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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to suspect SIL is lying about broken foot

110 replies

thatistheq · 06/08/2019 11:01

Last Wednesday my SIL told me she had broken her toe. This morning she arrives at my house (with her kids) and is sporting an ankle boot/brace claiming she has broken her foot. I am now expected to look after her kids and wait on her hand and foot. SIL has form for being a pathological liar. I suspect she's lying as my sister is adamant she saw her at the train station on Friday evening in heels! I'm tempted to call her out but my PIL's get very touchy when SIL is accused/called out. Also, they're only here for a couple of days and I've spent a fortune on food and just want an easy life.AIBU?

OP posts:

UniversalAunt · 06/08/2019 13:13

Pathological liar, really?
PiLs don’t like you bringing it up?
Maybe you are unfair or plain wrong?
Perhaps PiLs are trying to find a workable peace with you as mother of their GCs?

Your sister swears she saw here a few days after the reported break.
Maybe she was on heels, maybe she did not get the diagnosis until after the Friday night.
Hmm, let her swear so, but she could be wrong about who she saw &/or when she saw her.

Howabout giving your SIL the benefit of the doubt, leave her be & enjoy having the family together.

Kaddm · 06/08/2019 13:23

Hard to say.
People I know:

Broken toe- no cast/nothing
Broken foot- plaster cast coming significantly up calf
Broken ankle- plaster cast up to knee for some weeks, followed by a similar boot to the one you pictured once the cast was off.

I’d play her at her own game. You can’t argue with a pathological liar. Go to bathroom. Pretend to vomit loudly. Tell her you have D&V and smear a bit of chewed up chocolate round the sink and toilet. Tell her to go elsewhere.

lostinthoughts · 06/08/2019 13:24

I'm a physio and a boot with no crutches is standard for a broken metatarsal (common bone in foot to break). I'd give her the benefit of doubt, but that doesn't mean she needs to set up camp at your house for days on end. Tell her you're busy.

Strugglingtodomybest · 06/08/2019 13:35

What a load of drama over nothing. Toe? Foot? Who cares, it's only 2 days.

Labrodite · 06/08/2019 13:52

Difficult to say tbh! I don’t really see how you can find out without being at her hospital appointment.

I’ve got a broken ankle and have only had one of those boots the whole time. They can help you heal faster than a cast.

You could try and see if there’s bruising or swelling but mine didn’t properly swell and bruise until a whole week after I’d broken it!

Why not be direct and tell her that your sister saw her in heels and see what her reaction is?

federationrep · 06/08/2019 13:57

If she's got form for this type of stunt then it's no wonder you're sceptical. But maybe she's like the boy who cried wolf. Concentrate your efforts in getting the kids out and about & have fun. Leave sil at home for peace & quiet. She'll be able to get her own cuppas and biscuits even if she's hobbling. Then when you get home having shown she can fettle for herself she can keep on doing it. But make it clear that next time you're poorly you'd like the favour returned.

Vanillelle · 06/08/2019 14:12

I've broken a toe twice and never had a cast.

Tbh it doesn't really sound like she's lying, but it does sound like she's being a pain if she's expecting to be waited on. I wouldn't go out of your way to accommodate that. Just host as you normally would. She can have her kids fetch and carry if needed.

LynetteScavo · 06/08/2019 14:15

Just give her loads of sympathy and ask to see the bruising.

She may or may not have broken something, either way she's come fit a holiday and plans it to as little as possible.

Idratherhaveacupoftea · 06/08/2019 14:17

I broke my ankle and was on crutches and had a plaster cast up to my knee. No weight bearing for 3 weeks and then in a boot for another 6 weeks.

SoupDragon · 06/08/2019 14:21

That is a support boot, clearly not broken or her ankle would be in a cast

And yet many, many posters on this thread say otherwise through personal experience.

MadameButterface · 06/08/2019 14:23

what Universal and Struggling said

it makes me laugh on here when people make up these elaborate fantasies about what people they just plain don't like may or may not be getting up to with supposedly totally nefarious motives

just admit, if she'd come skipping in going ;i've never been in such good health in my entire life, let's go for a 10 mile hike' that would have wound you up as well

it's ok to dislike ppl, you don't need an elaborate excuse

it should not be the woman entertaining the man's visiting family. you're cross with the wrong people (it's easier to hate on ppl you hardly ever see than have a conversation with your other half about laziness and entitlement i guess).

MadameButterface · 06/08/2019 14:24

and all the people suggesting hilarious pranks to play on her, jesus, get lives y'all

yes how very dare she injure herself

she totally deserves terrible hospitality or to think that one of her dc has been injured

Nofunkingworriesmate · 06/08/2019 14:29

Can you get medical boots like that off amazon? If not then I’d assume she was genuine

Butterymuffin · 06/08/2019 14:32

As pp have said, it's not the broken/not broken foot that's the issue, it's this situation where it's 'decided' without asking you that she comes to stay and you have to wait on her. Says who?

Rezie · 06/08/2019 14:33

Can you get medical boots like that off amazon?
Yea. And from the dozens of companies that make them. They have online shops. Also there are several assistive aid shops that sell all types of braces including those types of boots.

Mydogmylife · 06/08/2019 14:38

@MirzyMoo
I broke my ankle in 3 places, and it was pinned back together - straight into a moon boot and no cast, meant I could walk( hobble!) about almost straight away

FrancisCrawford · 06/08/2019 14:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

frazzledmumoftwo · 06/08/2019 16:07

I presume the painkillers (that she presumably must be taking if it's only just been put in a protective boot) don't work as well with alcohol......

So G&Ts or Prosecco for the rest of you adults tonight, and maybe she could have orange squash with the kids?

That might help find out if it is really hurt.

Thatagain · 06/08/2019 16:36

If this was me I would laugh and say some funny jokes and ask lot's of questions about how and when it happened. I would also put her drinks and food where she can see but has to move to get it and say something like you broke your toe/foot you are not an invalid. Sorry I can be mean sometimes although life doesn't come easy. I wouldn't do much unless there was real need especially if I felt like someone was taken the pi$$

Damntheman · 06/08/2019 16:44

Eh.. I didn't take any painkillers for my broken foot. I didn't take any for my broken collar bone either back in 08. Whether or not a person is dosing up is no indication of if they're broken or not.

Original poster

thatistheq · 06/08/2019 17:29

SIL didn't come with us in the end. She's helped herself to 2 1/2 fairycakes (don't really mind as they're there to be eaten) so her appetite has not been affected!

Just to clarify SIL hasn't invited herself over, the entire family is over for my FILs birthday. There are more things going on in our part of the world so we thought it best to celebrate here.

Dh has been doing his bit with all the kids/cooking/hosting, by no means has all of it fallen on me.

Sister is coming over for a bbq tomorrow but I've told her to keep schtum about her spotting.

OP posts:

Original poster

thatistheq · 06/08/2019 17:30

SIL is getting the benefit of the doubt as I just can't be arsed.

OP posts:

Stuckforthefourthtime · 06/08/2019 17:35

I had one of those with a broken foot.

More to the point though, why can't she look after herself and her kids despite it? Broken feet are usually pretty manageable, and more complex injuries would require more than a moonboot.

thisnamechanger · 06/08/2019 17:37

I ran 10k on a fractured foot tbf so the heels thing isn't outrageous. But I have Brittle Bones disease so don't tend to acknowledge a break unless something's hanging off

thisnamechanger · 06/08/2019 17:38

I ran a 10k on a newly fractured foot tbf so the heels thing isn't outrageous. But then I have Brittle Bones disease so don't tend to acknowledge a break unless something's hanging off

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