Holiday prep includes a trip to the ER.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I was doing so well on my holiday prep ... until I wasn't.  On Sunday, I hurt my side getting up off the floor after tending to my senior dog in the middle of the night.  I was a little off balance and felt a sharp pain in my right side.  It hurt most of the night, but ibuprofen got me OK enough to go to work.  I was thankful that my clinic job isn't that physical and I got through the next 2 days.  

This morning, after I walked my dog (a big dog who can sometimes get a little excited to see his "friends") and did some cleaning around the house, the pain in my side kept getting worse.  I could barely get up out of a chair and couldn't reach into any lower cabinets for things I needed for Thanksgiving prep.  I finally decided to go get it checked out - The X-ray showed I fractured my 11th rib.  You know how most people have some space between their ribs and their pelvis?  Well, I don't anymore (see below).  The weird little twist I did as I was trying to get up off the floor caused my pelvis to put too much pressure on my lower ribs and one fractured.  They gave me a shot of Toradol and sent me home with instructions to do some deep breathing, pain patches and tramadol and told me I should rest.  The ER doc was supposed to give me a letter for work in case I didn't think I could work on Friday, but that was missing from my discharge packet.  

A little backstory, which kind of ties into @PeterPan's post about shrinking ... 

In June 2020, I fell onto my rear end and felt an explosion of pain in my lower back.  All I could do was lie in the fetal position on the floor and moan.  My husband came up to check on me and, when he touched me, I about bit his head off.  I ended up crawling 10 feet to the dog bed and laying there.  I probably should have gone in to get it checked out but 1) it was the height of the pandemic and you had to be almost dying to go to the hospital, and 2) I was in so much pain that I couldn't make rational decisions for myself - when my husband asked me what I wanted to do, I just didn't want to move.  (He should have insisted, but I had just bitten his head off.) All of this to say that I likely suffered a spinal compression fracture and I lost nearly an inch of height.  Which shortened the already small space between my ribs to next to nothing - my 12th rib is at level to or inside the iliac crest (top of the pelvis.)  Last year, I had a Dexascan which showed that my osteopenia had not progressed much in a decade since my last one, which is good news.  But I will need to work on strengthening my lower body, something I've been neglecting since all the stuff I need to do really really hurt my knees.  

It was a group effort to get the pies done tonight.  I will spend Thanksgiving hopped up on pain meds.  Hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving!

[Harriet Vane]

Golly! You poor thing—I’m so sorry you’re in pain. 

[Arcadia]

24 minutes ago, dirty ethel rackham said:

But I will need to work on strengthening my lower body, something I've been neglecting since all the stuff I need to do really really hurt my knees.  

@PeterPan “Superman” exercises might help but you have to go slow when starting. 
https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/superman-exercise#benefits

[dirty ethel rackham]

2 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

@PeterPan “Superman” exercises might help but you have to go slow when starting. 
https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/superman-exercise#benefits

I really like this exercise.  It is very helpful in keeping my back and shoulders strong for my job, which has a high risk of musculoskeletal injuries.  I had been working on my core as much as I am able - I still have some residual issues from the spinal compression fracture - some positions are painful.  But my biggest issue is lack of quad strength - everything you do to strengthen those hurts my knees.  

[Arcadia]

10 minutes ago, dirty ethel rackham said:

But my biggest issue is lack of quad strength - everything you do to strengthen those hurts my knees.

If you have membership to an indoor heated pool like at the YMCA, water exercises are good for slowly strengthening without over-stressing your knees. 

[dirty ethel rackham]

16 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

If you have membership to an indoor heated pool like at the YMCA, water exercises are good for slowly strengthening without over-stressing your knees. 

I'll have to look for a place to join.   Since the pandemic, 2 facilities nearme with heated pools closed.  I don't have a ton of time to exercise due to commute and long days.  But I'm trying to get some stuff in.  If I could find a good gentle yoga class that works for people with broken bodies ... most yoga studios around here focus on what I call "athletic competitive yoga."  I need an in person class.  Since I had covid, I just cannot make myself exercise other than going for a walk and a few things to prevent shoulder injuries at work.  

[Kassia]

I'm sorry!  That sounds so painful!  

I've lost over an inch in height in the past few years (I'm 56).  I recently had 3 MRIs done on my spine due to neuropathy in both legs and some intermittent back pain; two fractures were found along with other things.  I don't know when the fractures happened - if the are very old (I had a bad fall years ago and broke my tailbone - maybe then?) or if they are fresher (had terrible back pain in March, but don't know what caused it).  I've been doing a lot of strengthening and decompression exercises for my back since then.  

Would you follow along with a youtube workout for yoga or mobility or just back exercises?  There are so many good ones available.   

In any case, I hope you heal well and feel better soon.  ❤️ 

[Ottakee]

5 hours ago, dirty ethel rackham said:

I'll have to look for a place to join.   Since the pandemic, 2 facilities nearme with heated pools closed.  I don't have a ton of time to exercise due to commute and long days.  But I'm trying to get some stuff in.  If I could find a good gentle yoga class that works for people with broken bodies ... most yoga studios around here focus on what I call "athletic competitive yoga."  I need an in person class.  Since I had covid, I just cannot make myself exercise other than going for a walk and a few things to prevent shoulder injuries at work.  

