A Cracked Rib! - DND

A CRACKED RIB:

On Saturday 18th of October 2003 I cracked a rib and bruised several others on my right hand side.

I was doing boxing sparring and by the end was really knackered as I was the only one who had turned up with the instructor and I was getting 2 minute rounds instead of one. The instructor is great and there is certainly no blame attached to him whatsoever.

At the end my legs were gone and one final hit knocked me down but I actually fell into some weights that sit round the room we spar in. For the rest of the day a rather bloody nose was my only concern but as the week progressed my rib began to hurt considerably - I had to wait 6 days to see the Doctor where he confirmed the crack and bruising.

Over the weeks I still can't sleep on my right side and the pain has moved around the rib-cage several times. Whenever I come off the painkillers it comes back again. The Doctor said it would be a month before the pain went and little could be done apart from painkillers.

I've been able to carry on doing Taekwondo, maybe at 75% and certainly not doing any sparring - the thought of getting a whack in the ribs is unbearable!

I found this link for any of you with rib problems - I know it relates to exactly how mine are reacting at the moment.

How people cope with a BROKEN rib is beyond me. It's a more nasty, annoying injury than I ever gave it credit for and unfortunately there appears that nothing can be done bar rest.

**W/C 27th OCTOBER**

Pain is immense. It hurts just to touch and is even worse with a sneeze or a cough.

**W/C 3rd NOVEMBER**

Being on holiday helps. Had a couple of swims and hot spa's which has helped no end. Still occasionally hurts with sneeze and I get very defensive if anyone gets close to my right side. I couldn't imagine taking a hit on that side at the moment.

*W/C 10th NOVEMBER**

Couldn't sleep on my right side on the long plane journey home. The overall pain seems to have eased but and jolt or prod is a reminder that it hasn't gone away.

**W/C 24th NOVEMBER**

General pain has gone but I still can't lie or sleep on my right hand side - I'm hardly taking any pain kilers at all now but pain does tend to come back now and again.

**W/C 1st DECEMBER**

Still can't lie or sleep on right and ribs started to hurt during a Taekwondo warm-up. The general pain is still pretty much gone but a sharp pain sometimes reminds me that the whole thing hasn't completely healed yet.

**W/C 8th DECEMBER**

Pain is now just about gone. It seems to have taken ages.

**W/C 15th DECEMBER**

It seems to be healed totally now. It's taken virtually 2 months to clear - TWO months of painkillers and no contact on the painful area.

Everybody will have a different recovery time - I kept very active but never did too much - it sometimes hurt more after inactive periods of time than when I was active.

Mini 2008 Update:

I never realised at the time I was sparring Martin Alden, an excellent boxer / kick-boxer who's fights for AFCMPT, the same club I've been at now for about 6 months. I met up with him again a while back after training with Mr Carter.

If you ever see him fight in the ring you'll realise how carefully he went with me! Samll world.

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