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   novatorine 🏴🏳️‍⚧️ (anarchopunk_girl@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 21-Aug-2023 01:48:46 JST novatorine 🏴🏳️‍⚧️

   I decided we weren't going to the hospital today for my probably slightly fractured ribs after all bc there's no point, what're the doctors gonna tell me to do I ain't already doing? So here I am again, uncomfortably stumbling through another day of my ribcage steadily hurting more lmao

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     Passenger (passenger@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 21-Aug-2023 01:52:06 JST Passenger

     in reply to

     @anarchopunk_girl

     Would you like some medic tips or have you got this?

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     novatorine 🏴🏳️‍⚧️ (anarchopunk_girl@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 21-Aug-2023 01:59:47 JST novatorine 🏴🏳️‍⚧️

     in reply to

     • Passenger

     @passenger comrade I don't got anything I have no idea what I'm doing, I'd appreciate the tips

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     Passenger (passenger@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 21-Aug-2023 02:11:15 JST Passenger

     in reply to

     @anarchopunk_girl

     As a street medic:

     The first few days will hurt like fuck. Paracetamol and ibuprofen both help, but ideally only use ibuprofen after the first 48 hours (cos it can slow down healing within that period.) If there's swelling during this period, do the ice peas trick.

     The ribs should heal by themselves in a few weeks, and broken ribs have a low chance of infection. You can help by trying to sleep sitting upright for a few days, or at least more upright than you usually do. Try to avoid sleeping in a foetal position, and try not to lie down that much while awake. You want to be vertical as often as possible.

     Get into the habit of taking deep, slow breaths regularly, ideally hourly. Yes, it'll hurt at first. It'll help it heal. You want to get as much air in your lungs as possible to keep them healthy, and you want your rib cage to stay accustomed to its full range of movement.

     Don't do heavy work if possible, especially not heavy work that involves lifting shit or bending over. Especially not bending your back.

     This is a weird sounding one, but make sure you get regular gentle shoulder exercise. As the ribs heal they'll pull on all your torso muscles, and that'll lead to stiffness in your shoulders.

     If they don't feel better after a few weeks, or if you get a fever or are coughing up mucus, go see a doctor. Even if chest infections are normal for you (as they are for me) you 100% do not want a chest infection while you have broken ribs.

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     novatorine 🏴🏳️‍⚧️ (anarchopunk_girl@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 21-Aug-2023 02:19:57 JST novatorine 🏴🏳️‍⚧️

     in reply to

     • Passenger

     @passenger thank you so much! It's actually a good thing you posted this because I actually thought that I *should* be lying down during the day, which apparently is the *opposite* of what I should be doing lol! Also regarding pain this is a very very minor thing whatever it is, which is another reason I'm refusing to go to the hospital despite my girlfriend's wanting to get an x-ray, it like hurts in a way that's weird and unusual but it certainly is not severe lol.

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     Passenger (passenger@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 21-Aug-2023 02:26:26 JST Passenger

     in reply to

     @anarchopunk_girl

     You can tell your girlfriend that an x-ray is usually not that useful for minorly broken ribs cos what the fuck can the doctor do, they can't splint a rib. The real danger here is a chest infection; it's one of those things where broken ribs are usually minor and a chest infection is usually minor but if you get them together then OH NO. If she feels the need to worry about something then she should worry about that.

     She can also take you for long walks during which you do lots of deep slow breathing. Possibly while holding hands. That's something girlfriends are often very good at helping with.

     On the note of chest infections, try not to get covid. Like, this is general good advice, but especially now.

     I am not a doctor or a surgeon or anything, just an antifascist medic, so if a real doctor contradicts me then go with their advice.

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     novatorine 🏴🏳️‍⚧️ (anarchopunk_girl@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 21-Aug-2023 02:29:02 JST novatorine 🏴🏳️‍⚧️

     in reply to

     • Passenger

     @passenger thank you so much, this is very helpful <3

     Also "cos what the fuck can the doctor do, they can't splint a rib" I was cracking jokes about this last night lmao