Broken ribs... or abdominal strain?

This weekend has been quite painful, and the spring/summer rec leagues are just starting. Last Wednesday I played volleyball with the team in a scrimmage against a team just beginning to play in the league. I'll save my comments regarding the level of play, however Wednesday night, I felt no pain and did not injure myself. Thursday morning would say otherwise.

The act of sitting up in bed caused me to lose my breath and flop back into bed, which hurt more. I was awakened by stabbing sharp pains in my left chest, to the point where I could not straighten my body, or take a full breath. I've never had a heart attack or broken ribs, but imagined that this is what either felt like.

I stumbled through Thursday and Friday, much in the same condition, generally in a protective and slow motion. Sleeping was incredibly difficult, as sitting and lying have been the most painful of all positions. Friday evening, I (stupidly) decided to play softball, as this was the first game of the season. On the second pitch, my first swing, I must have been favoring that pain, because I swung very funkily at the pitch and consequently dislocated my left shoulder (that would be about #12 on that shoulder, another blog on that another time). Undeterred, I continued to play, going seven for ten hitting and playing left-center field.

As an aging athlete, I need to be more aware of my body and what it tells me. Is it heroic to play through a possibly broken rib (which on Friday I was believing I had)? It caused me to dislocate my shoulder (again), and yet I played for two complete games. No championship was on the line, no millions of dollars... so why did I force this?

Simply because I love the sports, I want to play, and I want to compete. Stupid Answer? Certainly. And I would probably play again under the same circumstances. And over the weekend, after playing, things had not gotten better, so this morning (Monday), I went to the doctor. The result is that there are no broken ribs, but there is definitely some bruising and strained/pulled abdominal muscles. No activity for the week (no volleyball Tuesday, no double-header softball on Friday), and back-to-back soccer on Saturday and Sunday is right now debatable as to whether or not I can play.

So in the back of my head, until the doctor says 'no,' then I can play, which is why I played on Friday, and why I didn't want to go to the doctor today. Because if I had not gone, and the pain subsided tomorrow morning, I would be playing volleyball tomorrow night. Now, as long as my shoulder does not hurt (which it does), I would deal with the rib pain. Not because the team needs me, or can't find a sub, but because I love to play sports, and feel that a piece of me isn't right if I don't play.

It's like what my wife said on Friday, 'Maybe it's time to stop playing.' My response, 'You wouldn't like me very much if I couldn't play sports.'

- Tom.