Broken foot and strange doctor

[Threemangoes]

So I spent 5 hours in A&e with my 12 year old and found out she has broken her foot. 3 bones (metatarsal) 10 days ago on sports day but there was no swelling on the day hence why no urgency.
She was still limping and sore to touch foot so I took her to check it out today.

Anyways the doctor refused to give her any brace or shoe and said that it will just get better by itself.

He didn't tell me what bones in the foot she has broken. Just said that you have broken 3 bones.

He asked if we wanted to see a bone doctor but don't really have to as they will say the same thing??

I came out of the A&e thinking she has a broken foot and no support for it. I still didn't know what has she broken in her foot. Why did I even go there?

Am I being unreasonable to feel really stupid? Are there any doctor mums here or someone with similar experience?

If the orthopaedic doctor tells you to take the boot off will you listen to them or just decide you know better?

As is asking while you are in the room with the doctor.

”so which bones has she broken Doctor?”

”what support is she going to need for the next few weeks?”

”no support? Why is that?”

These days discharge "letters" are usually sent electronically straight to the GP.

Our hospital will provide a paper copy if the patient asks, but sometimes it means waiting round even longer while they do it.

Absolutely I agree that I wasn't actively listening/engaging. But I'm not the professional here. I'm a mum sat in the waiting rooms for 5 hours worrying about the toddler at home. We were barely with the doctor for 3 minutes each time. Before and after the xray.

Yes I will ask them if it will do her harm to wear whilst in school for the next 2 weeks.

I do usually follow every word of the medical professionals, because I rarely visit any and when I do I generally know what the problem is beforehand. Your daughter has a broken foot, as I said it is a common injury, there are not 101 different ways to treat it.

All this going on about the doctor being "strange", and no-one doing what you apparently KNOW is the best way to treat it doesn't change the fact that YOU are the one who didn't take her to the doctor when she originally injured her foot. Btw, I've yet to hear of anyone dying from a broken foot. You seem to know next to nothing about medical issues, and yet seem determined to argue with those who do actually know more than you do, including the people at the hospital, and presumably you will do the same with the specialist.

She was listening. She just thinks the doctor is strange.

Before the xray she was told - no treatment was needed for these particular bones if they were broken but they would xray to check anyway. Usually rest is the main treatment.

After xray she was told 3 bones in that place were broken and no boot was needed.

She was told the risks of wearing a boot - damage to muscles, weakness in the leg.

She was referred to a specialist for a phone consult when she can ask more detailed questions.

It's all there in her posts. It's the op's disordered thinking that makes it sound like she wasn't listening but you can pull it out of her posts and reconstruct a logical medical pathway.

@3threemangoes "He didn't tell me what bones in the foot she has broken. Just said that you have broken 3 bones."

So how do you know she has broken 3 metatarsals?🤔

And why did you wait 10 days before seeking medical help?

Beats me why some posters think they know better than the professionals.🙄

If you aren't happy with what the NHS provides then make an appointment with a private Physiotherapist or Podiatrist.

Treatment of fractures in children is not always the same as in adults.
When you immobilize a joint you can cause stiffness and muscle weakness which can be long lasting. The other problem with a boot is that it makes the legs an uneven length meaning that that you have to swing one hip and put pressure on the other ( not great in a developing child) .

There are of course certain fractures where you need immobilization of the ankle joint but these are not forefoot fractures.

What your daughter really needs is rest and that means NOT being on her feet at school playing in the playground. A boot won’t change that. It means a few weeks of reading a book at or doing craft at playtime . Perhaps a week off school?

If she does have stress fractures of the metatarsals ( as sounds probable then they are stable , not misaligned and not as risk of becoming displaced.

I suspect the doctor was right that there was no advantage in a boot , their professional opinion was that a sturdy shoe and rest should suffice.

I think I'd just keep her off now im while it heals. As you said she was fine at home resting let her do that, no risk of extra school falls (is she prone to falling?) better than arguing with the doctors who have said & done exactly what my colleagues would have done.

This is exactly what was recommended to me when I fractured two metatarsals. Trainers or structured shoes and rest as much as possible.

You were unreasonable.

Thanks @Delia123 ! Am I squeamish because reading about the after effects of a foot in plaster has made me cringe?

You've probably done more harm than good through your ignorance and belligerence.

My physio told me to try “tracing” the alphabet in the air with my foot to help build up mobility and strength

I’ve broken my foot before and never got a boot, just limped about for a bit until it healed. That’s quite standard. And better long term than weakening muscles with a boot.

Maybe OP you’re a bit annoyed at yourself for not asking in the appointment? I usually make a note of things beforehand as in the moment, I can imagine I’ll forget. And I’m happy to ask what may be seen as stupid questions.

Lessons learned there (I say this as someone who’s taken my kids to minor injuries far too many times)!

radiographer? there's a difference - they're not a doctor, and I doubt you'll have seen a radiologist.

You've named the bones, so don't really understand what you mean by 'wasn't told which bones are broken'

Brace or splint - if the fractures are minimally displaced after 10 days, theyn they're probably not going to displace, hence no need for a splint unless it's for pain relief, but can make the foot stiff and cause problems with balance.

I've read your other comments - just about every instinct about 'what should be done' or 'what could happen without an orthotic' is wrong. So probably best leave it to the professionals.

My DD broke metatarsals at that age a couple of years ago - she didn't need a boot. She wore a tight thick bandage around the middle of her foot for a couple of weeks - so your DD is probably past that stage - and then tubing grip from her toes to her knee for a month or so.

No boot necessary, weight bared (bore?) throughout.

You're being ridiculous demanding a boot when it isn't clinically necessary. You can buy tubigrip in boots.

We have a family member who is a physiotherapist who had no concerns about that as a course of treatment at all.

you seem really concerned about your dd falling, is that normal for her? She shouldn’t be falling over because of a painful foot. You also seem surprised that her foot hurts when she walks on it and doesn’t hurt when she rests it - that’s normal for a healing injury.

Who needs doctors when we have doctor google!

so two professionals saw the X-ray and decided on the best treatment but you knew best.

Some extremely rude replies here, I would suggest that those posters look up any NHS thread on here and see how many cock ups the "professionals " can make. But OP, it IS only a couple of weeks until the end of term, is there any way your poor DD could study at home while resting up?

What can I say?

I worked in the NHS for 25 years and a large amount of my time was spent repairing the damage people had done to themselves by inappropriate self-treatment or non-compliance.

As a side issue my vet has a big notice under the receptionists' desk saying "Google does NOT have a degree in Veterinary Medicine" 😁

And your experience and qualifications in a medical subject are?

In healthcare one can get 'undesirable outcomes' despite following accepted treatment outcomes, not just because of 'cock-ups', as you put it.

Health care/medical professionals have to follow the NICE guidelines (National Institute of Clinical excellence) which details accepted protocols for treatments.

They are evidence-based recommendations designed to help both patients and staff.

Obviously I'm not trying to "make an impact" whatever that means. Why would I be? Try thinking logically instead of lashing out at people who know more than you, would be my advice. Not that you'll take it 😆
I hope your daughter's foot is OK and she isn't harmed by your actions!

@Oldnamechangeyetagain no medical qualifications, just personal experience of the same injury. It hurt like hell, and there's no way I would have walked about on it until it was healed.