Broken ankle?

[kaytee87]

I think I've broken my ankle, at first I thought it might be sprained but the pain is getting worse and is unbearable even whilst lying still. I know I need to go to hospital but how the hell am i going to get there? I wouldn't be able to manage into a taxi, what do I do??

Wake you DH, don't struggle by yourself. It's still such early days, if you try and do too much the pain will get worse. Get him to get you a hot drink and hot water bottle too.

Sorry you're having such a shit time, I hope it gets easier soon.

Kaytee8; they can prescribe Oramorph for you to take home. I work in a hospital pharmacy and we do it all the time. If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to damage yourself so badly?

I woke him and he put the electric blanket on and helped me go for a pee. Got back to sleep and just taken 2 Cocodomol, 2 brufen, 2 aspirin, 1 omeprazole, and some lactulose  < not envy. Have been to the toilet in days because of all the codeine.

@sueelleker they said it's hospital policy and they only do for end of life patients. It's too long to go overnight with no pain relief I fell on the ice wearing high heels. First time I had been out dressed up in months 😭

Morning. The tracksuit bottoms are a good idea. You also get wide legged leggings or dance pants. Skirts also work. I lived in shorts but that doesn’t help in thr winter.

I doubt your family are being selfish, I do think it’s more unless you’ve been through it you don’t realise how helpless you are or how much effort everything is. You also feel awful having to ask for everything.

It’s all just so frustrating.💐

@Bluntness100 I know. I think it was my husband huffing when I came home yesterday that set me off.

Life is just too difficult at the moment, my dad was given about 6 months to live 7 months ago (although he's still at home Just now but lives 350 miles away), my grandpa is showing signs of heart failure and cognitive impairment and we're waiting for a referral to paediatrics for my son who we think may have celiac disease. I was made redundant when I was meant to return to work 4 months ago which was a big dent to my confidence.
Usually I just get on with everything but I feel like this is just too much now

Yikes that's a lot to deal with all at once

Are you staggering painkillers? As in, take cocodamol, then 2 hours later take ibuprofen. Try not to let all the painkillers wear off at the same time.

Can you get to the doctors today so they can prescribe you some better painkillers? Maybe they'd do it over the phone, always worth asking.

Really hope things pick up soon. This is the hardest bit, by next week you'll be in less pain and have got into a routine of how to do things.

The doctor phoned me to check I had enough of everything. She's now prescribed me Tramadol which I can take with paracetamol and ibuprofen so can stagger them out pretty well. She said I might find Tramadol a better painkiller too so will see how I get on with that for a couple of days til the pain dies down a bit.

I didn't stagger them yesterday as it just seemed like even more hassle asking for more help doing that. We can't have pills sitting about with the wee one so dh has to fetch them for me. Maybe I should get a box on the bed next to me with a lid with my pills in.

What about a small lockable cashbox or similar that you could keep your medications in but accessible?

Don't take ibuprofen and aspirin within 12 hours of each other! Can't remember why but my GP told me off for it.

It's because they damage your stomach but I need the aspirin for blood thinning, that's why I have the omeprazole too.

Sorry to hear you had such poor care in hospital OP.
Just keep asking at home, like a broken record. They will 'get it' in time.
And dont let the pain meds run low, gaps are horrible.

She's now prescribed me Tramadol which I can take with paracetamol and ibuprofen so can stagger them out pretty well.

I take the tramadol and paracetamol together and then ibroprohen later. (Although I take numerous other pills too)

Hope it works for you

you poor thing. If its any small consolation I broke my foot and ankle in four places about 5 years ago. I ran a few 10ks last year and now don't have any problems at all from it (and I'm quite old!!)

OP you are hard as fucking nails, don't let anyone tell you different. Can't believe you made it home! I had a 3 part ankle fracture and dislocation at the start of the year and needed an ambulance because I was stuck in the mud. Didn't help that I was heavily pregnant. Fact is, the next 8 weeks or so will suck, but before you know it this will be a horrible memory.

Do get a cross body bag. Do not eat your bodyweight in crisps and mini eggs, tempting though it seems it is a bad idea, trust me

Oh and get a grabber stick like this and an insulated coffee mug. The grabber was totally invaluable.

Grabber stick looks good.

I've just been in bed all day. Dh is working from home and my mum was here all morning. Ds didn't want to leave me to go to his cot for a nap earlier so slept snuggled in beside me for an hour and a half which was better than any pain killer.
Our couch is pretty low so I really struggled getting on and off it last night hence being in my bed today which is much easier to get in and out of.
I'm looking forward to the shower stool, waterproof cast cover and joggers coming. Dreaming of being clean and dressed.
I'm so sleepy and I'm not sure if it's from the pain or the Cocodomol but I'm going to try and get an hours sleep just now.

I am totally appalled by the "care" you received in hospital - where the heck do you live? Speak to PALS at the hospital when you have surfaced from all this trauma. This is just not reasonable - third world care.

Please check with your GP about taking ibuprofen and aspirin together as l wouldn't give it to my patients

@WasDoingFine GP knows and Doctors at hospital prescribed them for me. They said I either needed to take the aspirin or give myself a daily injection to prevent blood clots. I don't think I could manage injecting myself and was worried about the needles lying about where my 16mo could grab them so opted for aspirin. They have given me omeprazole to protect my stomach but I plan on trying to stop the ibuprofen as soon as I can anyway. Maybe when I start the Tramadol tomorrow I might get away with dropping the ibuprofen. I'm not finding the cocodomol strong enough just now.

The hospital did try to give me overdoses of cocodomol on 2 days though I had to point out I'd already had my max for the day.

They also gave me 8 ibuprofen one of the days instead of 6. I didn't realise until afterwards

Are you taking paracetamol as well as the co-codamol?

It would be better to try and have Tramadol, ibuprofen and paracetamol. Codeine is another morphine derivative so you might find Tramadol and codeine too much

No currently im having cocodomol and brufen. The plan is to now try Tramadol, paracetamol and brufen until the pain subsides a bit.

Don't think you can take paracetamol & cocodomol together or cocodomol & Tramadol together. As you say they contain the same things.

" I had a 3 part ankle fracture and dislocation at the start of the year and needed an ambulance because I was stuck in the mud"

Snap! (literally!) I think they could probably hear my scream in the next county! I actually got stretchered into and airlifted off the clifftop path I had fallen by one of these beasts; it might have been that actual one as it's from the same RN base, Gannet. My mum posed for a photo with "those nice naval crewmen" while I was being transferred into the hospital ambulance. )

I wasn't 8 months pregnant, thank goodness, although I did have DD3 10 months later. And I thank God it wasn't any sooner, because truth is, OP, it's going to take at least 9 to 12 months for you to feel anywhere close to normal again, if my experience is anything to go by. I'm not trying to be grim, just realistic. It's a very serious injury, with major trauma to the bone and tissues, and it's going to take time to fully heal. Anyone being unsympathetic and acting like you've merely stubbed a toe needs a good kick in the pants. or whack with a crutch I'm afraid you're going to have to metaphorically stand up for yourself and ask for assistance, because often people just won't "get" that you can't do x, y and z while you're in this state, unless you spell it out to them.

It can be immensely frustrating, I know. I wish you well on your road towards recovery.

God my husband is working from home and in his lunch break has changed the bed and done some hoovering. My mums fawning all over him about how busy and hard working he is 😷
No one fawns all over me when I look after our son and do all of the housework and do a professional diploma on the side.

I need to get out my grumpy mood. Everyone is just annoying me just now and I'm hungry and thirsty