Bruised Ribs - Fell on Decking and Hit Railing . . . My Carelessness !

[markmark]

I am now on day 4 going on 5. At first it wasnt that bad, then slowly it felt like someone punched me hard in the chest then the pain set in. I went to the doctor, showed him the bump on my chest....thought for sure it was broken anmd the bone was sticking out, the pain was alot. I was scared of another cut/pin job, I've broken a few bones in my life.

Spiral Fracture of the Femer = Skiing. That was traction, pin through bone that they took out for the weights. Next was two bones directly above the wrist, pin/plates then took out so two cuts, but mine was three cuz it never healed properly = Mountain Biking crash. Next was just above the knee, car smoked me as I was crossing the cross-walk in British Columbia. That one was a total stay-in pin deal, just an inch below the knee. I wished I was in California for that one, Huge Ca$h settlement on that one, but no Im Canadian with free health care and limited guns and car accident limits

Bruised Ribs - They Xray'ed it, did the stethascope breath in-out deal, the doctor also pressed the chest. Conclusion, bruised ribs. OK, "how long doc before the pain goes away?" he says a week, I google its like a month on google. I trust the doctor, anyway the last day now I get this weird feeling on my ribs, its like they are moving over a speed bump, it doesnt hurt when that happens, just very weird. It only really hurts when I lay down and sleep now, so thats a good sign on only day 4. Taking Aleve, and tonight some sleepers because I havent been able to sleep at all.

Three things are good in life.

1) I'm alive
2) I'm a free man
3) I'm Healthy
4) No broken bones and it will not hurt in awhile

[kaimusailing]

Markmark,
About 10 years ago I was motoring my cat down in the Florida Keys and negligently letting it steer itself in the ICW channel while I tended to some stuff up on the starboard bow. Just then I saw a malevolent power boat with a big bow wave coming at me. As he turned I realized he was another of the bad guys who purposefully try to hit you with their wake. I began running back to the helm, but myboat changed its motion a bit and in mid air, while jumping over the bow hatch, I fell onto it. On the way down I though about the best way to contact the edges of the hatch and ended up with my right leg hitting the edge of the hatch as I went on running toward the helm. It hurt a lot and I ended up hopping around a bit. It started to swell up and I remembered someone saying, "You can't move it if it's broken". I could move it, with some pain, so it wasn't broken. It hurt a lot for the next few days, while I contemplated buying a firearm to ward off future power boats. I ended up flying up to Connecticut to take care of some business up there and visited a friend. I had to take the bus to town and his girlfriend of 23 also had to take the same bus. We walked to the bus stop and then she said oops, we have to run to the other bus stop to catch the bus! We ran and I beat her, the old fogie beat her. Later my doctor said, "You have broken your leg, but it has healed, how did that happen?".

[Waterway Guide]

Cruisin' for a bruisin'!
On our first trip down the ICW and Bahamas: Broken foot, broken hand, 2 broken fingers – each separate incidents. My wife had so many bruises I was seriously concerned about getting arrested for wifebeating. I think we got our sea legs on the second trip – much less painful.
Hope you feel better soon.

[rusky]

Mark,

I think its like running aground - we all have a story to tell.

A long time ago [3 yachts ago], when wife was girlfriend:

She, [who'll remain nameless] allowed a gybe as I was moving past the main traveller.

The mainsheet caught my shoulder blade and just touched my throat as the tension caught.

I was flicked about 6' across and out of the cockpit, scuppered literally.

I felt my arm had been ripped off, my throat ripped out. I lay there unable to move for quarter of an hour and could not speak and had trouble swallowing for a week.

A good lesson - aint hindsight grand! Although, I am a very slow learner, obviously hit my head too hard.

Hope you feel better soon.

[thinwater]

I think we've all been there. In my experinece, once you bruise them good once, that area will be a little more prone to reinjury, so be careful.

a. Slow down. But it's hard to learn.
b. Add nonskid, even if it doesn't look cool.
c. If you tripped on something, does it REALLY need to be there? Can it be improved?
d. Should the railing be padded? This can make sense in some key spots.
e. A foam PFD will provide some protection, if you need to do anything with collision potencial for the next few months.

Best wishes.

[defever]

about 10 yrs ago, when we were cruising down the coast of the yucatan, i opened the lazzarette to air it out. we always announce it being open by yelling " hole in the floor" and while i was walking to the stern and yelling " hole in the floor" i looked backward and fell into the "hole in the floor" and sprained my wrist pretty badly.....DUUUUUUUUH!!!

[mrohr]

Was told that most boat injuries are from falls,not necassarly overboard.
Anybody have any statistics?