Fractured Ribs
 

I was involved in a pretty bad accident while riding my bike. A guy ran a stop sign and hit me. (no money, no license, no insurance). I have three broken ribs. This happened 15 days ago. It`s still painful getting out of bed or off the couch. Sneezing and coughing still has me screaming. I`m 72 years old. Has anyone had fractured ribs, and how long before you were riding again. Bike is totaled, so I`ll be getting a replacement. I`m going buggy sitting around the house. Doctors told me 6-8 weeks, but I should feel better at 4 weeks. Doctors said I most like could not ride a 4 weeks. They said it would just be too painful.

I may not know you personally, but you are a member of what I consider my extended biking family here on bikeforums. I’m sorry that you lost your bike. But I’m thankful you are able to tell us about the accident. I hope you heal quickly and well.

I broke a couple of ribs about 10 years ago. Very painful, as you say. I had a cheap upright exercise bike for winter training back then, and within two weeks or so I found that I could do steady-state pedaling on it at a decent effort level as long as I sat bolt upright.

I’m a multi- event member of the broken rib club. I can confirm that it can be quite painful. Coughing can feel as if someone shot you in the chest, and depending on the severity of the break, it can hurt to simply get up from a laying down position.

In my experience, it’s about 4 weeks until it stops hurting, but again, that depends on the severity of the break (displaced or not, and how severely displaced it is).

I broke 3 ribs last year in a fall. I was bruised up pretty bad. However, I was back on my bike within a week. I was sore for about 3 weeks. I didn’t know I had broken my ribs until I had a PET scan for a nodule on my lung (since gone) and my doctor asked me if I knew I’d done that. I told him that would explain the pain I had for a few weeks. I couldn’t sleep on that side and it was hard getting out of bed. I’m sorry your bike was totaled, and I hope you recover soon and get a new bike. I hope you are able to get back out there soon.

Oof. That sucks. Fractured ribs is the worse that I've ever felt, I think. I fractured ribs during a 24 hour mountain bike race. It was probably 1am. I walked miles and miles back to the start/finish. Back at the rental house, I remember crawling quite painfully into a top bunk (foolish, I should have accepted the offer of the lower bunk), and then being on my hands and knees unable to roll over onto my back because it was too painful. I'm having PTSD right now writing about it.

It eventually heals, measured in weeks, not months. Get well. Hope you get a shiny new bike for your troubles.

Have you met with a personal injury lawyer? Just because he doesn't have insurance doesn't mean you can't sue. You may not get much, but perhaps garnishing a portion of his wages for years to come will give him something to think about / regret doing.

Broken and badly bruised. Almost the same thing especially in terms of the pain. I would agree on 4 weeks, minimum. You can't really rush things as it's very painful trying to ride and hitting a bump or something. Mt biking is certainly out.

I recall needing a chest x-ray once for a chest infection, the radiologist was present and looking at the x-ray asked me, pointing just left of the breastbone "when did you break that rib ?". "I've never broken that rib" I replied. "You sure did" he stated, pointing to a spot on the screen. I then recalled 2 falls, once on a mt bike in New Mexico, one after a collision with another cyclist at the NYC Century that were likely the cause. 20 years later that cartilage is still painful at times. I really hate doing rib damage.

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Yes
They looked into the guys history.
He`s already has multiple law suits going on against him. Dating back years.
They don`t think adding one more would bring me a good judgement.
They are still following up, but advised me my best bet of get money for a new bike, is paying the $500.00 detectable on my homeowners insurance.

2011 crashed caused by a truck that did not hit but still drove away. Our attorney put in a claim to car insurance (FL) and they paid off $$$$$. No Fault State.

2020 crash caused by Wild Hog at 1:25AM. Got on bike and rode 4 miles home. Woke wife and told her, took shower and tried to get into bed. FIRE and PAIN so she took me to ER with results being 2 cracked ribs, punctured lung, cracked scapula, trauma to left shoulder, had a drain inserted and they sent me off in ambulance to Trauma Center. Saw personal Ortho after hospital release and he said 1 week off bike and try riding upright bars with caution. AGE was almost 70. 2 years and 3 months later hit by another wild hog. :foo:

Good luck.

You gotta watch out for those Wild Hogs! :lol:

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...85998bb64.jpeg

I broke my ribs in a crash on the Blue Ridge Pkwy on my Triumph Motorcycle. The doctors said 6-8 wks and that's exactly what it was.I was in my mid-60's at the time.

