Broken ribs

[kay7954]

I bent over the wrong way and broke 2 ribs on my left side. My Rheumy is not going to be happy with me. She told me to be careful, but who would have thought bending the wrong way would break a rib? This winter ought to be interesting shoveling snow and walking on ice. My husband said; maybe you should stay in the house, but I was in the house when I broke my ribs. Lol, ok, don't make me laugh, that hurts.

[Rose54]

Snap

Not funny but I did mine week before

Agree very painful

Preds help with a lot of the pain so that's a bonus

Even hip cups hurt

[SheffieldJane in reply to Rose54]

And you Rose! What is going on?

[kay7954 in reply to SheffieldJane]

Yes, sorry about the hip pain. I understand, my hip has the brusitis.

[Rose54 in reply to SheffieldJane]

I would like to blame too much Alcohol but no

it was just one of those things didn't realize how easy it was to do

[SheffieldJane]

Oh golly Kay, poor you.

[kay7954 in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thanks, I am trying not to cough, sneeze or laugh.

[jinasc]

Are you or were you on Alendronic Acid?

[kay7954 in reply to jinasc]

No, I have been on calcium supplements for a few years. I do see my Rheumy on Oct 2nd, we shall see what she decides to add to my mixture of pills. lol

[bunnymom]

Oh my I have never heard of such a thing. Just bending over? What can we do?

[kay7954 in reply to bunnymom]

It was strange, my husband saw me bend over in the chair to get something off the floor and the arm rest just hit in the right place and snap.

[Mikb]

My sympathies! That sounds very painful! Forget about snow shovelling! The wet heavy snow could hurt you much more than bending over.

[kay7954 in reply to Mikb]

The hardest part of GCA/PMR is understanding my limitations. I was only diagnosed in May this year, but my life has been turned upside down. At 64, I was raising my 6 yr old grand dtr, running this house, cleaning, etc. Now, some days I can do stuff and other days I can't. I feel guilty if I am not doing something and that my husband has had to pick up the slack.

[scats in reply to kay7954]

Being careful is one thing, but since when has leaning over the arm of a chair been reckless? Hope you can get some relief!

You've got a lot on your plate you will have to pace yourself carefully to deal with all this

[Mikb in reply to kay7954]

One thing GCA will teach you is learning to not feel guilty for not doing something. I felt guilty at first. The mind was telling me all the things that had to be done, but the body wasn't cooperating and doing it. Look up the spoon theory. When I sent the link to my family and friends they got it. They understood my limitations, and still to this day say how are your spoons. Be kind to yourself.

[Fieldofdreams]

ouch that sounds really painful. I broke a rib once and even getting in and out of bed was nightmare - not to mention coughing or sneezing! I hope the severe pain subsides soon. I popped my thumb out of joint yesterday... I was sitting on the floor talking to some students and sat back with my hands behind me for support and twisted it right back and out - the pop/bang was quite something - one poor girl saw it and nearly fainted! I was talking to a group of dancer/actors on how to portray 'extremes'... I think they saw how to portray pain quite well - though I did manage not to swear I dont think its anything to do with Pred just a freak thing as i was only diagnosed on 13 Aug down from 60 to 40 mg. All in a good day on Pred hey! good luck with your ribs - you have all my sympthy.

[kay7954 in reply to Fieldofdreams]

The getting out of bed and turning at night seems to be almost impossible. I usually sleep on my sides, but there is no way I can sleep on my left side right now. The night time is the worse, when everything is quiet, the pain just screams at me.

[Fieldofdreams in reply to kay7954]

Kay I am so sorry. Does a gently warm hot water bottle help soothe any of the pain?

Or I wondered about one of those large U shaped pillows that could support you all the way around.

amazon.co.uk/Comfort-Total-...

[SnazzyD]

Ouch! Hmm, that doesn’t sound right unless you really hit something. Not had time to look at your previous posts but if you have not already done so in th last year or two, I’d be getting a DEXA quick sharp. It may be just that you were very unlucky but somebody needs to ask why they went so easily.

[kay7954 in reply to SnazzyD]

I just had the Dexascan last Tuesday, will get the results when I see the Rheumy on Oct 2. The urgent care doctor was a bit shocked as well when he saw the fracture. He thought I bruised my ribs, but the xray didn't lie.

[GCA1947]

Dear Kay

I broke two ribs under my left arm pulling a fishing rod apart at Alton Water Suffolk after a days fishing. I drove a Vauxhall Cavalier Hatchback at the time and that was a big heavy car. I managed to get all my tackle loaded though the rods still assembled went in the back and out of the front passenger window and I had to be very careful driving on the narrow country roads that I didn't get hooked up on the vegetation. Changing gear was hairy because I had to do it with my right hand stretched across behind the steering column and operating the clutch with my left foot. I had Osteoporosis at the time though I didn't know it caused by my born with Klinefelters Syndrome. The treatment for that controlled the osteoporosis but it came back with the high dose steroids to deal with the G.C.A.

You must completely forget about shovelling snow or get OH to buy a snow blower.

The ribs will get better in due course but everything you normally do with the arm will hurt like the blazes. Don't get a cold, don't cough or sneeze, don't do that activity that begins with S. everything but everything no matter how remote will hurt, doesn't matter how far way from the break site they all get in on the act. I know I had SEVEN rib fractures and a metatarsal break before my Klinefelters diagnosis so I can speak from experience. Smile nicely at the OH and get him to do as much as possible. Say you'll make it up to him when you are recovered. Teach him how the Washing Machine and the Tumble Dryer work essential equipment when one is laid up. I'll shut up now, I do hope your recovery is relatively painless

Best wishes

Colin

[Hollyseden in reply to GCA1947]

Ouch 😧 that drive sounds like a nightmare.

