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Original poster

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

101 replies

HappyLoneParentDay · 04/08/2019 12:21

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

OP posts:
JuniperNarni · 04/08/2019 16:15

I had a sprain like this, probably more swollen and bruised if anything. At least they said it was a sprain. It was weeks before I could walk again. I'm glad you are getting it checked again, I still wonder if i'd actually done more than a sprain, mine was 13 years ago and I still get pain in it now.

Hope you aren't waiting long OP and you are on the mend soon.

lunar1 · 04/08/2019 16:27

I hope you've been seen by now.

CakeNinja · 04/08/2019 16:55

Arghhhhhh that looks mega sore Shock Shock
I’m so bloody squeamish and daren’t look back at the original picture!
Glad you’ve gone back to get another check.
A friend of mine did a similar thing (well actually she fell down a step when she was pissed Grin ) and her foot and ankle went that same shade of purple and black. It was very badly sprained and she took an awfully long time to recover from it. Good luck Flowers

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Satsuma1234 · 04/08/2019 17:08

That looks bad OP. Hope you manage to get seen again.

OneOfTheGrundys · 04/08/2019 17:25

I sprained my knee once and the pain was agonising. I have a very high pain threshold and it was truly awful. I was crying by the time the nurse at the walk in saw me. I felt like such a wimp but she too said sprains can hurt more than breaks sometimes.
Hope you’re seen soon op.

BenWillbondsPants · 04/08/2019 17:43

Jeez oh OP that looks bloody painful. I'd probably want to get that checked out again.

GloGirl · 04/08/2019 18:23

Ouch! How did you get on?

Orchardgreen · 04/08/2019 18:29

@allymcn
So someone has an ankle injury from a couple of days ago? It has a severe haematoma and the patient can’t weight bear. The X-ray was reported as normal. Fine.

The doctor to whom you are sitting next to, says I am talking absolute shite when I advise OP to go back to A&E. There may or may not be a significant treatable injury. But a review is very appropriate.

sueelleker · 04/08/2019 18:33

I damaged my ankle, and they x rayed it and said it was a sprain. 3 days later they reviewed the x ray and found a fracture! I had to go back to have a cast put
on it. That looks horrific-I'd go back.

Nearlyfriyay987654 · 04/08/2019 18:34

@HappyLoneParentDay any update how are you feeling?

Roomba · 04/08/2019 18:46

I had a sprain that looked like this too. I was going down the stairs at school (was 15) and got jostled and slipped off a step. My ankle went right over and several people heard a loud 'crunch' so I was amazed there was no break! It took weeks to stop hurting and longer for the swelling to go fully. That was fun when I lived on a really steep hill...

I broke my other ankle a few years ago and it wasn't anywhere near as painful as that sprain.

TremblingFanjo · 04/08/2019 19:09

Have you been seen yet OP?

MissRabbitNeedsAHoliday · 04/08/2019 20:15

Looks very painful OP I hope your ok.
I had torn ligaments in my ankle & it looked very similar to that. I had a cast for weeks and struggled to walk for months. Take care Flowers

Windygate · 04/08/2019 21:35

I really hope @HappyLoneParentDay comes back with a update. We can all understand how much pain and stress they were in.

Lolyora17 · 05/08/2019 03:12

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Original poster
HappyLoneParentDay · 05/08/2019 04:30

Hiya sorry been busy with my DD then fell asleep. It was so busy in the end that they asked for people with non-urgent cases to voluntarily go home and either return tomorrow or see GP. I prob could/should've stayed but was already past DD's bedtime and she had barely eaten since 10am!
Will re-assess the situation in morning. Will work our the best option from there. Thanks to those of you who've been helpful &/or concerned WineBrew

OP posts:
NotSoThinLizzy · 05/08/2019 10:58

I would try the gp today then. They'll be able to get you a walk in xray appointment if they think you need it

Coffeeandchocolate9 · 05/08/2019 16:25

Is a walk-in Xray appointment an oxymoron? Confused

especially when poor OP can't walk

Going straight to a walk-in centre might be a good bet.

allymcn · 05/08/2019 18:11

@Orchardgreen You should know that excessive bruising is synonymous with sprains and ligament damage. Telling the OP that it's bruising from a broken bone is absolute nonsense.

LoafofSellotape · 05/08/2019 19:51

allymcn I'm glad you said that because I've had blacker bruising than that and nothing broken Confused

greenwaterbottle · 06/08/2019 16:09

Did you manage to get back to a&e

AtleastitsnotMonday · 07/08/2019 22:23

Any update OP?

Fragalino · 07/08/2019 23:06

What's with all the x rays that suddenly get checked again?

Why on earth would x rays get checked after its been given all clear and no further patient contact...

Is it because unqualified people are doing xrsy or reading them?

VivaLeBeaver · 07/08/2019 23:13

I think it's standard that all xrays are double checked. I know someone who got a phone call at 3am after leaving a&e where they'd been told that their leg (femur) wasn't broken. To say it was so badly broken it needed an immediate operation and they were opening a theatre for him now!

I also had a missed fibula fracture. I was told by the consultant in fracture clinic following an mri that I had an inflamed tendon. For curiosity asked for a copy of the report and when I sat in the car park looking at it it said my fibula was broken! I think he just didn't read the report properly!

Fragalino · 08/08/2019 08:43

Wow! Good to know.

I always seem to be going over on my ankle. Op time before I was like you, last time it looked horrific but I was able to walk on it fairly easily...

I really feel for you, the pressure of not being well with active 4 year old... Everything crossed for you