Any Dr’s about? What are the chances that this ISN’T broken?😞

[Chelsea26]

On holiday in Turkey - slipped on a boat yesterday and this is now my ankle.

Can bear weight (hugely painful) and have movement so thought just bad sprain but it’s got considerably bigger and bluer overnight.

It’s 40 degrees here and I have 5 days left, not being able to go in the pool will be torture!! 😩

Even a Dr can't tell you without an xray. I had this and it was just soft tissue damage but the Dr advised it might take longer to heal than a break. But you need to have it seen obviously- if it's broken you don't want it healing wrong.

Well it does look out of shape but could be bruising like the pp
said. You can't leave it though it'll cause you no end of problems if it's broken and you don't get it set. Well it did my dh anyway. Good luck

Gah! Thanks for the replies. I didn’t know soft tissue damage could be worse!!

I know I have to go - I’m just so frustrated! 😩

please update us! Watch out if you have to have general anaesthetic you don't end up with a gastric band or new teeth as well 🤣🤣🤣

I think it’s probably broken but could be soft tissue injury.
You need to get yourself seen pronto at a hospital, high elevation , foot above hip. Ice packs every 2 hours, ibuprofen and paracetamol and non weight bearing .

Yes, even if a doctor could see you and palpate the area, they’d need an X-ray to confirm.

I broke my ankle, also on holiday in Turkey (skiing though, not a beach holiday). Doctor staying in our hotel attended… said it wasn’t broken and gave me painkillers. When we finally got home ankle was huge and increasingly painful… hospital had to Re-break and set it as it had all begun to fuse incorrectly.

don’t want to alarm you but if you’re insured get an X-ray done. If you’re super reluctant to do that, do it for sure if it’s not feeling better tomorrow.

You can weight bear on a broken ankle if the break is not very severe/complex/open. But, break or sprain, you really should be icing and elevating it at this stage, needless to say!

Ooo - I could get on board with a gastric band…😂😂

Thank you - yes I’ve been doing RICE since I did it and it still massive! We’re going to head to the hospital now…

Good luck at the hospital but just a reminder for everyone suggesting RICE that Rest and Ice are not actually recommended anymore as they can delay the healing process.

theanatomyofwellness.com/rice-outdated-new-injury-treatment/#:~:text=The%20good%20news%3A%20while%20the,recover%20from%20soft%20tissue%20injuries.

Good to know.
Fingers crossed for you, OP.

With massive swelling like this , icing is helpful in the short term .

Good luck. We thought our son had broken his leg on holiday. Although we went to private hospital on insurance, it wasn't really clear what he had done until we got home

Oh I don’t know what to do know. Just walked (limped) down through the restaurant on our way and a guest who’s a doctor said that she wouldn’t bother with the hospital if I can walk on it and it’s a bad sprain 🤷‍♀️ just keep icing it…

but then apparently ice is old news…

What sort of doctor though? Ignore the unsolicited advice and go to the hospital.

If you go to the hospital and it's not broken, they might at least be able to give you some crutches so you can get about a bit easier

I’d go and get it looked at if you can.

Definitely not the case that just a sprain if you can walk on it, speaking from personal experience...we were all shocked to see multiple breaks on x ray, after walking around for at least 24 hrs. Was very swollen and bruised though. Get seen.

Why are you hesitant? Do you not have insurance?

Is it that you are worried you’ll get a cast and not be able to swim? So you’d rather not know so you can go in the pool?

Go to hospital.

Clinicians often use a set of “rules” called the Ottawa ankle/foot rules to decide whether to xray and one of the rules is if you can’t weightbear then you do get an xray. But this is often misinterpreted as if you can weightbear you don’t need an xray and that’s not true. You can weightbear but still meet the requirements for an xray. So go.

And the point about soft tissue injuries is well made - I’d see a private physio if it is just soft tissue to get advice and exercise on healing well.

Mine looked like that when I had an avulsion fracture (sp?), small but of bone pulled off by a tendon. Was strapped but not plastered. Crutches for a couple of weeks then walking stick for a bit longer. I couldn't put my foot fully on the floor at all though.

I'd definitely get yours checked. Hope you can still enjoy the rest of your holiday

Have you got bruising on the sole of your foot? More likely to be broken if so.
FWIW I’d put my money on it being broken (worked in A&E for over 25 years!). We are sometimes surprised tho so there’s a chance it is just ligaments. Make sure you elevate it!

Also, to add I would def get it looked at on holiday before a flight home in case it is a more serious break that you shouldn’t be weight bearing on

Partly cast would be a pain but also now that she’s told me what she has I feel like I’m being a drama queen and ruining a day of the holiday for DP. Not that I’m that much fun today!

I have got insurance - I think I will go just for piece of mind

Surely your DP would prefer you to prioritise your health? How does going to hospital ruin his day, you can go in a cab by yourself surely?

Sorry - meant to say thank you for all the replies. I love mumsnet for some good old common sense!