[GCA1947 in reply to Hollyseden]

Dear Hollyseden

It was. Suffolk though now a place where the rich and famous are migrating to has very few dual carriageways and side roads are narrow and tree lined. I think Suffolk is smashing and I've lived here for forty-eight years emigrating from North London in 1970. I haven't regretted a moment the decision to leave London and of course I met my darling Janet here and we embarked on forty-five years of a truly fantastic life together, until she passed away in 2016. That was the worst thing to happen to me far worse than my plethora of conditions. At least she is free of all her pain and suffering. I hope that I will meet up with her again in the future, when I have reached my end.

Sorry to stop on a morbid note but I do miss her terribly.

Best wishes

Colin

[Daisychain12 in reply to GCA1947]

Hey Colin. So sorry to read about sweet Janet. My heart goes out to you. What a brave, nice man you are. Thank you so much for sharing. I do hope you are doing ok. It would be nice to see posts from you. We lived in the uk and have some crazy car stories involving country lanes! Linda X.

[Marymon in reply to GCA1947]

Suffolk is my favourite county, lived there for many years, still go back to see friends. Hoping to spend a few days in Southwold soon.

A few years ago we were in The Crown in Southwold and got talking with a group of irritating Londoners, enthusiastically describing the area. When asked how we had found the area, she replied ;

“Because I was born here “

That made them pause for breath.!!

So sad you no longer have your wife there with you, but I hope there are friends nearby.

[GCA1947 in reply to Marymon]

Dear Marymon

I don't often explain about Klinefelters in this detail. Klinefelters is an awful condition which I was born with but was only diagnosed when I was forty-six. A mistake at cell division inside Mum meant that I was got an extra X chromosone before birth and that affected my development at all the important stages of my life. Lacked hair all over my body it came eventually because artificial T.R.T. replaced the natural testosterone that my body lacked; couldn't do anything about my infertility so no children for Colin & Janet.

I manage pretty well on my own, Janet taught me how to use the washing machine and the tumble dryer and how to defrost the freezer. I've found a very useful landscape contractor who's revamping my gardens so that it is easier to walk about in them and a lot less grass to cut.

I do miss a second person in the house and physical contact. It's some years since I kissed Janet and I do miss kissing and every woman I meet is married, I do meet some but am always tongue tied and apt to say the wrong thing.

I will manage perhaps there is another lady out there for me and maybe

Best wishes

Colin

[Marymon in reply to GCA1947]

Dear Colin,

Lovely picture, happy days, and I hope you have many more.

I do hope you meet someone, try to meet as many people as possible, remember they may also be feeling tongue tied. I know it is not easy when you are not feeling too good.

But, maybe there is someone out there waiting for you, I am sure we all wish you the very best.

Monica

[Hollyseden in reply to GCA1947]

So sorry to hear about your wife but it's lovely that you had so many happy years together and so many happy memories too I bet. Lovely part of the world you live in, I envy the weather you have. We have two kinds of weather up here in Scotland, wet and very wet haha. Not strictly true after this nice summer. Take care 😊

[GCA1947 in reply to Hollyseden]

Dear Hollyseden

The weather forecast on the television always shows the big rain bearing clouds

over Scotland and of course you have high mountains which make rain. Suffolk is predominately flat and the weather can be different East of Martlesham but is absolutely throwing it down in Bury St Edmunds in the West of the county. I remember only on one occasion in the past forty-five years when we couldn't get off the drive because two feet of snow had fallen overnight. Jan and I thought we'd wangled a free day off but the Chief Executive made all the stop at homes lose a days holiday. This Klinefelter hates hot weather because testosterone coursing through my veins make me always feel hot.

Thank you for your kind thoughts

Regards

Colin

[Hollyseden in reply to GCA1947]

Boo to your C.O. for making you take a snow-bound day as a holiday. What a shame your body objects to hot weather. Mine doesn't like the cold soggy days. Lucky white heather eh 🌾 The sun is out today though so maybe I'll get a wee bit of tidying done in the garden 🤞

[kay7954 in reply to GCA1947]

Oh wow, that sounds like a nightmare and I am so sorry to hear about her passing.This morning I decided to go out in the sunshine to pull some weeds and I sneezed, that was torture! Decided the weeds will have to wait, bending over was not a good idea either.

[GCA1947 in reply to kay7954]

Dear Kay

I did warn you. You have to stop doing the things you used to take for granted, just concentrate on breathing. The awful pain will go away and things will become easier. The OH will be a tower of strength and you can look forward to the first hug (only take it easy). Ribs surround very important parts of your anatomy, and you must take care of them. I can't remember how long the ribs took to repair, I know that the Testosterone Replacement Therapy that got the Klinefelters Syndrome Osteoporosis under control and the fractures stopped. The metatarsal break was caused by my standing on the edge of a carpet step. That was a long recovery because it was my clutch foot in Janet's car where I shared the driving going to work.

High steroids for G.C.A. brought the Osteoporosis back and the spine fracture on 21/03/16 is still with me and still causing pain and am still on painkillers though reduced quantity as I'm having Acupuncture as well and that has been amazing but hasn't cleared the pain completely.

I do hope that you have a speedy recovery

very best wishes

Colin

[Jim-CJ]

Hi kay7954,

My wife broke three ribs, along with 9 vertibras. All due to Prednisone. But, thanks to Forteo for her bones and Actemra for tapering, she has not had any fractures since last fall. Please work on getting that Prednisone out of your body!

Best of Luck To You,

Jim & CJ

[kay7954]

I'm glad she is better. At my last appointment we did talk about the Actemra to see if I can come off the prednisone quicker. I have a feeling she will be pushing it now since I did this little number.