To ask if you'd go to hospital and get yourself checked out?

[itwasnevermine]

I just fell and rolled my ankle, it feels like it was pretty bad but I'm not home to check yet.

I've grazed my knee and that's bleeding pretty badly but I'm mostly worried about my ankle, I can feel it swelling and it's so painful to bear weight on, but I can walk (slowly and painfully).

I tripped on an uneven paving slab which is why I want to go and get checked out, because I'm aware I could've done something quite serious. Is it OTT of me to go in the morning? I know it's not an a&e right now type of thing but I can also feel that something isn't quite right

I’m shocked it’s not broken. If it’s still bad in a couple weeks go back as maybe the swelling is clouding the xray and it’s not clear enough?
hope you feel better soon

@Pinkypup given the pain I'm in, me too!!! I really can't believe it's not broken but I saw the xray with my own eyes.

Dragging myself to work today was a pain!

I know sometimes a sprain can be just as, if not more painful than a break. Gutted you’re not able to take some leave.

We’ve had many missed breaks on X-rays! If it’s no better in a week, ask for another X-ray. Swelling can hide breaks, some breaks just aren’t visible, some are there but missed.

She showed me the xray and it looked okay but what would I know 🤣

There is nothing I want more right now than a bath. My whole body is sore but I can't have one because I can't get in or out!!!

Just because it’s not a bone fracture doesn’t mean you haven’t seriously injured yourself. DS ‘sprained’ his ankle when he was 14. Over the next 14 years he was continuously re-spraining it and getting sent back to physio. Nobody was prepared to investigate more fully.

Eventually I paid for an MRI and a private consultation. He had ruptured a ligament which was essential for stability and would never self repair. At long last he had surgery to repair the damage and after a lengthy recovery he is now dine at long last.

Obviously I hope this isn’t the case for you but please be aware that you still may have a significant injury hence the swelling. It will likely be an impressive shade of black and purple very soon.

Keep it up and work around that.

I'm not convinced it's not worse than a sprain but they didn't offer any further investigations so I'm just toughing it out

It's so painful and swollen this afternoon but I'm off work tomorrow so it's all good

At the moment that’s all you can do but keep an eye out for longer term instability and advocate for yourself if you think there is still an underlying problem. As I mentioned nobody seemed to want to consider anything beyond a possible fracture and after that a need for physio which was never going to help enough.

I've known several people get sent home with a 'no fracture' diagnosis, only to get a call a couple of weeks later to ask them to come back as specialist now reviewed and found a break.

Will it get reviewed then? I can see the radiology report in my NHS app but it was only reviewed by an advanced practitioner

Mine looked very similar and there was a clear healing fracture on the x-ray. It can take a couple of days to show up apparently!

I fractured my foot but the X-ray didn't pick it up. It was only an MRI scan which I pushed for which showed it. Consultant said sometimes fractures don't show up on X-rays until they're healing. So I was insisting I thought it was a fracture and it was dismissed. My son has also just had a leg fracture. He was in so much pain but everyone was insisting it was soft tissue. They did an X-ray and again were about to send us home when someone looked again. And there was a small fracture. It had been missed. If you carry on being in pain push for more investigation. Hope it feels better soon

I was told damaged wrist and broken elbow. Then opposite. Then feature clinic rang and it was different again. When I went in months later for another broken bone the lovely nurse had a look and I'd broken both the elbow and the wrist.

Dsis had a fractured vertebrae missed in A&E, she got a phone call a week later saying “oops we missed it, rest up and don’t go to work”.

DB was told he had broken his leg, was given a boot and crutches and an appointment to go back for a cast, to then be told it wasn’t broken after all.

I echo the advice that if it doesn’t improve quickly you should go back and ask for it to be looked at again.

Usually but God knows when with state of NHS. Just I've known it happen a lot (as echoed by posters since) so don't push yourself thinking it definitely isn't broken only to get a call in a couple of weeks when you've caused more damage to it.

