How long for recovery - broken ribs and punctured lung?

[Ross]

So I have broken ribs and a punctured lung - not from a cycling incident - happened 2 weeks and 2 days ago. I'm walking and can do most things slowly with some discomfort still, have to pop a paracetamol/ibuprofen tab at night to help ease the pain in bed but drug-free apart from that.

Getting a bit stir crazy being off the bike, though last week I did go for a short 16km ride but found out the hard way that it was too soon as I pushed too hard and set myself back by about a week. Any medical types or people experienced similiar injury know when I can resume riding again?

Riding and trying to put in an effort was a bit like trying to bail a boat full of water with a sieve, I just couldn't get enough air in and then the ribs started hurting from all the heavy breathing movement.

I'm normally pretty active on the bike, 6-7 days and ~400km a week.

[nickobec]

I have broken my ribs and punctured both lungs, along with a couple of other injuries 20 years ago. Took a couple of months, just to get back to "normal activities" was not riding then.

Recently badly bruised a couple of ribs in a fall. Back riding after a couple of weeks at low intensity (restricted due to cause of fall). Did heart stress test at 3 weeks and another at 4 weeks, both got cut short due to rib pain at about 90-95% of my max HR). But that was the oK to increase the intensity, just had to back off when my ribs hurt. Back racing 8 weeks after the fall with no ill effects. So unfortunately it is a long recovery for you, as I did not break my ribs that time.