Almost blew my Feb. 12 gig.

**ohiopiper** · 14th January 11, 11:53 PM

So late last summer I was approached by a leader from the Girl Scouts to do a presentation on Scotland for the Scouts World Friendship Day. I happily agreed, then discovered that two of my own nieces will be in attendance. Extra incentive to make a good showing. My presentation will include cursory overviews of the history, language, people and places of Scotland, with of course some discussion of kilts and a few tunes on the bagpipe.

I almost put that in jeapardy last Saturday. I took my six y.o. son sledding and we had a nasty tumble on the last run down the hill. He landed on top of me (better that than me on him!) and I heard a rather sickly crunching sound when my chest hit the ground. Got the wind knocked out of me and couldn't move without severe pain. Figured I'd cracked a few ribs. Been there, done that. Nothing a doctor can do except charge me for an X-ray and approve my self-diagnosis, so I didn't go.

I haven't even attempted the pipes since Saturday morning, as i can hardly even breathe without pain, much less play. All week at work was pretty ugly. Everything frm waist to neck hurt. Today I broke down and under the wifes' urging, went to the doctor.

A bit of good news, I didn't break a single rib. The bad news is that I dislocated all but one rib on my right side. I wasn't aware it was possible to do so until today. While I whimpered and complained, the good doctor proceeded to bend me around like a rag doll and several audible and many inaudible bumps and creaks took place. Hurt like the dickens, but I'm beginning to feel a bit better.

Doc says I should be good to go on the pipes in a week to ten days and has given me some exercises to do to make sure everything stays in its appointed place. There is some fear of them dislocating again due to previous injury and spinal arthritis.

Good thing i got fixed up, I don't think I'd find many other pipers willing to do this gig. It will consume several hours and I agreed to do it gratis. We'll see how the chest is doing in a week, doc says to go back if it's not improving substantially by then.

**rtc872** · 15th January 11, 02:35 AM

Wow! you can do that? I thought they were pretty well attached.

**OC Richard** · 15th January 11, 05:14 AM

I didn't know that ribs could be dislocated either!

I can't see how you could blow the pipes with sore ribs like that.

I had a piping student years ago who had a cronic infamation of the connective tissue around his ribs, so that it always hurt to breath deeply. He had to give up learning the pipes.

Good luck! I hope your ribs heal enough to allow you to get through the gig.

(Wow a sledding accident in Ohio, and here in California it was 80 degrees yesterday!)

**ohiopiper** · 15th January 11, 05:24 AM

Until yesterday afternoon, I too was under the impression that your ribs were firmly attached. It turns out they're not actually attached at either end. the cartilige of the sternum and the vertebrae of your spine have pockets or notches that the ribs rest in.

**rtc872** · 15th January 11, 05:36 AM

xmarks - more than just kilts.

**dutchy kilted** · 15th January 11, 10:52 AM

I've dislocated the same rib several times. I also found out that once you dislocate a rib once, it then becomes much easier to dislocate again - isn't that cheery news! The good side is that with muscle relaxers and lots of pain medicine you are usually as good as new in 2 - 3 days. Happy piping!

**Jack Daw** · 15th January 11, 10:57 AM

Take care of those ribs, piper.

**BoldHighlander** · 15th January 11, 05:44 PM

Follow those exercises & get well soon!

About 9 years ago I "popped" a chest rib out of place. At the time I actually thought I was having a heart attack! The doc' told me its common for men, after putting it out to think they're having a heart attack (better to be safe than sorry though ).

Because it was over the heart, and affected all muscles in that area, it caused pressure on the heart & an irregular heart beat. All's well now though, however, sometimes it will "pop" out again. I have a "rubber band" the doc's gave me, and I slowly stretch it out at chest level (inhaling as I do), and slowly release & exhale (3x), to help ease it back into place.

I also have a 20+ year old motorcycle injury to my lower right ribcage (the floaters), where I tore the cartilage between the lowest two. Sometimes the bottom rib goes a wee bit off course.

I've been hard on my body when younger, and now (with age) it's catching up & reminding me of better times!

**ohiopiper** · 16th January 11, 12:29 AM

Quote:
I've been hard on my body when younger, and now (with age) it's catching up & reminding me of better times!

I remember my Dad telling me when I was young to be careful, all the nicks and dings I put on my body then would come back to haunt me. Yeah, but I was young and invincible! Now, I walk like Boris Karlof every morning until things loosen up. Much to the amusement of my wife and kids.

Fist fights, sky diving and life in the military are not conducive to preserving ones' body in pristine shape. All of which I, of course, engaged in while being young and dumb.

While at the doctors office, I filled out a form that asked me to list all previous injuries. I actually ran out of room on the paper! Yeesh. My old age is going to be a real trippy ride.

**BoldHighlander** · 16th January 11, 12:35 AM

Originally Posted by ohiopiper

While at the doctors office, I filled out a form that asked me to list all previous injuries. I actually ran out of room on the paper! Yeesh. My old age is going to be a real trippy ride.

Put's me in mind of an old, stoved-up bronc buster, who was once asked if he regretted how he had abused his body, and if he could, would he have change the past.
He thought for a moment and then said, "no, because I wouldn't have anything interesting to talk about later in life."