Day 250- Thankful my rib is healing

Perhaps some of you have noticed that I’ve not been very active in the blogging world during the last several weeks.  It all started when my daughter and I drove to my sister’s house to help my sister take care of our mom.  During our last week there, I fell and hit my rib. Hard. I hoped I would wake up the next morning feeling better, but such was not the case. So, my brother-in-law dropped me off at the Emergency Department of the nearby hospital that was unknown to me, and I painstakingly walked myself in.

Compared to other visits to Emergency Rooms in the past, this ER trip was probably the best ever in terms of speed and of an attentive, active, available medical team. The x-ray they took showed that no ribs were broken, and after four days, the pain seemed to be finally under control.  Key words, “seemed to be”.  I thought I was on the mend and would be pain free in a short time.

My daughter and I said our goodbyes to my mom, my sister, and her family, and I drove the five hours home the day before the first major snowstorm would have hit the city we were leaving. We arrived home safe and sound, thanks be to God!

But by the next morning, my rib had started hurting again, a lot. So, I called the doctor and had a phone appointment with him in the afternoon. By the time the appointment was over, it was too late to get the second x-ray that he had ordered.  I was, however, able to get to the pharmacy before it closed to get the prescription ibuprofen, but the pain was very intense by then. A little later that day, a patch of skin in the front of the rib area started to swell.

The next day I took my daughter to her physical therapy appointment because it had been scheduled for quite some time. I had to have her drive part of the way; I was having troubles getting into and out of the car, and my range of motion on the steering wheel was problematic because of the rib pain.

After her appointment, we went straight to radiology to get my second rib x-ray, after which the pain became very intense again for a second afternoon in a row. I called the doctor and left a message about the pain and about needing to know what to do next asap. Then I took a short nap.  Pain is fatiguing.

Since that time, I’ve been three times to an osteopath who did some procedures to get the rib back where it belongs, as it was recessed in the back and protruding in the front. (The second x-ray also showed no fractures.)  The swelling went away, and the pain has finally gone away, except if I try to lie face down on a surface such as the leg curl machine at the gym or the doctor’s examination table.

In the midst of the intense pain, I asked myself what I had to be thankful for, and here is my list:

I’m thankful that:

• I got to have lots of laughs with my mom.

• She actually remembered my name the day before we left.

• We spent a peaceful and enjoyable time at my sister’s house.

• The Lord gave my daughter and me a safe trip home and helped me not to be in much pain until the next day.

• We have doctors, and I was able to get a same-day phone consult.

• I have a phone.

• We have good medical insurance.

• My daughter is getting stronger and has kept up with her physical therapy exercises.

• The doctor and physical therapist were very nice.

• The osteopath’s procedure helped get the rib back in place and on the way to healing.

How about you?  What are you thankful for today?

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