Broken foot and no word from the hospital

[onarollercoaster]

Three weeks ago I sustained two hairline fractures in my foot. I attended minor injuries who X-rayed and confirmed this. They put me in a walking boot up to my knee and said I would need to wear it for 4 weeks. They said at the time that my x-rays would need to be sent to one of the main hospitals for re-evaluation by one of their orthopedic doctors and I would be called in 5-7 days to confirm it was a break and to confirm that I would need to wear the boot for four weeks or to tell me they disagreed and and give me another course of action.

I'm now three weeks in and no word from the main hospital (Minor injuries couldn't confirm which hospital the x-rays would be sent to). I rang minor injuries to say i'd not had a call from the hospital and they advised me to just wait as the hospitals are very busy.

3 weeks in and I still haven't heard anything so potentially have been incapacitated with a suspected broken foot (but maybe its not broken? however I suspect minor injuries were right) for three weeks. I've been unable to work and have really struggled now for money.

I don't know if i need to do anything, but i'm concerned that the boot comes off in a week but I haven't had any medical support. I thought that breaks took 6 weeks to heal and im worried im coming out of the boot too early, but i'm desperate to get back to earning. I dont want to mess my foot up though.

WWYD

I’d phone the hospital to check that they’ve had your referral from minor injuries and ask when your fracture clinic appointment is.

I would definitely be the squeaky wheel before taking off the walking boot. When I had a hairline fracture in my wrist, it had to be x-rayed each time they took off the cast. I got put in a new cast 3 times. Your fracture may not be that type, but I would want to be certain.

Call the fracture clinic. TBF I broke my T12 last year and nobody from the hospital bothered to contact me to tell me - I only found out when my GP refused to refer me for physio or further investigations after I had been in agony for two months because the utter twits had misreporting it as an old fracture.

Best thing you could do is request a copy of your XRays and sort it privately.

If you are wondering if it's broken presently it's not that painful and you could go to work? Presumably you are on your feet all day. Are there no amended duties you could do?

It sounds like the hospital has a virtual fracture clinic - there should be a leaflet giving the details for the VFC contact. Do you have an obvious nearest hospital? Is the minor injuries unit confident that the referral was actually sent? The commonest reason we don’t get in touch is because we’ve not actually received a referral.

also whilst bones do take on average 6 weeks to heal, by four weeks there is sufficient healing to come out of boots for most foot fractures. The guidance now is that the last two weeks don’t actually add anything to healing but just increase stiffness and immobility. (Caveat is that obviously I don’t know exactly what fracture you have, just letting you know that the guidance you’ve been given isn’t unusual).

It hasn't ever been seriously painful, sharp when it first happened and no 'real' pain since just a bit of discomfort now and then. I was very lucky. My brain still hasn't registered that it's a break!
My job is on my feet all day and I have an hour and a half's commute to get there so its the driving really that is the main issue.

Thank you for your reply.

When I broke my foot and had a boot (fortunately left foot) I took the boot off for driving. Was the left foot and I have an automatic.

I fractured the 5th metatarsal and it hurt like hell for the first week (was entirely dependent on crutches) and took a good 6/9 months to heal.properly.

Have you got another post asking the same thing?

Fractured my fifth metatarsal but wriggled out of the cast after a week because I lost my job as a result and needed to make rent.

Six months later I had to have a pin put in it because I hadn't let it heal.

I'd turn up at a fracture clinic and refuse to leave til someone took your issue on. Yes, even though they're busy.

To be honest there is not a lot they can do for a broken foot. It’s not what you want to hear but keeping off your foot as much as possible if the best recovery. I broke my foot in two places and it’s a waiting game. I was in unbearable pain for 4 weeks and then by 3 months I was walking with just mild discomfort. By 5 months I had no pain.

you just have to listen to your body, if it hurts then stop. The pain is a really good indication for whether it is healing or not xxx

I have a broken second phalanges at the moment after a heavy object fell on it. It hurts! But after 10 days the swelling and bruising is reducing, even if walking is a pain. Literally.

I wish there was some kind of protective anything to stop me stubbing it/bashing it. The nurse at MIU suggested I wore my walking boots (!) but in this heat, no thanks. And I'd have to bend my foot to get into a walking boot - and bending it is really painful. Any good ideas?

Did they not give you a medical walking boot?! As far as I'm aware it replaces the old style white cast. That's what I have been given.

No, nothing. Just "wear a stiff soled shoe (don't actually own any - I live in flip flops and wellies), don't drive for 4-6 weeks (also pretty impossible as I live in the middle of nowhere) and We don;t do anything for this sort of break"

Eeeeek! From the hospital????

The walking boot has been super helpful. This is the type i have -

www.amazon.co.uk/Kingdom-GB-Fracture-Surgical-Protective/dp/B07N4486WF/ref=sr_1_9?crid=22PSM2C4KYHL2&keywords=medical+walking+boot&qid=1660505816&sprefix=medical+walking+boot%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-9

So you have a broken 2nd toe?
standard advice is to strap and stiff soles shoe or trainer.

From the local MIU.
X ray, "yes, it's broken" then the above advice. Avoiding further injury is difficult and all consuming.

Thanks for the boot advice. DH and I trawled Amazon a few nights ago, but it was impossible to decide what was appropriate.

@FuzzyPuffling do you have any crocs, they did the trick for me when I had similar injury. To be honest couldn't wear anything else for about three months. A bendy sole really hurts but the stiffness of crocs did the trick. I ordered some online👍

Hard to strap it to any other toes as they too are swollen and sore (the heavy object fell across the whole top of my foot). I genuinely don't own any stiff soled shoes. (Which I appreciate is not the problem of the NHS, but I sure ain't going shoe shopping now!)

Ah Crocs. Don't have any but if they work.....
(I'm currently managing with my Teva sandals, especially good as they have adjustable velcro straps which accommodate the varying swelling.)

OP phone your GP.
They should have any information that's been added to your record and might at least be able to point you in the right direction of a hospital even if they cant give you any results.

I'd be calling minor injuries clinic back again and ask again- where you have been referred etc. At least you have a boot on!

Years ago I was half asleep and didn't realise my foot was tucked under me and completely numb. My foot landed sideways and I heard a loud crack! Went to minor injuries to be told it was fine. Foot went black from toes to ankles and its was incredibly painful for weeks to walk on.

Finally got another Xray elsewhere a month later- to say that the fracture was starting to heal- but why had I been walking on it!!!! I now can feel an indent in that bone and will likely get arthritis in it later in life!

Worse case OP- its been healing and no harm other than a real inconvenience.

I've a broken foot currently - in 2 bones. I got the boot approx 4 weeks ago. I walked around the house without the boot after 2 weeks, after 3 weeks I took the boot off to drive.

Went to the frature clinic last week, was told to keep wearing the boot outside for a further 2 weeks.

I took one day off work because I was in A&E.

There are lots of reduced clogs about at the moment. Best things for broken toes.

I would keep pestering the MIU, including asking which hospital they referred you to so you can contact them directly. I’m two months overdue for a check-up following a fracture at the start of the year, only by repeatedly contacting them did I get anywhere. And I’m already ‘in the system’ so to speak!