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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To want an xray?

20 replies

Carouselfish · 17/06/2023 22:17

Posting for traffic but also to see if I'd be unreasonable to pester for one.

About 6 months ago, was getting out of my car and suddenly unable to put weight on foot. Ankle suddenly ballooned in size. No trauma to the foot other than the day before I'd sat my comparatively heavy self on it, bent flat behind me in a kneeling position.
Got appointment with doctor as unable to drive or walk properly. Paramedic, who appointment was with said he'd never seen anything like it (swollen massively on both sides of ankle) and to just put it up and ice it. He couldn't refer me for xray as no trauma so didn't tick the boxes for a break.
Swelling goes down, foot returns to normal after a couple of days.
Over the course of the next few weeks, it happens again about 3 times. Each time, I'm not doing anything odd, just getting up from sitting down, or walking across a room. Sensation like a clicking shift and suddenly balloons and I can't put it down.
Doc again, says no idea and refers me to physio.
Physio appointment rolls around and of course, at the time it is scheduled, ankle is perfectly bloody fine. Physio says no idea what it was/is.
I go for two month totally fine, but then wear very very slight heel (about 1 1/2 inch) and feel a slight movement in ankle. Day later at work, click-shift and it happens again, worse than any of the other times. Can't put it down or flex foot. Swollen on both sides very much, hurts mostly under ankle bone on outside of foot. Trying to work from home but keep being reduced to nausea and cold sweats every time I have to get up and do something.
Now the drip-feed. Left til last as may be a total red herring. My mum had something identical several years ago. She'd be in the middle of a dog walk and suddenly, something would go out of place and she'd be unable to walk. She'd wait it out in the field and after a while it would be okay. She didn't have the same major swelling. It turned out, years later, getting an xray due to lost mobility in that ankle, that it had indeed been a fracture that I suppose had slipped in and out of position. The bone had later fused in a weird way as untreated, hence loss of mobility. She is convinced I have the same thing. But this may be nonsense.
Thanks if you got this far! So, would IBU to beg for an xray on Monday?

OP posts:
Carouselfish · 17/06/2023 22:26

Other drip feed, I have put on 3 stone in last year due to medication. Wondering whether my larger than normal arse may have squashed my own ankle to smithereens.

OP posts:
WestOfWestminster · 17/06/2023 22:28

Yeah, I think you should ask for an xray, or at least more investigation. Or next time it happens go to A&E?

Carouselfish · 17/06/2023 22:40

Well @WestOfWestminster if no one else comments I just won't feel backed up enough😉Will probably ask Dr I think. Just wanted to know if anyone had any guesses or what they would do.

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HouseOfRunners · 17/06/2023 22:45

If it means saying “I went over on it” or “I tripped and fell” to get an x-ray, then that’s what I would do.

PinkFootstool · 17/06/2023 22:50

Did your mum ever get assessed for osteoporosis? My mum broke her ankle three times but getting out of bed and putting her feet on the floor for example. I've had a dexa scan now as my las xray showed multiple healed fractures to the foot bone density is currently fine.

I'd be inclined to fib about turning the ankle to get it properly assessed.

Moomieboo · 17/06/2023 22:56

Sounds like you are hypermobile and are having subluxation.

Elieza · 17/06/2023 22:59

It’s happened too many times now to be a one off so something somewhere isn’t quite right. It needs seen to not fobbing off.

Are you if any age where your bone density may be affected or on medication which could do that?

Hopefully if you tell your GP what you’ve told us he/she will get you an X-ray if appropriate.

Carouselfish · 17/06/2023 23:26

I'm 42. No, mum doesn't have osteoporosis. Some good ideas to get googling, thank you - putting in ankle injury wasn't getting me far! Trouble is they have seen me already for it, so I can't claim trauma injury now?

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kafkascastle · 17/06/2023 23:28

Have you had bloods taken to check for inflammation markers? It sounds more like it might be that rather than a break.

Carouselfish · 17/06/2023 23:29

Could be previous were subluxations and this is a full one. I've just realised that whole side of foot is numb now. Bastard.

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Carouselfish · 17/06/2023 23:36

No, @kafkascastle What is that? Shall google....
Ok, sounds pretty scary, but doesn't come with enough info really to understand how it could be that. I mean, the pain doesn't come after the swelling, it precedes it.
Anyone want a lovely ankle pic?

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Justaflippertyjibbet · 17/06/2023 23:37

I would definitely push for an X-ray. I had a similar experience when I dropped a tin a beans on my foot. The GP said nothing was wrong so I went out of the surgery feeling a fraud. I had on/off pain for about a year so went to minor injuries to be told it was a GP matter as I have arthritis. Reluctantly he ordered an X-ray which showed a broken navicular bone. An air boot for 6 weeks didn’t work. Eventually after another long wait I need to have a talonavicular fusion operation. What waste of time and pain due to one dismissive GP.

garlictwist · 17/06/2023 23:38

My husband has this with his ankles. It will just randomly "pop", be very painful and bruised and then sort itself out.

In his case he rode BMX when he was a teenager which has caused the ligaments in his ankle to be over stretched which means there doesn't need to be any trauma to roll the ankle.

Perhaps you have a similar thing? (Wear and tear, not the bmx)

Carouselfish · 17/06/2023 23:40

@garlictwist it's hard to explain but I don't go over on it or anything. It's just a sort of a feeling of things suddenly not being in place and being unable to use it as a foot. I've definitely twisted my ankles beautifully in the past and it's not that, though could see how it might be related to damage over time. That would be crap though as then not fixable.

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Carouselfish · 17/06/2023 23:44

@Justaflippertyjibbet yep, have had that with DC (not the beans part!) but had to get second opinion to confirm fracture. It's hard to judge someone else's pain level. I get why they don't want to just throw money away xraying everyone but comes a point when guessing isn't helping.

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SullysBabyMama · 17/06/2023 23:44

My DD has arthritis and her ankles (and other joints) swell dramatically when flaring, could it be arthritis?

Carouselfish · 17/06/2023 23:50

Might be, but very localised if so @SullysBabyMama One to check out. What fits most is the sublaxation/laxation so far! Thank you my keyboard diagnostics team!
I note nobody wants a picture of it Grin
Right, about to whimper my way to the bedroom. Sounds odd.

OP posts:
Carouselfish · 17/06/2023 23:58

And here's the madness of it. By the time I got upstairs, it had gone from shouting in pain to not hurting! I can use it again. Swollen but useable and flexes. Good, but also ??!!!@?!?!!

OP posts:
Carouselfish · 14/02/2024 20:20

Had an MRI and X-Ray as this is still a thing. Surgeon consult in a few weeks (though it has been rescheduled 5 times). They haven't said what it is yet!

OP posts:
Teawithchocolate · 14/02/2024 20:25

Wow it's been ages since your original post, hope you get the consultation in a few weeks and it's not rescheduled. Has the ankle got any better?

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