This is my first time reaching out to make contact with people experiencing living with daily chronic debilitating pain, so I am not too sure what to expect or how this all works....but here goes........
My pain is rib related. I had a rib fixation operation in 2017 after having 5 broken ribs which went undiagnosed for 5 months and a punctured lung. lung is fine now. 3 of my ribs were/are plated, one had healed itself fine and one was left still fractured but healing fine. I have never recovered from the operation. I would love to make contact with anyone who may have experienced anything rib related. Also reaching out to anyone living with daily pain as I feel very alone and isolated as pain is such a hard thing for loved ones to understand as much as they want to, as pain is invisible and differs from person to person. I also have an opioid dependancy (oxycodone) I get very little restbite from the pain. One fraustration being I am still not totally sure why or what is happening to me & why I am making no improvement as hard as I try, leaving me exhausted, confused, lonely and desperate
I have had a terrible life changing long journey since braking my ribs in December 2016. I am not on any social media, and this is the first time I have joined any form of forum specifically for people suffering with pain, I would be so grateful to share with others their experiences and any advice, help & support.
I could literally rant on for pages with the many...many.. stories I have, connected to my ordeals with hospitals and pain clinics and the way I was treated (not all good), but will spare you that for now, something hopefully for the future.
Thank you for taking the time to read. I'll look forward to hearing from you.
Iris
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A-GIRLINSANE
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I am so sorry your lonely and in so much pain . I do understand how difficult this can be, I take it you live alone too. Living alone I can relate to , I have my two poodles for company . I too am living in considerable pain . I don’t have pain in my ribs but have much pain in my back , legs and very bad feet. .
I used to read about Margaret Hills and how she improved people’s arthritis with her diets and helping people live life the drug free way. I’ve just put her name into the internet and her family are still producing all her work online. Margaret Hills sadly passed but her family are based in Kenilworth and it’s very interesting reading. You can still buy the Margaret hills books. Anyway they are good books to help people with RA and also OA I hope you enjoy this forum
Thank you for taking the time to reply , lovely to hear from you. Thanks for the info on Margaret Hills, which I will for sure look into.
My situation is so complicated, no one seems clear if it is sever nerve and tissue damage as it is a large opening where they operated, or if it is the plates themselves causing issues, so frustrating. Technically my ribs are healed, but something just is not right in my body. I have to be very honest at times I just loose the will to keep going as it is so exhausting.
Sorry I didn't make myself very clear. I am actually married. And am so grateful for not being entirely alone. I honestly do not know what I would do if I was living alone as I am so limited in what I can do by myself now as my mobility is very limited. My husband, Stuart, is actually classed as my carer now.
We live with our 2 doggies, Teddy & Frida. They have been absolute life savers they have really kept me going in the past. There have been times in the past where I have had to get out to walk them. Plus they are fantastic company with so much unconditional love to give.
There are also many issues around medication for me as well
Your two dogs are lovely . I am a complete dog lover , I just love everything about them and have always had dogs. My two poodles are called Lulu and Teddy and they are my sole company apart from my sister who lives down the road . I have two grown up children. They have children. So I have 5 grand daughters and 1 grandson. . I suffer badly with arthritis and also severe tinnitus .
I guess we have to just keep going. It’s the only way . I am ok on my own I’m used to it. I’m
Glad your married and have some lovely help around you. I live in the South East by the sea . It’s nice here in Bexhill on sea.
I do hope you resolve your pain in your ribs , I same the same as you that I believe someone out there can help the both of us with our troubles and pain .
I’m not sure how to post pictures on here , but I have one black poodle and one white poodle .
It does help to have friends doesn’t it. Everyone on this site seem such a close bunch of nice people !!!!
I would love to live near the sea. We came to look at houses a few months back, Broadstairs, Margate & Ramsgate....I am sure we ended up driving to Bexhill.
We live in the countryside in Buckinghamshire in the Chilters. Sadly HS2 is ploughing straight through us.......but, that's another story!!!!!
Well as I do keep saying..... 'keep on keeping on' you can only do your best.
I know it it easy to say, I do think , as you mentioned, diet can help with arthritis. Do you notice if food's can be triggers at all?
Emotions as well, they can manafest into pain we hold onto in our bodies.
all very fasinating.
Plus you know, Lulu & Teddy love you unconditionaly ....... they will never stick a knife in your back!!!
