I was playing at a local session about a month ago that I play at every other Thursday. Most of the regulars didn’t show up, so it was between me, a guitarist, a whistler, and a bodrhan player to keep things lively at the pub.
I was basically the lead instrument, so I had to carry most of the tunes and play longer than usual without any real breaks.
I use a pad on my arm side of my bellows, but nothing against my ribcage side. I have always played this way since I started playing in 1998.
Well…let me tell you, I had the worst chest pain the next day It felt as though I had cracked a rib. I have cracked ribs before in cycling accidents so I know what it feels like. I lived with the pain for two weeks and finally decided to see my doctor. Try explaining that to your doctor. They don’t even know what an uilleann pipe is let alone how you could injure yourself with one!
My doctor recommended an X-Ray. I had one and it turned out that I had just badly bruised my inards.
I am now well healed after four weeks, in which I couldn’t play my pipes.
The moral of this story is…use a pad on the inside of your bellows!
Sorry to hear that, and best wishes on the recovery.
On a related note, I gave myself a hernia after playing highland pipes at a Robert Burns dinner a few years back. Had to get surgery and everything. The hydorcodone was super, but the whole ordeal set me back a bit financially.
I keep scraping my knuckles on my bellows… one of these days I’m gonna have to switch them screws out.
Well if you’d just strap them to yer elbow like ya s’posed to, and not wear 'em on your fist, ya wouldn’t have that problem 
… oh… you mean they’re not supposed to be strapped to my fist? Heh, well, that explains a lot. 