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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To call in sick?

525 replies

iminpain · 09/09/2026 07:50

I’m on my first day back at work after 10 days annual leave.

I was walking down the road this morning when I rolled my ankle and fell, I have horrific grazes on my knee and elbow, and my ankle is swelling up hugely and is painful even at rest.

AIBU to turn up, explain what’s happened and go home? When I’m cleaned up I could probably work but I’m in so much pain at the moment I feel sick, I have two fresh grazes that are about to bleed through my clothes and I don’t know whether the adrenaline carried me to the bus or if I can walk.

OP posts:
Isobel201 · 09/09/2026 17:06

iminpain · 09/09/2026 14:59

I have no idea. It’s called an avulsion fracture and treatment is like a severe sprain, so rest and ice.

Show quote history

I had an avulsion fracture, it was missed by A&E and I was walking on it for a few weeks. GP re-xrayed and it was confirmed a healed fracture. Have they given you anything to put on it?

Original poster
iminpain · 09/09/2026 17:06

Dontmentionitlove · 09/09/2026 17:00

I don’t think you’ll be safe to drive by the sounds of it

Show quote history

I’ll get a lift if needs be. But I drive automatic

OP posts:
Original poster
iminpain · 09/09/2026 17:06

ChocolateCinderToffee · 09/09/2026 17:02

This is what i had, it's when the ligament pulls away a bit of bone and is apparently preferable to a torn ligament as it's quicker to heal. Indeed, by the time I had an xray, it was already healing.

Did they give you a removable plastic cast thing to wear?

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Nope, I was just told to compress it. I’m going to wrap it tomorrow, I can’t bear to tonight.

OP posts:
soddingspiderseason · 09/09/2026 17:03

Gettingonabitnow · 09/09/2026 16:40

Unable to work but well enough to post about it on mumsnet 🙄 👍🏻

They have a fracture of their ankle? And did go into work. What type of physical injury do you consider would warrant time off work? Broken arm? Hip? Leg amputation?

ChocolateCinderToffee · 09/09/2026 17:02

iminpain · 09/09/2026 14:59

I have no idea. It’s called an avulsion fracture and treatment is like a severe sprain, so rest and ice.

Show quote history

This is what i had, it's when the ligament pulls away a bit of bone and is apparently preferable to a torn ligament as it's quicker to heal. Indeed, by the time I had an xray, it was already healing.

Did they give you a removable plastic cast thing to wear?

Dontmentionitlove · 09/09/2026 17:00

Gettingonabitnow · 09/09/2026 16:40

Unable to work but well enough to post about it on mumsnet 🙄 👍🏻

I get that logic when you have an OP with a supposedly debilitating migraine

but a sprained ankle?

Dontmentionitlove · 09/09/2026 17:00

iminpain · 09/09/2026 16:49

I went to work, I’ll be going to work tomorrow as well

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I don’t think you’ll be safe to drive by the sounds of it

VividDeer · 09/09/2026 16:59

Sounds nasty. Sorry for the dickish responses

Original poster
iminpain · 09/09/2026 16:50

No boot or anything!

OP posts:
Original poster
iminpain · 09/09/2026 16:49

Gettingonabitnow · 09/09/2026 16:40

Unable to work but well enough to post about it on mumsnet 🙄 👍🏻

I went to work, I’ll be going to work tomorrow as well

OP posts:
ThreadGuardDog · 09/09/2026 16:42

Gettingonabitnow · 09/09/2026 16:40

Unable to work but well enough to post about it on mumsnet 🙄 👍🏻

How does grazing your leg and twisting your ankle affect your typing skills ?

Gettingonabitnow · 09/09/2026 16:40

Unable to work but well enough to post about it on mumsnet 🙄 👍🏻

Happyjoe · 09/09/2026 16:34

I hope those on this thread that told you to pull yourself together and stop being a baby feel suitably ashamed.

Go easy OP, heal well.

AirborneElephant · 09/09/2026 16:34

Please take at least a week off work if you possibly can, do you get sick pay? If you don’t rest and let it heal, you risk the pain becoming chronic either from the original fracture or from the tendons and soft tissues having to compensate. Your GP will sign you off on the basis of a fracture diagnosed by A&E. I hope your manager feels bad!