The swelling has really set in now 😅 I didn't really get told much at the hospital, she was more interested with the fact I'm on Mounjaro than advising me on what to do next. Hopefully the pain subsides a bit tomorrow

A and e nurse here. Some of the comments I this thread are ridiculous and potentially dangerous
.Accident and emergency is for accidents which requite medical assessment. Perfectly acceptable to attend there or minor injury unit or gp surgery. Anywhere that a medical professional can examine and decide a plan of care.
Dont drive if you cannot safely do an emergency stop. You will not be covered by insurance if involved in an accident. Inversion injuries to ankle ( what you are all calling rolling your ankle) incredibly common
You cant diagnose a weber fracture or indeed whether its broken by looking at it. You need someone medically trained to take a history and physically examine your leg. The findings of that examination determine whether xray required. ( google Ottawa rules if anyone really wants to read more on this)
Ankle sprains are extremely painful. You should rest it as much as possible especially first few days. Hopefully you'll have been given good advice but this is a short version of what I tell the patients I treat with similar injuries.
Elevate , elevate , elevate. Ideally get your ankle above your heart. Sticking your foot up on settee won't work with a lot of swelling. ( unless you lie on floor at same time)The swelling causes a lot of pain. Being at work all day will just cause huge and prolonged swelling unless you can work with your ankle elevated.
Ice 20 mins every 4 hours. Bag of peas in pillow case on ankle. Out of pillowcase into bag and refreeze. Peas mould well round ankle.
Painkillers regularly. Take 1st dose in morning before out of bed. If taking brufen make sure it's not on empty stomach. ( and avoid if asthmatic or stomach issues) . When it's as painful as you describe I'd expect you to be taking as a minimum 2x 500mg paracetamol 4 times a day plus 400 mg of brufen 3 times a day with food, if no contra indications.
When you have to walk , walk in usual way. Don't limp or hobble on toes. Creates later issues and usual way of walking putting foot on ground promotes good blood flow to the injured area which helps healing. Stand up taking weight on good foot then gradually put weight on injured ankle. Don't rush.
Wear supportive shoes. Avoid uneven ground. Your ankle is unstable so much easier to reinjure. If you go over on it again, get it re-examined.
It takes 6plus weeks to heal. Longer if you don't rest, elevate, ice it in first few days .
Hope this helps.

I was given no advice at the hospital 😩 literally none, I was in and out within minutes

My work doesn’t pay for the first 3 days too but when I was ill in summer they let me take my sick days as holiday so I would still get paid, is that an option for you?

@Catswhisky I don't have enough holiday left to cover it (I used it for exams in the summer 🥲)

I've bought some ice packs that strap onto your ankle so I'm going to take one of those to work with me tomorrow, so I can use that after I get in from the station at the bare minimum and then try and prop it up, it's just so embarrassing

Just rest, elevate, ice as much as possible as soon as you get home from work. Can you get home of a walking stick? It might help take some weight of your foot and make it easier to walk properly. Expect your ankle to be more swollen by the time you've been at work all day. Might be easier scooting up and down stairs on your bum meantime.
After a few days( advice usually a couple of days but give yourself more time cos you're having to walk on it getting to work so quickly) you should start gentle exercises to ensure you regain full range of movement of ankle. Google for more info on them.
Hope it gets less painful soon.
Sorry that you didn't get any advice when seen.

@Oldrunner thank you!

I'm on crutches (so painful in their own regard!), and home today so it's up and being iced. Just an absolute nightmare

I sprained my ankle badly a few years ago. It was really swollen and bruised, although to be fair after 2 or 3 days I could walk ok again on it. But it did take nearly a year for the swelling to go down completely.

This is this morning, it feels like it's going nowhere. My mum is going shopping and I'm going to ask her to get me a bandage/support type thing and some more ibuprofen

It sounds daft but lie in the floor and get your leg up on chair or sofa. Stick a pillow under your head and a duvet or blanket under you for comfort. And spend as much of today as possible like that. Up for loo/ food / drink. Take flask beside you. No housework etc etc Your priority is to get the swelling down. Once you manage that , it will before comfortable.