Last weekend, while visiting a friend's cabin for the weekend, I managed to fall and land on my side. As I was falling, I tucked my elbow into my side in an effort to break the fall somehow.

The next morning it was sore, but not so bad I couldn't move pretty freely. I just had to be careful and could get around fine.

Monday morning, same thing. Still sore...but not too bad. Then Monday afternoon, it happened. As I was sitting at my desk, a "sneeze" came on. I didn't think that much about it, so I let one go with all the force I normally would. Bad idea!

At that moment, I both "felt" and "heard" a "pop" in my side! And the pain that followed was nothing short of excruciating! I started feeling that feeling you get when you think you're going to faint. Light headed and your vision becomes a little blurred. It really had me scared.

I was the only person at the house at that time, so I called my wife and in what I'm sure was a frightened voice, I let her know what happened and that I was in pain. She said she would head my way as soon as she picked my daughter up from school, which wouldn't be for a few more minutes.

I called my doctor and they agreed to see me if I could get there pretty soon...so I jumped in the vehicle and headed that way, favoring my ribs all they way there. I called my wife in the meantime and let her know I was on my way to the doctor.

After an exam and a couple of x-rays, the diagnosis was pretty much as I had expected. A fractured rib and no other apparent damage. The doc looked at the x-rays with me, and there was no question about the break.

So what now? Nothing really. The doctor prescribed some pain medicine and he let me know that this would really only take the "edge off" the pain. It wouldn't make it go away. He explained that they do not wrap the ribs anymore as they want you to breath as normally as possible. Doing this along with taking some deep breaths throughout the day, will prevent you from getting pneumonia. So I wrote them a check for $150 and I was on my way.

A week later, here are some observations. Sleeping hasn't been that bad, but I've been pretty limited on how I sleep. I've been able to lay in bed on my back and the opposite side that I hurt. This has worked out OK. I hear others who have had to sleep in a recliner for the first few weeks, so I guess I'm fortunate.

Coughing & laughing are two things you will want to limit or avoid completely! It's actually good to cough a little to get that crap out of your throat and sinuses, but I think you will soon learn your limits! In my case, it helped to back up to a wall and brace myself. This limited the movement of the chest so it didn't hurt, "as bad".

Sneezing? Well...I haven't sneezed yet, (knock on wood), and I'm praying I don't have to for a while! Based on what it feels like to let out a little cough, I can only imagine what a sneeze would feel like!!! I'm blowing my nose regularly and clearing my throat as much as possible to avoid a sneeze.

Something else that I've experimented with, is taking a regular bath towel or something of that nature, and wrapping it tightly around the ribs in anticipation of a cough or sneeze. I think this would probably help...but it's not going to help completely.

Overall observation...a rib that is actually broken, (not just bruised), is very painful! And there isn't much to do but to try and get some rest and let it heal on it's own. My doctor said I was looking at 4 to 6 weeks to recover, and he acted like it could take even longer.

So I'm just being as careful as possible. Chewing my food well and being conscious of drinking fluids, so as not to have a "coughing fit". And of course, Heaven forbid I have to sneeze for a while!

Good luck!
Chris

An Article On Hormonal Fitness Past The Age of 30

This blog article deals with adrenal health. Without healthy adrenals, you may not be able to achieve relief from your symptoms.

The solution I'm sharing today devotes over an hour of audio time and dozens of pages on how you can restore your adrenal health and be on your way to relief.

For now, let's cover two of the basics:  physical rest and natural supplementation.

Your adrenal glands are the front-line defense against stress-related symptoms and illnesses. In addition, their proper function is critical to your hormone health.

The best way to support adrenal gland function is simply to rest. You must take time to allow your parasympathetic nervous system to work its magic.

However, certain herbs and nutrients can also support healthy adrenal function.  Vitamin C, ginseng (Panax spp), and rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) have all been shown to provide powerful, natural support.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in Germany, researchers found that 3 grams of vitamin C in divided, sustained-release dosages kept blood pressure, anxiety and cortisol production under control after a stressful situation.

Combined with ginseng (Panax) and Rhodiola rosea, vitamin C makes a powerful adrenal support vitamin.

As always, check with your doctor for exact dosages.

There are many other tools and strategies for the relief of menopause, andropause, perimenopause and symptoms of fatigue covered in this program --


Learn more today, and let's get you on the road to your ideal post-30 health!

Recently, a friend of mine at work dropped by my desk and said,

"hey...did you hear about Ron? He started having chest pains the other night, his family rushed him to the hospital and it turns out he had a heart attack! Some arteries were almost completely blocked and others were 60% blocked!"

Needless to say, I was shocked! This guy works out and is in pretty good shape. And...he's about the same age I am. Turns out he had a family history of heart disease which probably had a big impact on his own health. Fortunately, he made it to the hospital in time and doctors were able to put in stints and perform their magic on the less blocked arteries. Ron is back at work doing "half-days" for a while.

I'm not the type of person that believes you fall apart after 40. I don't think that has to be the case at all, even though we're conditioned to think that. But I do believe that in order to stay healthy we have to do a little more than we once did. When we're younger, we're typically more active...playing sports, working out and eating right so we can try and be more attractive to our prospective mates. As we get married and grow older, many of us tend to slack off on all the activity. Life turns into a quest for material goods instead of health. Thats not "always" the case, but frequently it is.

At some point, (hopefully before it's too late), we start realizing that there is more to living than having the fastest car and the biggest house. Being healthy and feeling good about yourself will give you great piece of mind. You know, you're not going to live forever...thats an inescapable fact. Take care of your body and it will make your life and living, so much more enjoyable...even if you don't have all the money in the world.

Try doing something good for your heart and the rest of your body this week. Visit a local walking track and spend 15 to 30 minutes walking. If you go by yourself, you'll be surprised how "peaceful and relaxing" those few minutes can be! I love to go do this, just so I can get away from work and "de-stress" for awhile!

If you're not a healthy eater, make some changes in your diet. You don't have to go full speed on the latest fad diet. Just try to eat healthier. Add some fruits and vegetables to your diet, have a salad. While you're eating, think about how those good foods are working with your body to make you healthier. When I'm eating a cheeseburger, (as much as I love them :) ), I can just imagine the grease and fat flowing through my body :( . On the other hand, when I'm eating healthy, it just makes me feel better because I can see those healthy foods working in conjunction with my body instead of against it.

If you haven't been in for a physical lately, call and make that appointment! Get your cholesterol & blood pressure checked. Listen to your doctor's advice on how to improve your health. Having peace of mind is an important part of living happy.