Coping with pain
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Cottage tales | 33 comments
Snowdrops in the grass
“I’m afraid you are going to be rattling for the next couple of weeks or so.”
The duty doctor looked at the screen as he filled out the prescription.
I didn’t care if I rattled or even hooted at midnight. Anything to get rid of the pain.
Rushing down the garden last Friday, I slipped on a mossy brick path and fell backwards. Breaking a rib on an old stone planter.
Apart from being a bit sore over the weekend I must have been cage fighting in my dreams on Sunday night. By Monday I could hardly move – the pain was so severe. I also had developed a nasty phlegmy cough. Each deep cough tickled up the broken rib. In the end I realised that I couldn’t even sob as it was just too painful. Danny was away on Monday, so only the Min Pins saw my operatic slow stagger down the stairs to the loo.
I was treating the pain with Ibuprofen. The max dosage is six tablets in 24 hours. The gaps between the pills were a ghastly struggle. I’m a wooz when it comes to any sort of pain. The risk of torture meant that Spy was a career choice that I’d left to others long ago.
So yesterday I rang NHS direct and they advised me to go straight to my doctor. I was really impressed with the service from NHS direct. They were kind and gave me loads of useful advice – such as holding a pillow against the ribs to ease the strain of the cough. They also informed me that you could combine different types of painkillers to give 24 hour relief. You do need to check with your doctor before you try this.
They also explained that if you have damaged ribs the tendency is not to breathe too deeply. Consequently the lungs do not clear naturally and an infection can quickly set in. The key thing was to deal with the pain so as to be able to cough easily and effectively.
Danny and I glided down to Newmarket in The Duchess. The doctor took my temperature by putting a clever instrument I my ear! He prescribed antibiotics, codeine and worked out a combination of the latter and over the counter pain killers to make me more comfortable.
So I’m grazing on a handful of pills a day now. The pain is no longer at the knife twisting level of yesterday and hopefully I’ll be up and about very soon.
I’m looking forward to hearing that rattle when I can run down the stairs again.
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Oh dear you have really been in the wars the past couple of weeks. I hope you heal quickly. Take it easy.
So sorry to hear about your accident – any type of chronic pain is unbearable. Hope you are up and on your (steady) feet again soon.
Pain free of course….
Liz
Dear One,
Receive the love and good wishes from everyone posting here – myself included (as well as Danny) for your speedy recovery – and DON’T OVER DO IT while you are getting better!
Having not been on here for a while, I was hoping to read that you were fully recovered from your flu by now… Oh dear, what a nightmare! My BB had a similar string of maladies over Christmas with a mouth abcess, followed by a flu, followed by a tummy bug. All I will say is rest up, and follow all of this up with some good vitamins to give your system a boost once you are better. BTW not many people know you can combine ibuprofen and other painkillers at different intervals. I did this the night after my bunion op, whilst I was still in pain, I dread to think how bad it would have been otherwise… Hope you are feeling much better soon. All the best, Kg.
Oh my word! Take care Fiona and make sure you have friends come over to give you a hand with anything you need done. I hope the rib heals quickly but if not make sure to get a few bottles of co-codamol. Do they sell that over the counter there?
Photo please, Danny 🙂
The Solution Danny is to treat Fiona to a Teasmade! just carry up a 5 gall container of water and a box of tea-bags and leave her to it! – she can both make her tea and fill her “hottie” whilst you put your fee…I mean Slave away downstairs and in the garden! – soon be “Spud” planting time!
So sorry to hear you are in so much pain and discomfort. Hope the meds are working and that you’re back to normal ASAP. Take care. xx
.. just watch where you put the thermometer, nursie! ( see Terrier comment!)
Crikey “ all this lovely sympathy for Fiona is making me jealous.
Where is the sympathy for her nurse (me) or the admiration for my crisply starched white uniform with pretty blue piping and navy blue tights?
To be fair, she is a really great patient. Her primary requirements are hot drinks (tea) and hotties “ but several time a day. My knees will never hold out at this rate! It™s a tricky stairs here at CSH.