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Original poster

Daughters foot - time for A&E or self care at home?

41 replies

Chatbotsarerubbish · 15/05/2024 20:19

DD12 hurt her foot on Monday at school - someone fell into her as she was walking up some steps and she turned her foot (she thinks - bit vague!).

Monday she complained about it and said it really hurt walking home from school.

Tuesday struggled to walk to drive to school where she hopped around all day. Picked her up as too painful to walk. When she does walk she says it hurts less to walk on her heel

Today: appears more swollen. Movement is limited, hurts to flex her foot.
I rung the doctor but no appointments. 111 said self care at home but obviously haven't seen photos of it.

It always seems more swollen in the evening. Have applied cold compress and all that jazz.

What would you do? Photo of good and bad foot.

Daughters foot - time for A&E or self care at home?
Daughters foot - time for A&E or self care at home?
OP posts:
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Princesspollyyy · 16/05/2024 12:28

Well done for taking her at last! At least you know it's not broken.

Princesspollyyy · 16/05/2024 12:27

Chatbotsarerubbish · 15/05/2024 20:34

@ButterCrackers exactly - and the fact you have to fight just to get seen. I also took her to a pharmacist this afternoon in desperation.

Sorry but what do you expect a pharmacist to do? Apply X-ray vision?!

Why are you avoiding A&E or a walk in centre? Your poor daughter!

Original poster
Chatbotsarerubbish · 16/05/2024 12:09

Just got back - x-ray was all clear so suspected soft tissue damage. Will obviously keep a close eye to see how she recovers (or not) and go back if it doesn't seem to improve. Thanks all for the advice!

OP posts:
Pupupthenight · 16/05/2024 09:29

Chatbotsarerubbish · 16/05/2024 09:00

Just to be clear:

We have tried each morning to get to see a GP with no success
I have called 111, and also used their online statement
I have taken her to a pharmacist to get someone to actually look at it

We are now in the minor injuries clinic waiting to be seen. The swelling has gone down over night but based on what has happened it will swell during the day as she walks on it

The GP doesn't have x ray vision. A&E stands for accident and emergency, it was an accident, they have x rays. I think that's your best bet.

PoppyCherryDog · 16/05/2024 09:03

Nousernamesavaliable · 15/05/2024 20:27

Trip to walk in centre for an xray

This

My mum broke a little bone in her foot and the walk in centre was amazing. So quiet and she was seen quickly.

Original poster
Chatbotsarerubbish · 16/05/2024 09:00

Just to be clear:

We have tried each morning to get to see a GP with no success
I have called 111, and also used their online statement
I have taken her to a pharmacist to get someone to actually look at it

We are now in the minor injuries clinic waiting to be seen. The swelling has gone down over night but based on what has happened it will swell during the day as she walks on it

OP posts:
Justabadwife · 16/05/2024 07:51

Get it seen.
My mum went over slightly on her ankle walking the dog in January. It looked like your dds foot.
Its now May, it's still swollen, she has to ice it 3 times a day.
She's been to urgent care twice, had it X-rayed, had a CT scan, had her first physio session, and is waiting for an MRI scan.

Pupupthenight · 16/05/2024 06:59

ILikePistachios · 15/05/2024 20:26

That happened on Monday?
She couldn't walk on it after but you sent her to school on Tuesday when again, she couldn't walk, she can't bear weight on it. It's Wednesday!!!!

Get her to A&E for an X-ray! What is wrong with you!!!

This really. Why are there so many posts of parents dithering like this?

kitchenhelprequired · 16/05/2024 06:32

DD spent a week hobbling around on a broken foot (base metatarsal break) for a week after seeing a Dr who didn't do an xray (not in the UK). She was in plaster for 6 weeks after it was x-rayed.

PickledPurplePickle · 16/05/2024 06:26

Get it xrayed

Also she needs to follow RICE method - it will swell throughout the day as she is standing on it

Monty27 · 16/05/2024 04:36

endofthelinefinally · 15/05/2024 22:28

Foot injuries should be taken seriously. Badly healed fractures can cause lifelong pain and altered gait, which in turn can cause permanent back, hip and knee pain. I am glad you are getting it looked at now OP.

