What have I done to my foot- very painful (picture)

[Neverletmego27]

I tripped over thin air after having pins and needles...landed on the side of my foot and now it's swollen up like a golf ball on the side. What have I done to it? Anything I can do to help it heal? I've got a 40 minute walk to school in the morning.

I also had to 'personal wash' for six weeks last year (bathroom fitters ripped old bathroom out then did a runner before fitting the new one - nightmare!) and like gobbin I got into a routine of it quickly. I managed to keep very clean and fresh smelling in high summer - did get a few funny looks from the neighbours as I had to wash my hair under the kitchen tap and they were clearly fascinated to see what I was up to .

I hope the fracture clinic manage to sort you out so that you can manage a bit better, OP. You do need to avoid overdoing it though as that will slow down the healing process a lot.

That looks painful!

Can recommend a cast cover from Limbo if you end up in plaster. Had one for DS when he broke his hand- he was able to shower as usual. Can usually get them mailed pretty quickly if you can't find one in a shop- the chemists that sell disability aids often stock them.

I kept the packaging and sold his on eBay afterwards which recouped half the cost!

I managed a bath and hair wash! Had to be done, though it was painful. My foot isn't swollen like that anymore Marie, just swollen all over and in the general area of the break. I'm hoping they'll say a boot if anything. It's such a pain having to wait the extra day and go back !

Well, I've ben the fracture clinic. It's a fracture of the 5th metasasural and I've got an air boot on for 4 weeks. Dr said I'm young and the bones should heal quite quickly so we'll see how I'm doing in 4 weeks, maybe I'll need it for another 2, maybe not.

I hope it heels soon and I'm glad you've managed a bath too :o

:D It's become a talking point. Peopl at the hospital kept talking to me! I'm very shy so I was taken aback.

:) people are generally friendly to one another in hospitals...

So, how long before I can hop to the bus stop and get on a bus, do you think? Am using two crutches and have a boot on. Tried very hard today, managed ten minute walk to a friend's house from university (had lecture). Did some housework, but still struggling on the bath front.

When I sprained mine doing the same thing, twisting it after having bad pins and needles, the whole foot and ankle swelled up hugely all over and quickly went black with bruising. Yours looks nothing like that so probably not a sprain! Not sure how helpful that is but hope you get it sorted.

how far to the bus stop?
if a very short walk you should be fine once the foot stops trobbing. you need it elevated as much as you can for a couple of weeks, so keep that in mind.

It's ten minutes to the bus stop, then one bus, then five minutes walk and a change of bus and then another bus then a fifteen-twenty minute walk. Swearing to myself right now.... :/

anyone you can get a lift with?

No one lives in my area, sadly :(

Here's the foot after a bus journey, walk around campus and walk back. People (friends) were telling me to just get on with it and I listened but I've well and truly made it worse. Any advice?

Foot up! Elevate it and rest it. Painkillers if you need them
I have broken both (feet and ankles) and you really need to rest. The last thing you want is to make it worse, it will take longer to heal and you don't want future problems

Yes I think I did too much listening to my friends- get the bus they said, hobble about, they said....

Yep ignore them. It needs to heal and it can't do that while you're hobbling about
Prescription of box sets, foot on cushion and arse on sofa!

Good god women, you only broke it Monday.

You must rest it, foot up in the air as much as humanely possible. You need to speak to your tutors about getting work you can do at home. Can a friend video or Skype lectures for you?

I have broken and torn ligaments in my feet, it bloody hurts and can't be rushed into healing.

yep, ignore them.
put it up for a couple of days at least, the only essential trip is to the loo.
take anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen) and alternate cold and warm compresses.

then take it very easy for a couple of weeks. no unessential trips, sit down as much as possible.
elevate elevate elevate.

if you don't let it heal properly it will give you bother for years to come.

Some lectures are now in 'feedback' sessions (I do creative writing) so I can miss those and not feel too guilty.

I was saying that I couldn't get the bus and my friends' response was "of course you can". I did an 8 hour day on it today- stairs, steps, everything. Feeling sick with pain now and hot and cold shivers. I need to see my gp soon on a completely unrelated matter, so it might be worth asking him what he thinks about simply signing off all non essential lectures etc.

that said, i've had lots of help today. I had a friend come round to clean out my house bunnies as I can't reach their cage at the minute and between friends and my lovely childminder (who isn't charging the extra) we have school runs sorted.

You will feel shivery! < stern face >
Seriously your bone is trying to heal itself, it's not like a cut or a bruise
Rest, hot drink, paracetamol and foot up

OP you've done well to get away with an air cast boot. I had a similar fracture, sounds like exactly the same cause. Mine was a fraction closer to the ankle and slightly displaced and I had a half leg cast for 6 weeks and absolutely no weight bearing for the whole time, then another 3 weeks with the boot.

It is going to swell when you use it a lot, just make sure you can elevate it as much as possible, easier said than done I know when there are children to be looked after. I'd get a plan to have as much help as you can over the coming weeks so you can take it easy. The more you can elevate the quicker it will heal. Drink lots of milk for the calcium (skimmed has higher calcium per pint).

This will pass and one day you'll be able to laugh about it, honestly.

It's a bigger psyiological shock tha I expected! I've always been used to being able to do stuff so I'm a bit annoyed. Already working on the doing as little as possible- it's hard so close to the end of term (ends in 2 weeks and then assignments to write.)

And this is the guilty foot today....I've been using arnica cream on the bruising and the swelling is definitely going down.