Thursday, March 31, 2011

Um, Er... Yeah. Ow.

Somehow no matter how sure I am that I'm banged up "enough" I usually find a way to make it worse... and since I'm currently drugged up and absolutely certain ya'll want to hear about it, I decided to put up a post about it.

The speculation as to whether or not one of my ribs was cracked is now pretty much settled, pending the official report from the radiologist. Except that it's not cracked anymore....

Shortly after my help left I discovered that I was out of cheese for pizzas. Considering I'd just gotten an order for three of em, I was gonna need that, so I went to the cooler only to discover that no one had gotten any more out when they used the last of the last box.

Now, I'd like to note here that I knew full well I shouldn't lift that forty pound box. I just didn't have a better idea at the time. (Shortly afterwords I realized I could have opened the box and moved the bags one by one, but that was while I was thinking of a million and one ways to kill someone with a bag of frozen mozzarella.)

I hefted the box, started from the freezer to the cooler, and about halfway from where I picked it up to where it needed to be I felt a sort of pop, and my knees damn near gave out on me.

Short version, it took a couple hours to get someone in to cover, and a couple more hours in the ER, but Doc says he sees a fracture, and they'll call me with the official report tomorrow. I've never had a broken rib before but from the way it felt I'd call it broken, myself, even though I didn't see anything obvious on the x-rays.

They gave me a shot in the ass though so I'm feeling pretty good right now. Toradol, for the medical geeks.

Boss is pissed cause I have official no lifting pushing or pulling whatsoever doctors orders until I'm released... with a follow up in two weeks and unlikely to be fully released for six. Which means I can't do nights.

I'm totally upset about that considering I've been trying to get off nights for months now.

On the other hand he may just take me off the schedule for not being able to do enough of the job, which would suck but it would suck less than finding out that another rib had a crack that I can turn into a break, I guess.

I'll find out what's going on there tomorrow, I'm scheduled to close but I don't know what he'll do with that... And on that note I think I'll go get some sleep in case I get a call in the morning that I swapped shifts with someone. First impression seems to be that he'll schedule me off Friday Saturday Sunday and Monday for next week, which will eat my paycheck but give me a chance to heal some. We'll see.

10 comments:

Peter said...

If I were there, I'd spank you for being naughty and trying to lift that box! Hey, girl, we love you just the way you are! Please, please stop trying to break bits off??? Otherwise I'll send Ambulance Driver down there to splint every limb! That's sure to stop you!

Ambulance Driver said...

Word of advice: Don't wrap your chest with an Ace wrap, no matter how good it feels, and take a deep breath every now and then, no matter how bad it feels.

Broken ribs hurt even worse when you complicate them with pneumonia.

FarmGirl said...

AD, the doctor told me they didn't do the compression bandages anymore just for that reason, and gave me the same advice. I plan to follow it.

Still haven't gotten the official word yet, but then it's not like they don't have anything else to do.

NYEMT said...

+1 for AD's advice. At the same time, be careful about coughing, sneezing, and hysterical laughing. (I know - no laughing? Kill me now, please, and get it over with.) A buddy of mine broke a rib a few years back, and nearly punctured a lung when he sneezed too hard while it was still on the mend. Take it easy for few weeks!

Joshua said...

AD- put me down for one involuntary wince when I read that bit on pneumonia. I'm one of those explosive sneezers, easily heard fifty yards away, and I can't begin to imagine how pneumonia'd go over by comparison.

FG- Until you get those nifty hook-joints that let us pop your hips back in with rubber bands (like old school GI Joes) take it easy!!

Jennifer said...

Oh sweetheart! I know, I'm so very much the same way. Hence the degenerative disk in my neck. Be careful with yourself. I'm really not kidding. It's not a fun time to be 32 and seriously talking about fusing vertebra.
Breathe, take it easy, and feel better.

Anonymous said...

Since you felt the pop while working, can't you get workers' comp?

Old NFO said...

Stubborn, thy name is FG... sigh... GET WELL!

Rude1 said...

Sorry to hear of your accident and hope you get to feeling better. I've never broken a rib until a couple of months ago when I got in the way of my mares rear hoof... Dumb story, but man, I had no idea how bad cracked ribs could be! I hope your friends and family aren't like mine and feel the need to make you laugh...

Best wishes from another S. CO blogger!

Anonymous said...

Might I just add stay away from cough-y little kids, too? Broken and cracked ribs on top of whooping cough were utterly, totally, absolutely no fun. I still want to find that brat and swat her from Springfield to Limon. And it was 13 years ago!
LittleRed1