1st question:  In a story I'm writing, a character has gotten several broken ribs from a severe kicking.  How long would he be in hospital (assume these are not compound breaks and not anything more serious)?  I know that when I had one broken rib as a result of karate training, I wasn't even held a single day, but I assume the situation might be different if, say, 4-5 ribs had been broken/separated.  Any ideas?  Another character is essentially going to need his ribcage wired back together.  How long is the recovery time on that sort of surgery?

2nd question:  Imagine you encounter your ideal fantasy amazon musclegirl.  Got that image firmly in mind?  Okay.  How would you approach her?  What would you say, and what do you think her response would likely be?  Remember, you get one chance, and only one to approach her.  If you miss this opportunity, she walks out the door, down the street, and out of your life forever.

Again, first question, no clue. You'd think with all the folks around here who are anatomy experts we'd have at least one person in the medical profession (or who might have accidentally broken one in the past).

Second question, like a lot of chaps who idealize amazons, no matter what, I'd probably walk right up to her and say hello and pray that she realizes my stuttering attempts at communication are the outward signs of courage laboring in the shadow of all that is hopeless.

Who knows? Hopefully she's reading a book at the time that I could comment on. Otherwise, I'm relying on the fact that I'm doing all I can to look her in the eye as she talks to convey my sincerity of introduction.

I LOVE questions like these.  Great idea, Stmercy!!

Can’t say what the answer is to the first, but as for the second question... I had a similar experience when I was confronted with a FBB.  However I had no clue that she was my dream girl at the time, so that took my “starstruck” handicap away.    For now though, if I met Nikki Fuller or Annie Rivvecio, I wouldn’t be so intimidated.  After all, they’re just girls!!  Of course, I would flirt my way through it, and just be myself.  They’re just like us folks, they too have dreams and hopes, and want to be loved.   

Peace and Love,

~Mimi

I'm not a medical person but I have had my share of broken ribs.  Like anything, it seems to be a matter of degree and location.

I was never hospitalized or operated upon for any of them.  The time when they (three ribs) were broken under my arm, near my shoulder, they just gave me a sling and told me to put ice on it.  The pain stopped after about three weeks and I was good to go at about seven weeks.  The time when they were broken over my kidney (again three ribs) they told me to avoid any trauma to the area for two months.
I know of someone who had multiple ribs that were each broken in more than one place.  That resulted in what he called a "flail chest" and he had to be on a respirator for almost a week because of the damage/bruising to the lungs beneath the broken ribs.  He never had surgery but he was out of commission for about three months.

Tschuss!
Hunter