I can vouch for that @Chatbotsarerubbish
It could cause lifelong issues if not treated properly.

ittakes2 · 16/05/2024 01:56

Unfortunately my son has broken quite a few bones. I am surprised GP did not say go to minor injuries - gps can not diagnose breaks. We once paid a private gp to come to the house to look at possible foot break on whether we needed to go to A&E hours before we were due to fly - he gave his opinion but was clear gps can’t really be sure.

mamakoukla · 16/05/2024 00:15

I’d get it seen as you don’t know exactly what the damage is. Have a friend who didn’t go after a foot injury; years later is dealing with pain due to the badly healed (broken) bones deciding they’d rather let bone down inbetween themselves. Rebreak and surgery as opposed to get it set properly if needed

dragonscannotswim · 16/05/2024 00:09

It's very swollen. Get her seen! And let us know what they said.

rwa818 · 15/05/2024 23:29

I would go to A&E for X-rays , it could be broken. DM broke her foot and hobbled around on it for days, they said it would have healed much faster if she had it treated straight away!

thebutcherswife · 15/05/2024 23:19

I fell down the stairs, only 3, and badly twisted my foot. My husband was convinced it was a sprain. Did it on the Sunday morning, by Wednesday it still didn’t feel right so went to urgent care.
Hobbled in and every dr/nurse I saw was of mind that it was just a bad sprain but sent me to X-ray as precaution.
Sent back to waiting room and was called back to be greeted with crutches and a walking boot, I had indeed fractured a bone. One week before we were due to fly to Majorca!
It wasn’t a major break thankfully and I was out of the boot within 6 weeks.

Snackarooney · 15/05/2024 23:01

From experience looks like a broken metatarsal I was the same as you as by morning it was fine but after a few hours it was big and unbearable pain. Nothing made me think it was broken until walking for more than a couple of minutes and the sadness in his voice and lo and behold it was broken. Oops.

Mossstitch · 15/05/2024 22:45

Definitely x-ray, going over on the foot often leads to classic 5th metatarsal fracture. One of my sons did it but walked home from school so thought couldnt be fractured so didn't take him to A & E for 2 days just used frozen peas🙈 needed a plaster cast for a few weeks.

endofthelinefinally · 15/05/2024 22:28

Foot injuries should be taken seriously. Badly healed fractures can cause lifelong pain and altered gait, which in turn can cause permanent back, hip and knee pain. I am glad you are getting it looked at now OP.

Original poster
Chatbotsarerubbish · 15/05/2024 22:26

@soupfiend and that was my mistake! I'd check it in the morning and think she was getting better. Then by evening it's really swollen again. I thought that meant it probably wasn't broken as surely a broken bone would be the same.

OP posts:
soupfiend · 15/05/2024 22:22

Swelling will always get worse through out the day, it will be better morning vs evening.

60andsomething · 15/05/2024 22:18

Pigeonqueen · 15/05/2024 20:26

X-ray needed. In fact I had an X-ray on Sunday for almost exactly the same thing. It’s important to know if it is broken because the treatment will be different from a sprain.

will it? In what way? I've had lots of both, and the treatment has always been the same

Original poster
Chatbotsarerubbish · 15/05/2024 22:17

@Pigeonqueen what was the outcome for you?

OP posts:
ButterCrackers · 15/05/2024 22:12

Lokshen · 15/05/2024 21:22

A GP doesn't have XRay vision. Minor injuries is the place to go. You can often book a walk in centre appointment via 111 if it hasn't improved.

Show quote history

oh - Who’d have thought!
A GP can assess the foot and say it’s not a break or unsure in which case you get an X-Ray.

Lokshen · 15/05/2024 21:22

ButterCrackers · 15/05/2024 20:32

It’s just shocking that you can’t get an appointment with your GP for an assessment on is it broken or not. Do go to A&E to get medical care.

A GP doesn't have XRay vision. Minor injuries is the place to go. You can often book a walk in centre appointment via 111 if it hasn't improved.