While on a trip in Scotland, I managed to misstep my way into a hell of a fall and fractured three ribs. The moment it happened I was sure that something terrible had occurred and the resulting pain made me question whether or not to test the “free” healthcare available in the U.K.

I opted to go the route of all of the stubborn men who had died before me and gave myself some time to assess the pain and if it was proceeding to wane. Once I returned to the States, I made an appointment with my local clinic and got an x-ray. The x-ray indicated that I had fractured ribs 8, 9, and 10 on the left side. They informed me that if I was concerned, I could utilize a referral to orthopedics to review options. If nothing had improved at the first and second week mark, I decided that I would take this under advisement and see ortho to be safe.

Now that one full week has passed, I can safely say that my pain level is tolerable with acetaminophen and ibuprofen and taking it easy. Sleep is possible now and it’s only certain actions that cause things to flare up and remind me I am still healing. By the second week, I honestly believe the painful portion of the healing will have passed, and the rest will be happening without my knowledge.

I didn’t need any reminders of my mortality and how close we are at any moment to the most excruciating pain imaginable, but the message was received loud and clear. The initial moments after impact had me comparing the pain to anything I have ever experienced and noting that the fall was equal or worse than any of those events. This includes recovery from open abdominal surgery and the initial shock of my hip replacement. It was that kind of pain for days, and I never felt sure that I could avoid it.

The prognosis for rib fractures is fairly good, and I am sure that mine will be fine once they have healed up. I will see to this with a follow-up after several weeks and request images to confirm things healed as expected.

I’m glad it wasn’t anything more serious and I’m bummed that it basically ruined a couple of days at the end of the trip, but the bright side is that everything will be alright.