If you can breathe without pain right now, be happy

[thistlechaser]

Unsurprisingly, after two weeks of nonstop coughing day and night, I've pulled(?) something in my chest. (Unless I snapped a rib, which is possible to do from coughing, but I don't think I did.) This morning it only hurt when I coughed ("only", though I'm still coughing a lot). Tonight it's every time I inhale.

I sneezed three times this afternoon and thought I was going to die from the pain.

Even blowing my nose makes my chest hurt. I'm trying so hard not to cough, but the tickle builds and builds until I can't resist it anymore. Ow ow ow. I took my bottle of painkillers (over the counter stuff) to Alaska with me, and the bottle opened in my backpack so I had to throw it away, and I hadn't replaced it yet. Sure do wish I had saved some of the ones that were rolling around in the open, I'd happily take some now.

And in sick cat news: Ellie took her first dose of liquid medicine surprisingly well, though half of tonight's went on her cheek instead. Ugh. The blood tests for this cost about $150, so I don't want her to miss any doses and for us to have to go through this again...

Comments

[tersa.livejournal.com]

You may have cracked a rib (it is possible), but more likely is that you pulled a muscle or popped a rib slightly out of joint; they're not connected by more than cartilage and ligaments in the back to allow for expansion when you breathe. It's the same thing that's happened to me a couple times in the last year or so (especially if the pain is in the back, near your spine/kidneys).

A good chiropractor can pop the rib back into place, or it will eventually work its way back in. In the meantime, it's pretty agonizing, I know. :/

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Worried that I cracked a rib, I did a lot of googling on it this morning. I don't thing I likely did. I hadn't considered it becoming unaligned though.

Mine's in the front, maybe a hand's width (the shorter direction) from my breastbone. If it were on the left side instead of the right, I would be a lot more worried about a heart attack-type thing (though that the pain came only when I coughed made it pretty clear it was related to that). It feels like muscle pain, not deep in like my lungs hurt or something.

[isyris.livejournal.com]

Oh, owww, that does not sound good :( I hope you get feeling better soon!

Does tea with lemon and honey soothe it any, or is it all in your chest not your throat?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, unfortunately it's all in my chest now. A tickle deep down, that builds and builds. :/ Hopefully tomorrow will be better!

[vorrick.livejournal.com]

DDD: Oh agh, I hope that it heals up on you soon. Good thoughts for that and Elliecat. Between the pair of you, there's some getting well to do!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Thank you! <3

[liedra.livejournal.com]

I cracked a rib when I had bronchitis as a teenager, it was terrible. It's apparently pretty easy to do, so my doctor said. Not much you can do about it, sadly. I wouldn't worry too much about it (even though it's very painful!). It'll probably get better as your cough gets better.

Get well soon!!

BTW there is a shop here in the UK called Jenson's, and they sell DIY type stuff, but also to builders and things. The one near where I live has a poster outside for Thistle plaster products, which always reminds me of you. http://www.british-gypsum.com/products/thistle_plaster_products.aspx The poster says something like "For the best of British, choose Thistle!" so there you go. :-)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah ha ha! I love that link, thanks! I was grinning. "For the best of British, choose Thistle!" I think I need to move! :P

And thanks! My cough is somewhat better, but my rib/side/whatever is just as bad. x.x

[thevressclan.livejournal.com]

You might ask the vet if Ellie can get her meds in food. I had a small dog that absolutely would not take any meds, pill or liquid, so we had to crush them up and mix them with a small amount of his wet food. He would gobble that down without a second thought.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the idea! I was going to do that (without asking, cough), but she seems to be taking it okay as-is. Not happily and not willingly, but so far most if not all of it goes down her throat.

[ani-mama.livejournal.com]

If you haven't been to the doctor yet, you should go! Take care of yourself too.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Luckily my cough is almost gone, so I think I'm going to wait. Ribs/side/whatever still hurts, but that's getting better. Hopefully I'm on the mend!

[teaandfailure.livejournal.com]

THISTLE YOU NEED TO HAVE THIS LOOKED AT AND MAYBE GET SOME MEDICINE FOR YOU.

Also if Ellie loses her teef, she may be happier than she ever has been. One of my girls has the same virus and has lost like, all her back teeth (another reason we are Atkins Diet Soft Food Only at Casa Del Tea y Failure) and she's way happier than when they were in there and rotting.

But seriously: you have been sick this long and there is that pain, there may be fluid in your lungs causing that pain GO TO THE DOCTOR.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Oddly, I think Ellie is happier now that the teeth are out. (Or maybe not so oddly, since they likely hurt!) She's much more settled down and loving now than before. (But she was also at the vet's for 10 days, so I'm not sure which is the cause.)

My cough is a lot better today! Not 100%, but at least 50%. (I didn't wake up even once to cough my head off, woot.) I'm going to give it another day or two, and then if it doesn't clear up, I'll go. <3