If you wan't to put a picture up......when you press the reply button just below is a capital B I U the @ sign a smily face and a scenic picture in a box. If you click on the smiley face there are all the emoji's. click on the scenic box and this sould open your photos up if you have any on your computer then you can choose what you would like to post up.
I hope that can help you. I would love the see Lulu & Teddy.
Thank you , yes they are my greatest companions !!!! They are so loyal in times of need. When I’m in pain I just need to give them a cuddle. I can’t see my family because of lockdown and my sister luckily lives down the road . I have a son and daughter grown up with their own kids. What about you? How are you feeling tonight? Do you have children.Tonight my feet are in so much pain , like someone is stabbing them, but we just soldier on don’t we .
I fell asleep early last night, although I didn’t really sleep well due to pain.
Sorry to hear you were in so much pain, I hope you feel a little better today?
TBH..Ive been in my own lockdown for the past 4 years!! It all hasn’t really made a massive dent in my lifestyle. I know just how ridiculous this sounds, but I honestly forget what is going in the wold at times. I don’t really watch telly to follow the news, I find life is miserable enough. We don’t buy a newspaper or really listen to the radio.
I never did leave the house very much before all this started. Im kind of my own worst enemy really as I hate leaving here.
Stuart, my husband lost his job the week before we went into our first lockdown, thats a whole other story. So he is at home all the time now. He is a graphic designer in the film/tv industry....not a lot is going on in that industry now due to Covid so work is very thin on the ground.
I’m married to Stuart, we live here with Teddy & Frida. I have 2 sons, tragically my eldest passed away suddenly when he was 19 in 1997. I think it is very fair to say life has not been very kind to me. My youngest son is 38, he lives locally, single, so no grandchildren. I don’t have any brothers or sisters, my Mum lives close by, my Dad passed away 2 years ago. So, no extended family.
Right now I am busying myself painting, I joined an on line art class and I have to admit, when I am in the right frame of mind or not in excruciating pain, it does help pass away so much time and a good distraction.
Soldering on…yes indeed. Same sh-t different day!!
I’m having the covid vaccination today. Have you had it?
Im going to have a go at some gentle yoga today. I desperately want to try and get a bit fitter. I am 60 this year and even though I don’t want to celebrate I do want to look nice!!!
Thank you Iris for your lovely letter. Yes I had my vaccine in Eastbourne last week. Had the Astra Veneca one. Only had a few side affects. I hope your vaccine went well today , it’s a nice feeling to know we have some protection against this horrendous virus.I nearly lost my son when he was 20. He caught endocarditis which was a heart infection. He had to have two metal heart valves put in and was in hospital four months. This was many years ago. Paul now is 43 and changed his profession from teacher to church minister. He has a wife and 3 daughters. My daughter works as classroom
Assistant and had two girls and a boy . My mother and Father have passed on , I
Miss them greatly. Glad you enjoy your painting, very relaxing . I try to walk my dogs if my legs and feet allow. Pain is a bit relentless and I try to overcome it if I can but some days are very hard. I also have severe tinnitus and very bad ear pressure . I can tell you it’s a nightmare having this as well. Well we just keep going don’t we, I’m not sure if we are allowed to exchange phone numbers on this site, I hope to chat to you one day . I am
68 , try to be as happy as I can as having a bit of humour gets us along a bit better.
Good morning, yes I know how you feel, I had a triple bypass 8 years ago and have suffered rib and sternum pain ever since, which has also caused me nerve damage ,it’s very uncomfortable to wear a bra and clothes touching me round the waist causes bad back pain, so unless I become a naturalist ( not a pretty site) I’ve got to put up with it or so my doctor says! I’m told I’m just one of the unlucky ones and most people are fine. I’m very afraid of medication so will only take paracetamol for pain which is not very effective. My daughter had researched on line and came up with a specialised form of osteopathy called OMT PSPS POST STERNOTOMY PAN SYNDROME
OMG, you know….I think that maybe (I could be wrong) the procedure is the same procedure I had to actually get to the ribs,& is used to get to the lung or heart as well. Its called a thoracotomy which is the surgery to open your chest. And I’m thinking we may have both had the same thing done. It is apparently one of the slowest longest procedure for the body to recover from. I like yourself have been told I am one of the unlucky ones as far as recovery goes. You are the first person that appears to have a similar symptom to mine, as in the actual way our bodies were cut open.
I haven’t been able to wear a proper bra or years now as it is uncomfortable. I cant properly twist or bend my torso.
