Fell down stairs

[Lcw29]

Friday morning I was extremely tired (I have a 6 month old who's teething and a child with covid)and rushing down stairs. I missed the last four steps and heard my ankle snap as I fell. I passed out and almost threw up. My husband rushed over and to cut a long story short, it's not broken but told I have a bad sprain. Possibly snapped ligament.
I was sent away from hospital with crutches.
Anyway the swelling has gone down a bit but I'm getting tingling in my toes today and still have to crawl up the stairs to go toilet. I can't bare weight on it and it feels a bit hot around the joint.

Is this all normal for this kind of injury?

I hope it was x rayed 🙈if they x rayed it and definitely not broken then yes I suppose this would be normal if its a really bad sprain

If they suspect soft tissue rupture, you need a MRI to confirm. It may need surgery, don't delay if it's a tendon.

I would go back to A&E I think, especially because the tingling.

They did an X-ray but struggled to get pictures as I was so swollen and couldn't move my foot easily. They didn't really examine my foot physically much , again as it was swollen and immovable. Just given a leaflet about sprains.

I would go back and have it X rayed again. If you have a minor injuries they may have an Xray to avoid A and E. Fractures are sometimes missed because of the swelling. That sounds awful! The times I’ve thrown up after something like that it’s always been a break - I think it’s something to do with a bone snapping.

I.do have a minor injury not far from me so that is definitely an option. It was so scary.

In that case that's where I'd be heading 😟good luck OP

Agreeing going back with new symptoms.

In the meantime, do you need to go downstairs? If the toilet is upstairs and stairs are painful - stay up there! Hopefully your DH is home today and you will need some time of work anyway. Get him to make up a packed lunch, some snacks, bring the kettle upstairs and make life easy on yourself.

Soft tissue injuries can be just as painful, debilitating and take as long to heal as brakes. Always annoys me when people say ‘at least it isn’t broken’

I ripped the tendon in the back of my calf/ankle playing five-a-side football. Like you I (and everyone else on the pitch) heard a loud snap!

I was in plaster for a month, two lots of plaster altering the angle of my foot after two weeks. The hospital said if I didn't have this I could end up walking with a permanent limp as the tendon wouldn't mend/extend how it should.

If I were you I'd go back asap.

Good idea with the packed lunch and snacks! We have three children so it's been a challenge. Unfortunately I've tested positive for covid now too so I'm hesitant to get checked but I know it needs it. I thankfully don't feel to bad though . The foot is worse!

Poor you - hope you get seen quickly

Just put a mask on and get it checked out again. A broken bone heals quickly but a ligament takes ages. The sooner it's diagnosed and treated, the best chance of good recovery. I ended up having ligament surgery years after an ankle break because the ligament damage doesn't show on x-rays. Showed up on an MRI years later after repeated ankle injuries.
You may need to be given a boot.

I too would be getting another option- once you have recovered from covid.

My foot went into a broken, narrow gutter and when I stepped onto the half twisted ankle I heard a crack. Had it X-rayed and told just a sprain. My foot was bruised from toes to ankle and I was limping for weeks. A month later, I had had it re-rayed elsewhere. They said I did have a bone fracture and as it had started to heal, there was nothing they could do! I know have the worry that I'd develop arthritis in it later in life.

I'm guessing you don't have any downstairs loo? Could you hire or buy a commode chair for downstairs?

I tore ligaments in the exact same way and it was without doubt the most excruciating thing I've ever experienced bar none.
My whole foot swelled up including my toes and went every colour h set the son. I couldn't bare any weight for about 2 weeks and limped heavily for 2 more . Still not perfect today. But it wasn't a break it was a torn ligament!.

It took four months to recover from a similar injury, including lots of physio, and have had multiple sprains before and since so seem prone to it. Mine was still quite swollen a month on so be prepared for a long haul.

If you heard it snap it’s not a sprain. Could be AT or a break. Go back for another x Ray

How did you get on OP? Hope you’re feeling a bit better

Definitely go back, check with minor injuries has a radiography service if it doesn’t go back to a&e. Did they put you in a boot? It could be a grade 3 sprain which needs to be diagnosed as it may need bracing and potential surgery. I’d be pushing for another X-ray and for them to X-ray your foot depending where the swelling and bruising is. If they can’t see a fracture then I’d be asking for a referral to fracture clinic to be reviewed and push for an mri.

I got checked again yesterday. I was told to not use the crutches and walk on it more. I can walk on it now but really carefully and slowly. Stairs are still a challenge though. It's very tender this morning. I was also told to ask my gp for physiotherapy. And because I have calf pain to keep an eye on it in case of blood clots. I did feel the nurse wasn't particularly understanding but it could be worse.

https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/exercises-for-patients-following-an-acute-ankle-injury-or-operation/

https://www.dchft.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PEACE-and-LOVE-Soft-Tissue-Injury-October-2023.pdf

these might be helpful. Most areas you can do an online self-referral to physio.