Broken Ribs Recovery at 95

W

Wild1

New Member
Hi All- my grandpa recently broke 2 ribs. One in front and one in back. Lower ribs. Just cracked, not through or displaced.

Prior to this he was doing real well, very mobile, still walking doing yard work, driving and living 100% independently....but he is 95.
A little skinny but I would call him quite healthy considering his advanced age!

Day Prior to fall, he had his meds schedule disrupted, and had just started a new medication for prostate and had been catheterized in the ER the day prior due to a complication from a prostate exam bc could not empty bladder

Anyway, we have received little guidance relating to the broken rib from the doctors. Sucks that on top of it the guy has to deal with a catheter for the first timeIn his life.

While I realize that in younger people, broken ribs are usually just a fact of life and hurt, and eventually go away, I feel it might be different for someone so much older? I mean different enough from someone 55, 65, or even 75.....95. I mean how much rest is appropriate or helpful? How much movement is Okay? Is some pain okay as long as just doing things that aren't extreme, like getting up from a chair and stuff?

Curious what others experiences are and what kind of advice you have heard. How long did if take to feel better? What did your dr recommend for you in terms of activity/rest? (I looked this up and Web MD didn't give any applicable advice to super-seniors.... It was like, "avoid playing sports." LOL. (But I will remind Grandpa to stay away from Skateboarding and Hockey for a few weeks, just in case....))

For example should someone rest a bunch, to "rest the rib" and avoid "unnecceesary" activities, ( if someone can help him) or is it more advisable to try to continue doing as many daily activities as they can, and just realize that the pain will be there but keep going? (In his situation it's just cracked, it's not all the way through and it's not displaced or anything). What kind of advice have you heard or what worked for you/loved ones? How long did it take? Did they have you do physical/occupational therapy?

For example I know everyone's different but if you're 30 years you get than him and it took 8 weeks, well that tells us probably gonna be at least that!

Personally I am really worried, that considering he is underweight to begin with that he will lose core strength that may be harder to regain at his age. Then again, bone is harder to heal too, so I get the rest thing. I just worry that "use it or lose it" will apply here. But I don't want to push it and prolong recovery....

Also as a family, trying to get an idea of the recovery timeframe and depending on how long that is, and if it is in fact important to restrict his activity and use more assistance - then we might need to look into options for care (right now he doesn't need much, just things like cooking can be uncomfortable , getting up is harder because it hurts to engage his core, and he hasn't started driving again yet, and living in a rural area away from us that could be a problem).

Thanks all and sorry I couldn't be more concise.
 

I can't give you medical advice but I'm amazed at how little info you're getting from his medical providers! They should have answered all of these questions!

I hope he heals quickly.
 
Yeah I realize I am kind if skirting the edge of medical advice here.:... But hoping to hear similar experiences and the outcome and what others may have handled something like that.

He's healing good and putting on weight (I've been telling him, "eat like a young man, if you want to heal like one") but as are left just very much without answers here. Which is what I would expect if he was 30, 40, 50, 60, even maybe 70, but at his age I think more info is needed. Since for him, I think he walks a much finer line between living a healthy, vibrant, fully independent life, in his own home, and experiencing debilitating loss of function that could go downhill quickly.
 

Well I am not as old as your Grampa, but when I was 55 two years ago, I broke my leg in 5 spots and ended up with 2 rods and 16 screws in my leg, and it took me almost 2 years to recover the best I can. Still, have no feeling in my foot. My advice is rest the best you can, not to hurry the recovery, let people help you because as YOU get older you think YOU can still do things without help. Take the time to recover, do NOT rush it... Get as much help you can get!
 
This is not meant to be medical advice, but I wouldn't be too surprised if your doctors just don't have too much experience in predicting how long something will take to heal in someone who is 95 years old. Not too many people even get to be that old, and docs (around here, anyway) are notoriously reluctant to predict how long anything will take to heal or get better.

IMHO, if he is eating well and putting on weight and seems to be healing well, then he probably is. My doc is a strong subscriber to the "use it or lose it" theory and thinks it is important for us all to keep moving as much as we can, at any age.

I don't think anyone can predict when anyone will "experience debilitating function and go down quickly," regardless of age.
 
I agree that it's surprising you didn't get more information from the doctor who treated him. I'd push for more.

If you're really concerned, you might want to consider getting a second opinion from a geriatric specialist. If anyone has experience in predicting the healing time of a senior it will be a geriatric doctor.
 