GamerTheory · 09/09/2026 16:33

I had that same avulsion fracture. It really was quite painful at the beginning. I still hobbled to work and back on the tube but it was painful and I was so so slow.

They say it recovers in 12 weeks. Everybody I spoke to said it would take longer than that. And it did! I would say it took five months to feel properly less painful and another couple for mobility to return. I was 50 so prob older than you which delayed healing. Good luck.

StarsShiningOnANighttimeSea · 09/09/2026 16:29

iminpain · 09/09/2026 14:59

I have no idea. It’s called an avulsion fracture and treatment is like a severe sprain, so rest and ice.

Show quote history

Glad you're ok. Brilliant that you were seen so quickly too! Sounds similar to my ankle fracture from earlier this year. It was called a Weber A fracture. I got given a splint for my ankle and crutches as it was too painful at the time to weight bear too much. I could hobble around

Don't be afraid to self certify for a week. I work in a hospital, so sitting for long periods of time, let alone elevating my foot was not going to happen. So you better believe I was taking that week off. If you can't guarantee you will get the rest you need to heal, then you could end up making things worse.

SylvanMoon · 09/09/2026 16:23

I wouldn't try overdoing things @iminpain. I had an avulsion fracture (from tripping on something on the steps of a church). I tried doing as your planning but it just kept hurting more and more. I couldn't get on with crutches and so they put it in a plaster walking cast. I think you should at least take one or two days off work where you are keeping it raised and iced before trying to drive yourself into work. Unless they've a freezer where you can keep ice packs and your desk is arranged so that your leg can be properly raised, you're not going to be giving it the proper rest it needs.

Dontmentionitlove · 09/09/2026 16:23

PhilosophicalCheeseSandwich · 09/09/2026 16:19

Have they given you a big black boot? I do hope so! I remember walking out of minor injuries with my husband after he'd been given one for a fractured foot - the admiring looks he got from the other men waiting to be seen were wonderful.

What?

PhilosophicalCheeseSandwich · 09/09/2026 16:19

Have they given you a big black boot? I do hope so! I remember walking out of minor injuries with my husband after he'd been given one for a fractured foot - the admiring looks he got from the other men waiting to be seen were wonderful.

Sahara123 · 09/09/2026 16:09

I’ve properly sprained ankles twice and I can tell you it’s absolutely excruciating! And that’s without a break. Ice and rest OP !

namechange0998776554799000 · 09/09/2026 16:09

Might be worth asking for a dexa scan if you're peri/menopausal and it fractured just by rolling over on it. DH broke his wrist and it turned out he has osteoporosis (in his case caused my medication). It's common in women especially if you're not on HRT

Change2banon · 09/09/2026 16:07

You say small avulsion fracture .. don’t minimise what you’ve got! It’s still a fracture, still incredibly painful (I’ve had one), and still needs to heal correctly!

Seabear222 · 09/09/2026 15:54

Please rest as much as you can for the first week. As you say it is very tiring just getting around. And v important to rest and ice.Flowers

Original poster
iminpain · 09/09/2026 15:46

Seabear222 · 09/09/2026 15:41

@iminpain
I had that injury recently. I spent a week with my leg elevated, icing my foot every 3 hours. I didn't even leave the house for a week, just limped from room to room as necessary. I iced it every three hours each day for the first ten days. The icing really helped.

It was my left foot so I was able to drive my automatic car after a week. I wouldn't have tried it sooner than that.

I bought a walking stick from Amazon and used that to help me for the first few weeks. It was a lot better after 4 weeks but took about 6 weeks to feel completely okay.

We have a pair of crutches lying around the house and I’m going to dig them out, if only for the sake of my poor right leg that’s absolutely exhausted!

OP posts:
Seabear222 · 09/09/2026 15:41

@iminpain
I had that injury recently. I spent a week with my leg elevated, icing my foot every 3 hours. I didn't even leave the house for a week, just limped from room to room as necessary. I iced it every three hours each day for the first ten days. The icing really helped.

It was my left foot so I was able to drive my automatic car after a week. I wouldn't have tried it sooner than that.

I bought a walking stick from Amazon and used that to help me for the first few weeks. It was a lot better after 4 weeks but took about 6 weeks to feel completely okay.