Prayers for comfort

Any update? I hope you are ok.

I;m sure Jim doesn't need us ribbing him about how this may have happened....

The incentive spirometer is your friend. Use it as often as you can. Use a pillow up against the side that hurts worse and use it to splint the pain when doing deep breathing and coughing exercises. You don’t want to get pneumonia so make sure you use these techniques. Depending on your age you should do them more frequently. The older you are the more difficult it is to stave off atelectasis and pneumonia. Good luck and feel better.

Jim, you able to give an update yet?

I hope all is going as well as can be expected, heal up soon.

I'm home again and doing fine. I'm not going into details about how i managed break five ribs but Sunday night, March the 4th. I we had a windstorm and several roof leaks. After carrying buckets and pans up a pull-down ladder, I slipped and fell down the ladder. If wasn't too painfull a first, but after several days it got worse and I went to the ER. They shipped me off to a trauma surgeon and he operated the next morning. He attached reinforcing plates to all five ribs. The following video shows how the procedure works.



Thanks for the concern y'all have shown! I'll get the karma taken care of this weekend.

^ Dang, Jim, sorry that happened.
I have to ask, is Merlot freaked out?

The GF picked Merlot up and she stayed with her dog. She's back home how and asleep in her favorite chair. Thanks for asking bre.

Sounds like the rib plates will really help with the healing. Will you have to have them removed after you are all healed up?

No, they say in. The good news is that one can cough, laugh, breath deeply, etc. without rib pain.

Of course there is a ~9" incision and a hole through which they had a drainage tube, but that's a small price to pay.

Chicks dig scars, brah. Glad you are better.

Five plates of ribs. Big order.

Sorry to hear about your fall and injury, Jim.

Best wishes for a full and trouble-free recovery.

Any update? How you doing?

Like a three-legged man in an ass kicking tournament. Activity is back to normal and the incision has healed up fine. Thanks for asking.

That reminds me, I've got to retrieve those buckets and pans from the attic today. (Just kidding. )

This procedure is damn close to miraculous! The ribs have to be in pretty bad shape before you are candidate for it, but if you take the quick way down a ladder or whatever, you should check it out.

Glad you are all healed up and doing well!

Glad you are better Jim. Just remember the story is you were in a knife fight. Chicks do dig scars!

Years ago I broke one rib and that was bad enough. I hope you keep on the mend.

I am glad you are healed, Jim!

quote:

Originally posted by fatmanspencer:
Glad you are better Jim. Just remember the story is you were in a knife fight. Chicks do dig scars!

True, but it could be a worse story than falling down a ladder. At least he wasn't running from a bee.