This post is not, in fact, as the title suggests, as I am not a DOCTOR. My friend, let's call him "Kellan", had a bike accident in a crazy crack addict run-in on Sherman Ave. Unfortunately, this was on the way to see my concert, so I haven't quite worked out my feelings of guilt about that... The point is, his chest has been hurting for weeks. He finally sat down at work the other day, perhaps too vigorously, and heard (and felt) a snap coming from his ribs. Since then, he's been in intermittent severe pain.
This same said friend does not believe he needs to go to a doctor, because he's scoured the internet and it tells him that there's nothing a doctor can do for him. I believe we should let actual doctors decide and not chat rooms, hmm? Folks, PLEASE COMMENT so We can show him the extreme error of his ways.
And we can all get back to biking without fear of collapsed ribs, lungs, or friends.
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6 comments:
Well good lord. Imagine that getting internally infected and the infection spreading to your brain, and then the painful and confusing death caused by that, "Kellen".
Or, like, don't go to a doctor. What do I care?
Pearls at swine...pearls at swine...
:)
Having personally suffered through a primary pnuemothorax (spontaneous collapsed lung) for nearly a week, thinking "nah I just pulled a rib out, or something." When I Did see a radiologist, I was informed that I needed to:
"go immediately to an emergency room, do not stop for lunch, do not go back to work, do not go home, go immediately to an emergency room". As such, I think "Kellen" should definitely ingnore his body's primary method of indicating distress and problems and instead rely soley on the internet when deciding all of life's major concerns.
well said, friends.
First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their concern.
Unfortunately, when I was finally chided into going to the ER today, I waited for 4 hours at Bethesda's famed Suburban before being summarily dismissed.
Since (as I predicted) there was no break in the rib, the two Physician's Assistants decided that there was no plausible reason for the *snap/crunch* and the excruciating pain I've felt for the last two days. Instead, while I waited in a gown for almost 2 of the 4 hours, the two of them discussed Gray's Anatomy episodes (have you ever seen the one where they push on the painful spot and the patient laughs uncontrollably?) Apparently this is a valuable lesson in differing patient pain responses when tutoring a younger PA.
When I asked about the possibility of a separated rib, the PA in charge, who was variously identified on hospital documents as PA Jon as well as Dr. Jon, looked at me blankly and said that Advil should be enough to make sure that I can sleep at night.
Well thanks, Jon! I haven't managed to sleep for an uninterrupted hour out of the last 72, and I have an average of 5 generic ibuprofen in my blood at any given moment during the day.
Since the X-Ray conclusively failed to show any soft tissue damage, (by definition), and there was no breakage of any sort, my condition remains:
After a several thousand dollar charge to my insurance company for 7 X-Ray shots and an ER visit, I am left with "bruised ribs" wich should heal within 2 weeks after the trauma (We're at 4 weeks after the accident) and a reccomendation for Advil.
Thanks once again, "Dr. Jon Gonel**"
When I drink the pain away tonight, I'll be thinking of you.
Sorry for the misspellings. I'm trying to take enough medicine to fall asleep.
um.... [awkward silence]
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