Thought I just bruised some ribs after my crash — now something feels really wrong inside
So I got into an accident about ten days ago. I was making a left turn at a notoriously bad intersection — the kind where the sight lines are awful and the light timing makes no sense — and got clipped pretty hard on the driver's side. Cops came, report was filed, and I even sent a note to the city's traffic engineering office because honestly that intersection has been a hazard forever. They acknowledged my message and said they'd look into it.
Anyway. At the scene I felt shaken up but okay. Next day, sore. I figured I'd wrenched my torso pretty good and maybe bruised a rib or two from the seatbelt. Took some ibuprofen and tried to rest.
Today though — something shifted. I'm getting this deep, dull ache on my right side, kind of under my ribcage but also radiating toward my back. It's not like muscle soreness. It feels internal. Like something is wrong that I can't see.
I know I should probably go to the ER. I keep talking myself out of it because my last ambulance ride left me with a bill I'm still chipping away at. I'm sitting here hoping if I just wait a few more hours it'll settle down.
Has anyone else had delayed internal pain after a crash that turned out to be something serious? Or am I being paranoid? I genuinely can't tell if this is muscular or something more concerning. Would love to hear from anyone who's been through this.