I just found out from my sister, who is an RN, that my cousin broke her sternum. She supposedly woke up today with her chest hurting and went to have X-rays done. When she was questioned about how she did it she said that it must have been when she was wrestling with her 50lb son. She has had a fusion surgery on her neck and sees a pain specialist regularly. I cannot imagine her wrestling with her son let alone wrestling so vigorously that she could break her sternum.
I have been worried about my cousin for a few years now. She has always drank way too much and she started smoking pot on a daily basis. Our grandmother got very sick this summer and eventually passed away. My cousin was under the influence of something about half the time I ran into her while visiting our grandma. When we planned the funeral she was horribly messed up. She seemed like she was drunk, high on pot, high on pain pills, and on some sort of anti-anxiety medicine. During the two days we were at the funeral home she was so messed up that I asked her husband to take her home. She didn't leave early but everyone agreed with me that she should have left. She has been messed up probably half the times I've seen her since this summer.
I'm not sure how this injury is even possible the way she described it. Supposedly she just woke up and her chest hurt. That means she broke her sternum and didnt realize it at the time, went to sleep, slept all night, and woke up and finally had the thought that maybe I need to see a doctor. I've known quite a few people who have had open heart surgery and most of them say that having the sternum cracked is the most painful part of the surgery.
Has anyone ever known anyone who has broken their sternum? Are there any medical professionals who know anything about this? We know she is lying to us but we can't figure out how this could have happened.
Thank you for any advise or theory you might have.
Has anyone seen her car? Sternum fractures are usually the results of a car accident when the drivers chest hits the steering wheel. Is it possible that she had an accident under the influence and is ashamed to tell you (or worse may she have been involved in a hit and run)?
Just a theory...
my MIL broke her sternum when her car was hit head-on by a drunk driver. Perhaps your cousin was driving under the influence of something? I'm going to say that I don't think it's that easy to break a sternum.
Did she BREAK it or FRACTURE it? Big difference between the two.
USUALLY when this happens it's from:
a. a car accident - hitting the steering wheel
b. running into solid object (i.e. light pole)
c. CPR - when not done properly the sternum can break and/or fracture.
If she's an alcoholic or addicted to pain meds - check her car or find out if she has been hit by one (bruising, etc.).
I realize you are concerned about her. If the whole family agrees, then do an intervention to help her. It's extreme. However, if she doesn't want the help - nothing ANYONE does will help her. She will have to WANT the help or hit rock bottom before she reaches out for help.
The sternum is cartilage and somewhat flexible. I too would suspect a car accident in which she was thrown against the steering wheel. But that would've broken ribs too, most likely. I was in a head on collision during which I struck the steering wheel. My sternum didn't break but I did have a couple of broken ribs.
I've had my chest cracked open and don't remember that the sternum was so painful. The incision was painful and so perhaps I just couldn't differentiate the two pains.
I do think it's possible that wrestling with someone, especially if they're under the influence with poor balance and judgment could break the sternum. You could call the hospital advice nurse and ask.
She probably doesnt even know how it happen! Maybe she fell and doesnt remember?
Maybe her pain meds were hiding the pain?
Her husband isnt abusive is he?
Hmm.
I broke my 4th rib right at the sternum. I knew immediately when it happened because I felt like I'd been kicked in the chest.
However, I have brittle bones and I was simply getting up from a laying down position when it happened. The "pop" was audible. My son in another room asked "what the hell was that?"
I couldn't speak. I couldn't even catch my breath.
I thought maybe I popped something out of whack.
It happened on a Saturday and I suffered in agony until I went to work at my hospital on Monday when they got me in for x-rays.
There was no "trauma" involved and I couldn't believe I broke my rib. But I did.
All I can think is that if your sister keeps herself so medicated, she may not have been able to feel the pain when it happened. I certainly did. How she got the injury is anyone's guess.
Breaking anything in the chest is extremeley painful. That's all I know.
I managed to do it without wrestling, being in a car accident, falling, being hit in the chest. I knew the second something was wrong. But, like I said, I didn't suspect breaking anything because all I was doing was getting up.
I'm waiting for insurance authorization for a bone scan because I tend to break easily.
If you don't have access to her protected medical information, you may never know if she is lying. Or exaggerating. Or brittle enough to break something.
The upside is that she sees a specialist regularly so hopefully they are tracking all these things.
She may be having more issues than you know.
Best wishes.
