Pulled rib

Now I have something new to obsessively google about.

My mid back pain was pretty bad this morning. Getting out of bed was painful, changing the heating settings in my car hurt, just plain breathing hurt. Getting food and water up to my mouth hurt until I figured out that I had to prop my elbows up on the desk!!

Fortunately Len was able to see me this morning at 10:30. He thinks I pulled my rib--from sewing on Saturday! Jeesh. After several painful moves and presses, he was optimistic for my recovery. He thinks I will feel a lot better in 48 hours. He says it's a totally separate injury compared to my lumbar pain. It's not my back, it's my rib! It's a different injury and that is great!! I said, but this pain feels a lot like my lumbar pain felt back in January, especially the "getting worse with time" aspect of it. He said this is acute, not chronic, at least not yet. At one point he told me I will get better and somehow that sent me over the edge and I cried. Len, his wife, and the next patient could hear it, but I couldn't stop myself.

Karen worked me in her schedule for some acupuncture tonight at 5. She had me get into a position, on my side, involving a lot of pillows, which was actually really comfortable once I was in the position. I didn't feel any pain at all in that position, not even lumbar pain. Really wild. But the pillow is stuffed with buckwheat, so my left ear really hurt and my left shoulder was hurting after lying for about 30 minutes on my left side, just from the pressure. Karen said it should be easier for me tonight to be in that position in my own bed since the pillow and bed are softer than the table and buckwheat pillow at the acu office. She also put some needles in my back for the first time ever, and she only put needles in my right foot. She felt all around my back and said she can see the damaged area. I asked, "What does it look like?" and she said when she presses on it, that area turns red and the other areas don't. Anyway, after it was over, I was freezing, and started shivering, and my back tensed up and the rib area started hurting. Gah!! The pain! But once I was in the car I blasted the heat.

Len recommended ice and ibuprofen. At work I took my knee ice pack, covered it with a kitchen towel I keep at work for my ice packs, and then thought about how I was going to hold this ice pack to my back in the right spot. So I shoved it under my bra strap and it did the trick!!!

Pete's handmade birthday card arrived today--I'll post it on my birthday. It's really awesome!