Re: [Paddlewise] Broken ribs

At 11:17 PM 6/28/99 -0400, Barbdoerr_at_aol.com wrote:
>Over the weekend I broke two ribs (the 7th and 8th on the right side).  Since 
>I have a trip planned to the Azores in late July, I wonder if I'll be able to 
>paddle.  I would appreciate any advice, recommendations or advice.

Hi Barbara et al!
Ouch! Oweee! I feel for you; I cracked one of my lower ribs a month or so
ago (fell on a shovel. pretty stupid, huh?) and it still hurts. Even so,
I've been out paddling my canoe pretty much every weekend, although I pay
for it the next day. I would imagine that so long as you are not in danger
of one of the broken ribs moving or whatever and doing further damage, your
ability to paddle will be determined by your tolerance to pain. I would be
pretty cautious as to how strenuous of a excursion you commit to, as you
will not be able to output anywhere near 100% of your normal level, and
also because the wrong movement, or an inadvertent blow to your damaged
ribs will quite likely incapacitate you for anywhere from a couple of
minutes to a day or longer. I'm sure you can imagine scenarios where that
would be "A BAD THING".
Additionally, here is an observation from my younger days on a motocross
track. With enough pain-killer in you, you can probably get up and run a
mile on a broken leg. Resist the temptation. You will pay for it in spades.
On the other hand, an 800mg ibuprofen caplet might save your butt if things
get real bad half the way home. 
I personally have found that once I am safely home and parked in my
lazy-boy a couple of shots of Quervo with a cold beer chaser go a long way
toward easing sore ribs, and any other minor aches as well ;-)
Have fun, but take it real easy . . .
ByeBye! S.
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