I have just had a quick glance at the info you daughter found, and it looks very interesting, I will look further into that, so thanks for that.
Something you may wish to discuss with your GP or pain team is Radio-frequency ablation (RFA), or radio-frequency neurotomy. I have just had this done. I’m not saying its an answer, but if you are anything like me, you want to know any thing however small that may help. It basically is killing the nerve that is telling your brain there is pain. But, finding the right nerve(s) is the tricky bit and its very painful….well it was for me. I am still waiting to see if it has helped, so still early days.
Hats off to you for not using painkillers. Something I would love to be able to say, but can't. I just couldn’t manage. Would you even consider using patches? I have lidocaine patches which numbs the pain for a while, just to get some rest-bite.
Well…lovely to hear from you. Here’s to being able to wear a bra in comfort
You are not alone living with pain as you will see on this site. I have lived with it since I had a discectomy 10 yrs ago. Can I ask have you had any mri scans and where is your pain? I am on multiple medication for pain but still have break through. Everything is blamed on weight yes I am over weight but gave not always been in last 10 years. Like yourself I won't go on and iam sure you'll here from others on here it is a good site to have a rant with like minded people away from family........
Good morning, my pain is my entire rib area back and front including my sternum which was opened up to get to my heart. Unfortunately I have now got spinal compression in my neck which effects my balance, and lower spine compression which is painful. I have had MRI on my spine but not my sternum just an X-ray eight years to go to see if the wires in my sternum had healed. I am not over weight normally but have put on a few pounds recently due to being inactive, not going out due to covid Just a short slow walk with my dog in the morning then not much to do indoors for the rest of the day.. it is nice to have people to talk to in the same boat as you.
I have a similar problem with my spine. the last MRI has shown a mild onset of schoiosis and disc herniation at the bottom of my spine, plus my neck, although wierdly I get no neck problems. but my lower back and pelvis is so painful sometimes.
There have been days when even walking is so painful.
Ive had both CT & MRI scans in the past, ultra sound scans & X-rays. Because I now have plates on my ribs I have to have a specific kind of scan, I have noticed that most hospitals are now not very forthcoming with offering them.
Anyways…
yes…. All scans.. The main pain is on my right side, if you imagine putting your fist in your armpit then moving down to the bottom of the ribs then inwards towards the sternum….that is where the main pain is. I also had a tube stuffed in under my arm to reinflate my lung which is also a super sensitive area. On top of that, my last scan has indicated the onset of mild scoliosis plus disc herniation in my lower back, so this is a separate issue and the pain then spreads across most of my pelvis.
That is the shortest least complicated way I can explain it.
My pain doctor will not treat my lower back until the ribs are sorted as the ribs have caused me to hold my body in such an awkward way for the last 4 years. TBH some days all the pain just morphs into a whole mass of misery and I can’t tell what is what!!
What I do know is I am completely worn out, pain is so exhausting.
I think its unfair to you to put the blame on your weight, are you offered any help and support to help you loose any weight?
..oh…thats just made me think…. also…..I believe it all can be a bit of a lottery postcode as to what treatment and advice you are given. You do have the right to go anywhere in the country for a second opinion. The fist pain team I saw eventually discharged me telling me there was nothing they can do and I had to simply learn to live with the pain. The second hospital have said thats complete nonsense. Where I was told taking the plates out was not an option, I’m now told as a real last resort it can be done. We asked about Radio-frequency Ablation and was told it wasn’t possible. I have now had one session and am just waiting now to see if it will help.
I hope you do get some relief, do you have any hobbies? sometimes distraction does help and can put your mind in a different mindset. I also know that this is easier said than done.
I could just go on and on with all the nightmare stories I've had. And some good ones too!!
Ohh Iris you have so much going on in your body I thought I was vad. We could pass a great afternoon and possibly into the evening talking health problems apart from anything else. If had 11 mri scans 3 bran scan ct scans and any other scans!!! I like arts n crafts and have turned my loft into a wee studio kind of it has 2 big window lovely in the summer freezing into winter. I have just mo e as lock down as lockdown happed to a small sea side town where I knew nobody wS going to join a couple of clubs maybe meets new friends. I saw my son for 1st time since beginning of December yesterday. I gave not seen any of my friends and family for a year. Hopefully that will change soon.
Virtual hugs Iris.... Warm regards.. T
PS all the pictures on my door step has helped me no end
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