3 weeks today - all is good. curious about popping rib (?) noises when moving

[Les Hazelton]

Feeling well. Walking a lot. Started rehab this week. I have less sternum sensation every day it seems. I remember the surgeon the day of my release (day 5) holding two fingers a-straddle my sternum and having me cough to feel for any possible loosening of the wires/staples and all was secure. Now I notice knuckle-like cracking when rolling/reaching in bed at night or when shampooing in the shower. I would think if this was my sternum that it would be very painful. It is not painful in the least. Just more pronounced than it ever was before surgery. I asked a follow up doc if it might be crunching / adjusting rib ligaments, etc. and he said yes, that's what it is.

 

[Greg a]

As you heal the conective tissues take as long and maybe longer to grow back between the sternum and ribs and so a bit of clicking........because I have no conective tissue and sternum there are nights I must pull downward on my ribs and collar bone to eliminate the chocking sensation I get .....this is all part of "my new normal"



.:biggrin2:

 

[bocco]

I got quite a bit of that around week 5 I think. It's all gone now at 8 weeks. It doesn't hurt but it gets your attention.

 

[Bina]

Lots of "stuff" is adjusting in those first few weeks. I hated it and slept flat on my back like a corpse

 

[yotphix]

The good news is, it gets less frequent fairly early on, but for me at least, was an occasional feature of my life for more than a year. In fact I had the most disconcerting noises of all just about a month ago, and I'm coming up on three years. I think that the connective tissues occasionally scrape across or pop over wire or something like that. Painless, and harmless as far as I can tell.

 

[Les Hazelton]

Very reassuring. I love this website. Thank you.

Greg a - no connective tissue or sternum?!?!? What's the story?

 

[Greg a]

Hope you got and understood my PM

Greg

 

[tabitha]

I dont want to be all paranoid on u and i am by no means an expert however.....i am five days post and the tehab people here say that there should be no noise like a click or a pop. Now maybe they are talking within the first six weeks but if it wereme i would call my doc just to makw sure