Went down hard. Broke ribs and clavicle. Any suggestions?

[Idris Icabod]

I did the exact same thing about 3 years ago mountain biking. Broke 2 ribs on one side and the clavicle on the other, sitting up was difficult. The ribs were way worse than the collar bone pain wise. I had the surgery about 3 or 4 days after to fix the clavicle. It was incredible, went from having a pretty limp arm to feeling normal in a morning. Orthopedist said the biggest risk is for over doing it and ripping out the screws (happened to one of his patients who went back to the gym too soon). I rode my bike on the road about a week after, kinda stupid. Ride a trainer, don't go out on the road!

Heal well. I was off work for about 6 or 8 weeks but could have gone back way sooner but my employer at he time was a large pharma that was way over cautious. Staying at home was really boring, get a Netflix subscription!

[pdxharth]

So much good advice here, thank you all for taking the time.

I was already told by the ER doc that surgery wouldn’t be necessary. But it seems from a lot of experience here but it may be a good idea to look into. I am already painfully aware that coughing and laughing or not good ideas but it would be easier not to laugh if my wife wasn’t such a smart ass. Recliner is also really good idea so we’re going to look into that somehow. It is really hard to lay flat, impossible actually, So a recliner will help with sleeping reading relaxing watching TV and everything else.

A couple of you offer some perspective, but I’m wondering how long it will take before I can move around easier and get back to work. As a teacher, every day I miss can be a wasted day for my students. Right now, I am thinking I will take tomorrow off and try to get back on Wednesday but I don’t know if that’s realistic.

Thanks again for all the information and your suggestions. I knew I had a good resource here with lots of collective experience.

[cachagua]

Originally Posted by CaptStash

I am about five and a half months out since I went down. Same breaks as you with the added fun of breaking my scapula as well...

CaptStash....

Good to hear from you, Captain! I've hoped you were coming along well. Back on the bike much?
Best wishes for all of us that have gotten knocked around.

[ultraman6970]

Get well soon...

[shovelhd]

As for when you're able to get back to work, pain will be your guide. I won't drive on narcotics, so there's that. You should resolve the surgery questions as that will affect your timetable. Don't push it. REST.

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by pdxharth

I’m sure many of you have been in similar situations, this is the first time I’ve ever broken a bone, and I’m 52 years old. Any advice or suggestions are welcome.

How in the blazes did you ever avoid breaking bones when you were a kid?!? Anyway, FWIW, I have a 72 yo friend who 2 months ago went down and broke 7 ribs. Thought he'd be out 'till Spring, but he is in fact up and riding pretty well right now, so, you never know. Good luck with it!

[holliscx]

To stifle a sneeze, press your tongue to the roof of your mouth

[Tickdoc]

Ouch.

You can still ride....but I wouldn't advise it.

Fix it and heal, using the time to plan your re-emergence while simultaneously watching old race footage.

[Ken Robb]

I had everything you have plus a shattered scapula and more. I needed plates and screws to hold everything in place. I think my 5 broken ribs were the most painful aspect. I understand wanting to get back to work ASAP but I doubt you could be effective as a teacher and safe as a recovering patient for several weeks.

[kevinvc]

Originally Posted by pdxharth

Went down hard. Broke ribs and clavicle. Any suggestions?

For those who know Portland, I was near the bottom of Northwest Lovejoy in the S curves. It was wet. I slowed and the first curve was fine but the second was completely slick. My front tire went right out from under me like it was on ice. I landed on my shoulder and head, got the wind knocked out of me pretty good. My head was OK, as my new helmet did it’s job well. Thankfully, no cars were involved. I broke three ribs and my clavicle. Needless to say, I’m feeling pretty banged up today. They’ve got me on Percocet, Which works ok but not great, though I did sleep surprisingly well.

Sorry to hear about this. Do you mean the east side of Lovejoy as you're getting close to the Broadway Bridge or the west side coming down off of Cornell? When I'm coming off the west hills I try to avoid Lovejoy. My experience is that the west side tends to have a lot of hurried locals tailgating or making dangerous passes. And once you get to 23rd you have the streetcar tracks to worry about.

