love to hear your experience. I never knew there was such a thing 🤷🏻‍♀️

For me it's the not knowing that I find hard accepting. I’ve had numerous scans etc, but sadly no definitive answer. I am being treated for nerve damage with this electronic abolition procedure & my pain DR is convinced he is on the money,,,,I…well, not so sure. I would love it if he were. The thought of being pain free almost seems out of my reach right now. I was a healthy active 55 year old woman and a split second slip on the stairs altered my life in such a dramatic way…everything changed overnight. I am now nearly 60 and sometimes can hardly walk because of pain & I’m hooked on opioids. I still find that so very hard to get over, even though I fully understand that is not helping me. ‘Live in the moment’.

I have at times said I would willingly be happy to lose a finger or even a hand, anything, if it guaranteed I could live pain free. I know how bonkers that sounds, but, that’s how bonkers I feel my life has become.

Anyways ….I could go on and on, apologies for the rant. I would also, love to think I could maybe help someone in anyway, even if it’s a laugh 😂 just even a small tiny difference.

Thank you for you time

Iris x

[Frankieandgracie in reply to A-GIRLINSANE]

Oh, Iris, you did just make me laugh🌸😀about being bonkers hahaha just love that word, so that makes two of us then, yes totally understand how your life just changed by one small accident, in turn, threw your whole world as you knew it, into a long tunnel of seeking what used to be.... or even a small reprieve to breath and laugh out loud be fun-loving carefree, silly, happy, run jump puddles, swim in the ocean🌴🌺🌈 dance all night mannnnn I get so dreamy of it all again too. Acceptance is something that we are told to try and do, this I struggle with as my mind at times rebels even the suggestion of accepting pain or any condition thrown upon people, my mind is in two about that, as I also believe to never resign yourself to the fact, then where does hope come in, we can always be hopeful even when things don't, change, healing is possible even when the odds are against the condition. Yes l do believe not to torture yourself all day with how things were or what we can and can't do that I'm learning and still have to daily put to practice, gives me the willies😄 to keep focused is a real challenger. You also made me laugh when you said you started painting, well funny that, cause my auntie said that's what you should try, at the time I was like yeah right what time of the day do you think I'm gonna fit that in with my pain and blah blah😂😇😂bad attitude going on in my head when she suggested it, then I thought ok so told my other half and guess what😂😂he bought me the whole big set easel and all paints and canvas real artist style just for me at Chrissy blimey well how the heck I thought am I gonna do my first Mona Lisa😁😁😎might just try put it up today thanks to you Iris. Keep in mind you are funny and a beautiful person. Keep you posted on any masterpieces I create might become world-famous painters. Who knows😂😂🌺🌴🦜🍍🥥