A&E Staff/Doctors - Do Sprains look this bad? Should I get a second opinion?

[HappyLoneParentDay]

Hi
I went over on my ankle on Thursday and of course, went to A&E (once I'd been helped up & driven there). Was in & out very quickly. X-ray apparently didn't show a break so I was given a leaflet on Sprained Ankles, wheeled up to Physio to be given Crutches (which I couldn't use as it was too painful to even brush the floor with my foot and I don't have the strength to use crutches with one leg). Had to slide into house on my bum and that night was completely immobile.
Yesterday morning I woke up able to limp with my ankle in an old boot brace I had from a previous break. Today I can touch the ground without the boot brace but not really weight bare. When my foot touches the ground I can feel what seems to be bones 'moving' in my ankle.
Anyway, have had a good look at my ankle this morning and it looks horrific! I get that there'll always be bruising & swelling but even when I broke my ankle, it didn't look this bad?
Should I go back to A&E or is this standard for a bad Sprain?

Thanks

Looks incredibly sore, definitely get it checked again

That looks awful, I would get it checked again as you hear so many stories of things being missed due to swelling. Let us know.

I've had a sprain that looked that bad, took 6 weeks at least for full recovery and needed physio.

I needed it to be strapped and used ice 3x a day.

@LolaSmiles I'm with Motability so I'm covered for driving with mobility issues

@LoafofSellotape When you say strapped, do you mean in one of these?

Happy you posted asking for a medical opinion Orchardgreen answered and advised A&E. You could do a huge amount of damage 'self prescribing' the foot brace you have used on a previous break. Get yourself back to hospital with or without your DC. Good luck

@Windygate Excuse me?! The ENP I saw advised me to use the brace, as did the Physio who I saw about Crutches. How dare you?

@HappyLoneParentDay to be fair you says in your OP that you were using the brace from an old break. How is anyone supposed to know that you were told to use it this time around if you don't say that? @Windygate was just trying to be helpful. No need to jump down her throat!

@HappyLoneParentDay I apologise if I touched a nerve. You said you were using an old brace from a previous bone break.

I mean has a nurse or doctor strapped it with tape etc not a brace.

Braces tend to immobilise the joints while the bones are healing. They can sometimes do more harm then good -mobility for a sprain is important and good.

Only an x ray can tell really it if it broken. My eldest DC ran into an old church pew in my hallway and I thought just a knock -didn't look too bad, a friend GP also looked at it and agreed. We strapped it. DC is quite pain tolerant and was crying etc- but they wouldn't put weight on without crying -one x ray later it was broken - you just can't tell sometimes.

Rather than keep posting -I'd go back to A&E or phone the fracture clinic and ask for another assessment. Ankles & feet are a bugger -bones everywhere! Go back and get another x ray.

That looks really sore.
Please go back, not all breaks show on xray. Where patients have persistent pain but xray is clear, then a CT can be done, which may reveal more damage than could be seen before.

It’s hard to see what is mud and what is bruising, can someone clean it up for you?

@WindygateExcuse me?! The ENP I saw advised me to use the brace, as did the Physio who I saw about Crutches. How dare you?

Erm, they were just trying to help.

Stop posting. As everyone is advising, go to a&e.

I had a severe ankle sprain a few years ago but it didn't look half as bad as yours That actually made my eyes water a bit! I'd definitely get a second opinion. I did have numbness on the top swollen part of my foot as well, it came on after a couple of days, that was when I realised I should probably get it checked out. Got a telling off at A&E for trying to hobble around on it for 3 days!
In my case it took 8 weeks for me to get off crutches and 13 weeks in total to feel entirely comfortable walking on it again.

@YouJustDoYou I'm sat in the sodding waiting room! 3 hour wait. Who do you think you are to tell me to stop posting?!?!

@MakeLemonade Hahaha! There's a tiny bit of mud on my toes and the underneath of my foot - nothing where the bruising is! You need to try again at the passive aggressive insults.

I have MS. And only a shower. How the f was I meant to shower with this?

If I slip over in the shower my daughter is screwed. I have NOBODY to take her.
Yes, really.
She will end up in temp foster care if I can't look after her. I have nobody else at all within driving distance.

I am not an unclean person for the record

Hope you're doing ok and that they can help you. Is it busy there. Stupid question I know but mn can help pass the time.

It's pretty obvious what is bruising and what is mud. I had a sprain and torn ligaments through my foot 5 years ago. It didn't look half as bad as yours. That looks really bloody sore. They had to MRI mine.

I hope you get it sorted now you're there. I was told even for a break they put you in a moon boot these days, no cast.

I broke my foot last year

First x Ray showed ‘nothing’ then it was rechecked and I got a panicky phone call telling me not to walk around and to go straight back the first person just missed it !

OMG go bank!!!

Ouch your poor thing. I sprained my ankle a couple of years ago and it swelled up and looked bloody awful but it didn't have the red colour that yours has. I couldn't weight bear for several days at all and was virtually bed bound for a week. All in all I had 6 weeks off of work as I'm on my feet all day in my job. It took months to heal properly and even now if I step on uneven ground it's that ankle that I feel it in. Sprains are nasty things. Take care of yourself op

@HappyHammy Yes, very! It's like everyone's decided to be careless because it's Sunday 🤷🏼‍♀️☺️

Thankyou @latexsalesman what that PA idiot said hurt my feelings. Seems daft but I have zero self esteem as it is and have had to hobble around with mud on my feet for 3 days now, unable to bare to touch it, let alone wipe it.
Yes they asked if I had one as they advise you to keep them because unbelievably, they can't be handed in & re-used! Glad I kept it x

You need to go back. Very early in the thread a doctor said go back. When can you get any help - can someone have your DD? Where I live we have an urgent care clinic where you can get an x-ray, or A&E if its emergency, do you have that option? If not sure you can call 111 for address etc? But please do get it looked at again.

Ouch op that looks really sore. Glad you are getting checked again and perfectly understandable you wouldnt want to scrub your foot!