Anyways, this is a bummer. The main thing I have to add is to take the Percocet if it helps and nothing else does, but try to get off as soon as possible.Also, drink lots of fluids and get a lot of fiber when you're on it. That stuff can get you constipated. Move to acetaminophen or ibuprofen once you can. Oh, and stay on top of the pain. If you wait until things start hurting it's a lot harder to get the pain back under control. It sounds contradictory and is a delicate balance, but the stress and tension of being in pain and trying to tough it out will only set you back.

Good luck. As a local, let me know if there's anything you need help with; I'd be happy to run an errand or something if you need.

[msl819]

Originally Posted by pdxharth

So much good advice here, thank you all for taking the time.

I was already told by the ER doc that surgery wouldn’t be necessary. But it seems from a lot of experience here but it may be a good idea to look into. I am already painfully aware that coughing and laughing or not good ideas but it would be easier not to laugh if my wife wasn’t such a smart ass. Recliner is also really good idea so we’re going to look into that somehow. It is really hard to lay flat, impossible actually, So a recliner will help with sleeping reading relaxing watching TV and everything else.

A couple of you offer some perspective, but I’m wondering how long it will take before I can move around easier and get back to work. As a teacher, every day I miss can be a wasted day for my students. Right now, I am thinking I will take tomorrow off and try to get back on Wednesday but I don’t know if that’s realistic.

Thanks again for all the information and your suggestions. I knew I had a good resource here with lots of collective experience.

I broke my left collarbone a week ago this past Saturday. We were coming hard and fast into a corner and the guy in front of me hit a hole/bump which kicked him back and into my front wheel. I went down hard and fast. We were doing 27mph at the time. I am in the same boat. From all the docs I know they all say it is best to let heal without surgery. As well as to not sling your arm. They have said the movement is good. I am 9-10 days out and can say that my pain is much, much better. I won’t get back on the bike for a least a few weeks and then I’ll go alone so I have less risk of contact from others until it is good and healed. For me though I have found that sleeping laying flat is more comfortable. Sleeping upright left me with pain in my neck. To each his own is guess. My rib pain and what I assume was whiplash pain have gotten much better in the last few days. I still get tension headaches late in the day. I was back “in the office” by tuesday of last week. I was/am very cautious around people as a good bump still hurts like crazy.

All that said... heal up. Hopefully we wil both be back on the bike sooner than later. Good news for me was my body seemed to have taken most of the contact so my bike seems to be ok. On a side note... I slid for some time on my left shoulder and back. My Road Holland jersey was trashed but it kept the rash to a minimum. Anyone have some L/XL RH jerseys they want to sell? Hate that they are out of business.

[Ralph]

Take it easy, rest, and follow Doctors orders. Take your time coming back. I'm 3 weeks after a fractured leg (fibula) and two weeks after surgery. Still hurts. I am going to take my time getting back in shape. Following Doctors orders and lots of gym time. You will be fine. Let the family smoother you with care and affection. Maybe it's your turn.

[Drmojo]

Originally Posted by joosttx

Don’t sneeze, cough or shiver right after you pee. All three really hurt with broken ribs.

I have broken ribs 4 times now--3 from bike crashes, one stupid time at a party.
They always heal.
Heal up and be careful out there,
MOJO
the cyclothymic shrink

[fkelly]

I'd third the recliner recommendation. Turning over in bed can be excruciating for the first month of so. If you have a 15 pound cat the way I did you'll want to make sure it doesn't jump up in your lap unexpectedly.

[FlashUNC]

When I broke my elbow, we didn't have a recliner, but I found sleeping on the couch with the back of the couch as a prop for my elbow to lean against while I slept did wonders.

But yeah, this is 100% a listen to your body, the docs and take it easy. Rushing back does more harm than good. I had a pretty intensive surgery to put my arm back together, so it was a good week or so before I was walking around my neighborhood again to get out of the house. It's time to heal and you can't really skip steps.