Another multi-event member here. Broken ribs suck. My first time I also wrecked my shoulder. (Collarbone and a lot of soft tissue damage, real amounts of which are permanent. (I saw pain at a level of 9.5 a number of times - I reserve 10 for childbirth; one I'll never see.) Figured out the routine of sleeping on my good side, then getting up and sleeping the next stretch in an arm chair so I would never have to roll over. (In the hospital the weekend nurse was a big, imposing and almost scary woman. When I rang for rollovers. it hurt a lot! Monday night I rang again. Nurse was a normal sized woman of normal strength. Rolling me over sent the pain through the roof! Never touched that all button again. Mentioned this when I went back for a follow-up visit.. The doc - that big woman was really, really good!

So I kept pillows and blankets in the living room. Rollover time, I just went there and settled into my favorite armchair. Later moved to the other one.

The biggest challenges of broken ribs are getting enough oxygen and sleep for good recovery. The good opiates are a godsend if you can handle them. They allow you to inhale past the pain point. Help with sleep. Those who cannot or should not do opiates - my best advice - keep your ribs intact. (And a really good reason not to mess with those drugs any other time so you keep the option open. Not that this advice will change anybody's behavior.)

I broke a rib when I was in my 50`s. It was painful, but I was still able to function fairly well. I mentioned this to the doctor. He asked how I broke the rib, and I told him in a trip and fall.
He reminded me that tripping and falling on the sidewalk, is not the same as a car hitting you.
I guess I just don`t have any patients.
Weather is getting nice, I started my motorcycle up just listen to it, looking at the crumbled up Trek in the garage gets my blood boiling!

It's been a few days since your post, but I figured your recovery remains ongoing so checking in

Totally agree with your doc. Nothing is the same as being hit by a car

Still, broken ribs just take as long as they take to heal and there's not a thing you can do about it, so all the best and good luck with that. As for the bike, get it out of sight for a bit if it helps

The Trek I was riding in 2013 when I was hit by a truck and thrown twenty feet is on its own bike rack as a trophy in the garage

If any of the other lawsuits involve him driving a car, it sounds like the guy is a public menace, and criminal prosecution is in order.

If he is driving with no license and no insurance, that's illegal of course, but one would think he would then drive with the utmost of caution. None of the above? Time-out in minimum security and a strong threat of greatly increased incarceration time if caught driving, even lacking any accident.

On July 7th, few months ago, I was walking carefully on two inches of powder snow, heading into the local rec center to shoot a game of pool with friends, who we all regularly meet. 11:30am and the parking lot was not plowed by the city, rec center was deserted, opened at 7am. Carrying my hard cue case under my left arm, small bag in my right. Was wearing winter boots with grip, was in very good condition. Didn’t matter, the snow covered solid ice and my legs went flying out from under me. Wham! I fractured #6 rib and non displaced fracture to the pelvis. Pain was off the charts plus I could not put weight on legs. Took six weeks plus for the rib to heal and twelve weeks for the pelvic fracture. Have continued soft tissue discomfort in the groin and rib area fully healed. Rib injuries can affect proper breathing and pulmonary conditioning plus, tough to sleep. Time is the best cure and you got to take it in stride.

I landed on my ribs sometime back and it hurt to laugh. I don't think I broke one, but maybe cracked one? Hate to think about broken ribs.

In contrast, one of our dogs had a broken pelvis and 3 broken legs when we got her. Having her checked out kind of slipped everyone's mind. Turns out that the pelvis and one of her legs never healed. She is the happiest dog ever. I also envy the fact that dogs don't get sinus infections.

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I`m getting around much better. Taking shorter rides on my 1985 Schwinn Passage. Great bike, but at my age I find it terribly uncomfortable. I still can`t sleep on my side. I`ve never slept on my back , so I have not been getting much sleep. Coughing or sneezing is still very painful. I actually have my Trek Verve in the shop. They think they can repair it. $500.00-$600.00 ! Still better than a new bike.

I broke six ribs and my scapula in a nasty bike crash ~12 years ago.
Took me two weeks before I could even get in or out of bed without screaming in pain.
But was back on the bike within six weeks.

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Getting in and out of bed was probably the worst. Especially out. And at my age , I take 2-3 trips to the bathroom every night!

We all have different difficulties resulting from crashes.

Had my 2020 crash caused by Wild Hog at 1:25AM. Got on bike and rode 4 miles home. Woke wife and told her,took shower and tried to get into bed. FIRE and PAIN so she took me to ER with results being 2 cracked ribs, punctured lung, cracked scapula, trauma to left shoulder, had a drain inserted and they sent me off in ambulance to Trauma Center. Saw personal Ortho after hospital release and he said 1 week off bike and try riding upright bars with caution. AGE was almost 70. 2 years and 3 months later hit by another wild hog. https://www.bikeforums.net/vb/cache/ds.jpg

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I think you should sue those guys..
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