About 8 years ago I was hit by a car while riding a motorcycle. Spent a week in the hospital with 5 broken back ribs and a partially collapsed lung. I'm OK now, but the ribs hurt a little depending on activity. After rest, they are OK. All injuries are different, so it's hard to project my experience onto his. Runners have a saying to listen to your body. Let him resume his normal activity as much as he feels like, I would say. A sedentary life style will kill you faster than broken ribs.
 
Wow, so many great responses here thanks all!

So, the good news is that his Dr's office gave me a call back yesterday. They echoed many of the same philosophies described here.

Fortunately he has an excellent relationship with his Doctor and the staff.

So, the dr's office gave us this advice:
-"HE'S GOT TO MOVE"
-"There's absolutely NO (Medical) REASON he can't be driving" (drove before and not on narcotics).
-"2 types of pain: 'Healing Pain" and 'Severe/"knock you out" Pain".
-as long as he's not having difficulty breathing, should be able to do just about any of his everyday activities provided it does not cause severe pain.

They said he will experience some pain and maybe even extreme discomfort doing certain things but they said he needs to be doing them, that is most likely "healing pain".

They said too much resting no good, needs to be active (provided no difficulties breathing which he does not have - just the 2 ribs that are cracked); no collapsed lung of anything .

They said we shouldn't help him if it's something he CAN do himself even if it causes some pain (eg to get up, etc). Needs to do as many things himself as possible now, they said that will help him maintain core strength and recover faster/more fully. If he rests too much he will become WEAK and "Deconditioned" quickly, and may not get that back easily or at all at his age. Hence the encouragement to "Get Moving".

It was so good to get some direct advice from the medical professionals, who know him quite well. They do know too, that my grandpa really enjoys his life and loves "to stay busy".

Anyway, as I was telling my grandpa all this that the doctors office said, he acted as if trying to rush me off the phone (something he almost never does despite me talking too much). I asked him what he was needing to do, He said, "well - I'm gonna get up!"

So, he got up, went outside and helped with the flowers (hanging basket) picking off the dead flowers. Spent a lot more time up and at it that day, and I could tell his overall mood/mentality had changed - his mood has been a LOT more positive, he's complaining of less pain, and he's acting like himself more!!!

This weekend I will be taking him home and staying with him at his house for a couple days. We will work on easing into activities he normally does, in his own home, with me there to make sure he is safe and help as needed. Will do whatever he is up for maybe even ease into driving.

I may also see if he wants to go to Menards and look at shower bars and such to install and see if we can't make his environment a little safer and easier to navigate.Going to Menards was something he would always do with me when I was a little kid, I loved when he would pick me up in the truck I helped him pick out. Now that truck is mine, and I get to pick him up in it, and take him there. Little things like this can be so much fun. I feel so much better now that the doctor has basically said there

Have a Happy 4th all!!!
 
So, more good news everyone!

He has been making huge strides every day. Independence Day took on another meaning for us this year!

I have been staying with him at his house this weekend. On the 4th, we were going to go into town, and I was going to drive the truck. He said, " what do you say, we take the (his) car instead?" I asked him, "you want to drive it?" He said, "maybe."

Sure enough when we went into the garage he hopped in the drivers seat and proceeded to take off. I have to admit, I was a little nervous at first. It had been nearly 3 weeks since he's driven, so I wasn't sure what to expect. He did great.

He's probably put close to 100 miles on the vehicle since that day! He said, "I love to drive, you know." And I could tell.

Since then also many other milestones made. Doing just a lot better with walking. Not complaining of rib pain. Today, he walked down the steps to the basement to do laundry. Again, I was a little apprehensive - would his muscles be strong enough? Sure enough he knows his body. Went down the steps with confidence and went back up them one foot in front of the other like it was nothing.

I absolutely can't believe, only 3 weeks and he's basically back to where he was before. He has made huge strides in healing every day ever since the doctor told him it was OK to start doing things again.

I take partial credit here for making sure he is well-fed (probably eating close to twice as much as before) but I think here, the healing, has been 95% attitude, and he has a fantastic attitude. I only can hope to have an attitude half as good as his IF/when I ever get to be anywhere close to that age!

I think, with healing these sorts of injuries, the Attitude accounts for about the same percentage points as your age. So, at 25 yrs old, it's about 25% attitude, 75% physical, at 50, maybe it's about 50/50, and at his age, it's about 95% attitude, 5% everything else. Not saying all situations you can heal out of .... Somethings may just we what they will be. But just that 5% just can't do the whole job you aren't just going to magically recover at that age, without a healthy dose of attitude to help things along
 
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