Check out DDPY yoga.  Www.ddpyoga.com

It is weird and not traditional yoga but he has levels and programs for all levels….starting with those that can’t get out of bed or walk at all.

I suggest the app as it gives you hundreds of programs to chose from, well organized as to levels and focus.

I started the program at 245 pounds, torn meniscus in both knees and 50 years old.

I am now down to 167, can backpack 12+ miles, do 12 minutes of the stair climber at the gym, and have minimal knee pain.

I would start with the chair series where you do all the exercises in a chair and then move up to Stand Strong where you use the chair for balance and modifications.

some programs are just 3 minutes long, others over 75 minutes long.  I tend do chose those no longer than 30 minutes.

Later in I added water aerobics….starting with a strength and stretch one for seniors and now the past year Planet fitness a few days a week.

[regentrude]

I am sorry! Broken ribs are terribly painful. I hope the meds work and you're healing quickly. 

[fraidycat]

Oh no! Sending you quick healing vibes! 

[popmom]

That sounds so painful! Take care of yourself and rest! 

I second the suggestion for DDPY. I think it’s a great exercise program. I used it for awhile, but ended up switching to Yoga with Adriene because I needed something slower and more “meditative”.

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by popmom

[PeterPan]

Oh my goodness, I didn't even know that could happen! I'm a little shortwaisted anyway, so now I'm going to be watching the space for my ribs, oy! 

I hope you begin to feel better soon. 

[Grace Hopper]

On 11/23/2023 at 11:57 AM, popmom said:

That sounds so painful! Take care of yourself and rest! 

I second the suggestion for DDPY. I think it’s a great exercise program. I used it for awhile, but ended up switching to Yoga with Adriene because I needed something slower and more “meditative”.

 

Do you access this via YouTube or elsewhere?

 

@dirty ethel rackham thinking of you today and hoping your pain is diminished and manageable. Also echoing water work for rehabbing injured muscles and initial strengthening work. I am regularly in the pool myself;  and one of my kids (as a teen) had PT in the water after a knee injury, it was gentle and effective therapy. 
 

I’ve also recently seen videos about slow walking backwards on an inclined treadmill. It sounds a bit tricky to execute, but apparently gets the quad muscles firing to strengthen them up to better support knees. I believe going backwards up stairs has a similar effect, I haven’t tried these moves yet but will soon. Perhaps you’d find the stair walking something that would help and an exercise you could start slowly and carefully with. 

[popmom]

1 hour ago, Grace Hopper said:

Do you access this via YouTube or elsewhere?

 

@dirty ethel rackham thinking of you today and hoping your pain is diminished and manageable. Also echoing water work for rehabbing injured muscles and initial strengthening work. I am regularly in the pool myself;  and one of my kids (as a teen) had PT in the water after a knee injury, it was gentle and effective therapy. 
 

I’ve also recently seen videos about slow walking backwards on an inclined treadmill. It sounds a bit tricky to execute, but apparently gets the quad muscles firing to strengthen them up to better support knees. I believe going backwards up stairs has a similar effect, I haven’t tried these moves yet but will soon. Perhaps you’d find the stair walking something that would help and an exercise you could start slowly and carefully with. 

Yes—she’s on YouTube. Tons of free videos. 

[dirty ethel rackham]

Thank you all for the kind words and suggestions.  The pain is more manageable.  I'm down to taking the tramadol at night and ibuprofen during the day.  I find that work is less painful than life at home, but I don't have deep couches as work and don't have to get things out of low cabinets.  I scanned 9 patients yesterday without much pain.  

I will look into DDPY again.  I had tried it a while ago, but couldn't figure out where to start.  I think I am much more able than chair yoga.  I had worked on my fitness levels before we went to New Zealand in September because we planned lots of outdoor things. I was working on stairs and limited hills (limited by the fact that we live in one of the flattest parts of the country) and step ups on and off the BOSU ball in all directions. But what I did was not enough.  We did some difficult hikes (listed as moderate, but nearly killed me).  And even just walking around Wellington and Queenstown was challenging since it is very hilly.  Despite all my preparation, we did bite off more than I could chew.  But I haven't done much since coming back from New Zealand.  I'm gone 12 hours a day, 4 days a week for work.  K is going through a really rough patch.  Our dog is sundowning.  Walking the dog for 45 minutes a day 3- 4 days a week is all I am managing.  

[Ottakee]

1 hour ago, Grace Hopper said:

Do you access this via YouTube or elsewhere?

 

@dirty ethel rackham thinking of you today and hoping your pain is diminished and manageable. Also echoing water work for rehabbing injured muscles and initial strengthening work. I am regularly in the pool myself;  and one of my kids (as a teen) had PT in the water after a knee injury, it was gentle and effective therapy. 
 

I’ve also recently seen videos about slow walking backwards on an inclined treadmill. It sounds a bit tricky to execute, but apparently gets the quad muscles firing to strengthen them up to better support knees. I believe going backwards up stairs has a similar effect, I haven’t tried these moves yet but will soon. Perhaps you’d find the stair walking something that would help and an exercise you could start slowly and carefully with. 

My physical therapist suggested this to me for my knees.  Start with lower incline and 1/2-1mph and hold on to the hand rails