AIBU in asking Mumsnet to help me with my never-healing toe?

[eyeslikebutterflies]

Obvs, I'm posting for traffic. But I am getting a bit desperate. Any orthopods who can help??

In short: broke my little toe 7 weeks ago. Full break across the base of the toe. After 6 weeks of it hurting like a piglet I spoke to my GP. They got me an x-ray, which showed it still 100% broken, no sign at all of any healing. They referred me to fracture clinic. Who can't see me for another month, by which point it'll be 11 weeks.

I've read lots of doom and gloom tales of: if you don't get a broken toe sorted ASAP you'll have a lifetime of pain, arthritis and so on. I am so frustrated that it's still as painful and I am still as immobile after 7 weeks as I was on day 1. I can only wear one pair of sandals (not great as winter approaches) and can't even bear the weight of the duvet on it at night. The thought of it still being as broken at 11 weeks ... and not having any advice on what to do until then ... is really quite worrying.

So my AIBU: would it be OK for me to call the fracture clinic and ask if they can see me sooner? And if they won't would it then be OK for me to ask whether the wait is a clinical decision (as in, yes it sucks but it won't make it any worse) or an administrative one (as in, dur, COVID, our waiting lists are massive and we should see you sooner but we just can't)? If it's the latter I'm considering a loan and going private.

Any advice at all would be massively massively appreciated.

(I don't smoke, it is strapped up, I'm taking loads of supplements, eating well, am not drinking alcohol etc.)

With these things you have to take as much control as possible so call and see if they have a cancellation.

Just so you know about me - I paid privately (self paid, don’t have insurance) to see a consultant for a problem with my hip. Saw him and had an MRI within 3 weeks. If I want the op privately the wait is a month.

Because I had private MRI confirming my hip issue I got an NHS appointment with consultant within a week to go on NHS waiting list for op. Unfortunately NHS waiting list is at least a year but if I had had to wait for private scans it would be close to two years.

You can do a private/NHS hybrid - there are no rules any more.

Also the hip specialist consultant I saw was the same at the private hospital and NHS.

Yes, I agree you should call & ask if there's a cancellation list and ask to be put on it if there is.

I broke one of my toes and know how painful it is. I was lucky it healed itself by the time I went to A&E (pre-covid). You must be in agony. Please do whatever is needed to be seen.

Thanks everyone, that's helpful and reassuring - I really tried to do the 'right' thing by not bothering the NHS but feel like if I (quite literally) carrying sitting here waiting it out it'll make things worse. Which in the long run will cost the NHS a lot more.

@Cherryana that's really good to know. I might try that (and hopefully then not end up in too much debt).