Things the phone nurse probably didn't want to hear

[Magpie]

->No, I can't put weight on it. I didn't actually try, because it's own weight causes problems.

->How long ago did it happen? Oh, about eight hours.

->It looks rather swollen, I don't think it's crooked, it's probably just the way I'm holding it.

At least when asked what I would have done if I didn't have that service I said that, failing that I'd have called Telehealth, and I definitely was going to see a doctor, I would have gone to Emerg if I didn't have one.

Anyone want to take bets on how long the wait at Emerg will be?

[TelephoneAngel]

oh dear, what have you done?

[ArcticChicken]

Broken something, it sounds like. When I broke my foot, even the tiniest bit of pressure made me want to cry.


I hope the wait isn't too horrendously long, and that you didn't actually break it.

[Amina516]

Good Luck!

Let us know how it goes. I hope nothing too serious.

[Magpie]

I apparently broke a bone in my foot. And yes, the fact that I didn't realise until I looked at the clock that I had been sobbing for 4 minutes beside the bed (while trying to be quiet to not wake my husband), should have given it away. I think that my new rule might be along the lines of "If it makes me break out in sweat/feel nauseous, I'll listen to people telling me that I should do something THEN".

They let me have a wheelchair while I was there! It was so much fun (that and way less effort than these crutches are turning out to be).

For the next [?] weeks I get to see first-hand just how bad our campus is for the mobility-impaired. I might go to Office for Persons with Disabilities and see about getting elevator keys/rides from the student access van.

ETA: for people with private insurance, I recommend knowing what it covers. I decided to get the boot cast instead, even though they charge for it, because I have private insurance. We can afford it, but it might have been wiser to get the one that I wouldn't have to pay for.

[ArcticChicken]

Oh, that sucks.

Did you get a walking cast, or was it too bad a break?

Crutches are pretty simple, once you get the hang of them, the trick is to remember that you have great big sticks under your arms, thus you don't fit through doorways as easily.

[Eric the Grey]

Broken something, it sounds like. When I broke my foot, even the tiniest bit of pressure made me want to cry.

When I broke my ankle and lower leg (fibula) I didn't feel any pain. I KNEW I had broken something because of how I did it. I fell with my leg directly under my ass, and felt them break...

I even had this bright health-care student insist that I could not have broken anything or I would be in a lot of pain. When they tried to lift me up, my lower leg bent at a spot it should not have bent at. They believed me after that.

You will curse your crutches to the furthest pits of hell by the time you're done with them. I know I did. I almost placed them in the road in order to drive over them numerous times, but never did. You'll realize exactly how much upper body strength you have after a few days. In my case it wasn't much, and hauling my 210 pound frame around was very tiring.

Good luck on healing. Drink a lot of milk, or take calcium supplements to help.


Eric the Grey

[ApolloSZ]

When they tried to lift me up, my lower leg bent at a spot it should not have bent at. They believed me after that.

I've had a similar, tho not as major incident. Its kinda sad when it takes a limb or extermity bending a way it really, REALLY shouldn't, to prove that something, just ain't right.

But after like 5 hours, they taped my fingers together. No spiral fracture for me, no cast and splint, or wire into my finger.... dammit....

[Magpie]

Oh, that sucks.

Did you get a walking cast, or was it too bad a break?

Yes, I did. I'm just not allowed to walk on it yet. I'm assuming I will later, but even now it's really nice to be able to take the cast off. I'm wearing trousers today! (instead of my Indian skirts, which are oh-so-appropriate in -7 weather).

I am VERY proud of myself for making the decision to get the walking cast. See, if you get a regular cast it's covered. If you get a walking cast they charge you for it. (But... not tax for some reason, which confuses me). And I didn't know (still am not sure) if my insurance would cover the cast. And even if it does we'll have to pay 20%. With my Asperger's it's very difficult for me to choose with things like that, so this is an improvement.

Given that my insurance might not cover the cast I'm glad that the nurse who was writing up my charges didn't know I have insurance - she wasn't sure what to charge me and so charged me less.

You will curse your crutches to the furthest pits of hell by the time you're done with them. I know I did. I almost placed them in the road in order to drive over them numerous times, but never did. You'll realize exactly how much upper body strength you have after a few days. In my case it wasn't much, and hauling my 210 pound frame around was very tiring.

Good luck on healing. Drink a lot of milk, or take calcium supplements to help.

I asked the nurse and she said that I didn't need to worry any more than usual about having calcium, but I'm going to make sure that I get a little bit of extra protein (maybe bump it up to 60 g or so, not that I actually doubt I'm hitting that), and perhaps buy some bananas *shame* for the phosphorous.

I already knew that I didn't have very much upper-body strenght, I am very glad I got down to 70 before this happened (I used to be up around 90 when I was in high school). I think that had I put padding on the crutches last night I'd be better off right now, because a lot of the problem is that they beat me up, and my hands are a little raw. The muscles are sore, but in a "this will go away in a few days" way, nothing worse.

[ArcticChicken]

Yes, I did. I'm just not allowed to walk on it yet. I'm assuming I will later, but even now it's really nice to be able to take the cast off.

....When I broke my foot I don't think they'd invented a cast you could take off. They gave me one I didn't need crutches with after a certain time frame. Made bathing a bitch, I can tell you.

[draggar]

When I broke my ankle and lower leg (fibula) I didn't feel any pain. I KNEW I had broken something because of how I did it. I fell with my leg directly under my ass, and felt them break...

The broken bone isn't where the majority of the pain comes from - it's the torn muscles / nerves from it and the bones being out of place.

[Eric the Grey]

I think that had I put padding on the crutches last night I'd be better off right now, because a lot of the problem is that they beat me up, and my hands are a little raw. The muscles are sore, but in a "this will go away in a few days" way, nothing worse.

Make certain you are not putting weight on your underarms. This can really mess you up because your shoulders are not designed to handle that much pressure. Always put your weight on your arm/hands. It sucks, and your muscles will complain a lot, but it'll be worth it in the end.



Eric the Grey

[Magpie]

Nah, the problem that required me to need padding was that, until I ended up in too much pain, is that I was holding the crutches fairly vertically, so that every time I tensed up my arms to take my weight my underarm would jab into the rest. That and my ribs are much happier now that they're being bumped by something softer.

[AccountingDrone]

Make certain you are not putting weight on your underarms. This can really mess you up because your shoulders are not designed to handle that much pressure. Always put your weight on your arm/hands. It sucks, and your muscles will complain a lot, but it'll be worth it in the end.



Eric the Grey

Properly made canadian crutches beat the hell out of axillary crutches. I have 2 sets, folding that fit in the backpack on my wheelchair, and are a spiffy purple, and blue ones that don't fold for around the house and short trips that I don't need to use the chair for.

[Magpie]

Yeah, I don't think they give you those just for a broken foot bone. One of the profs in chem (actual chem, not chem eng) has those, but they're more "if he didn't have them he wouldn't be upright" type things, for several years. (See, I can be upright without the crutches. Mobile even. I just think I'm not supposed to hop around like that.)

And these definitely aren't Canadian crutches. Don't know where they're made, but they're designed for an American market. The nurse asked me my height. Now, after 6 hours at the hospital, doing partial differential equations, I'm a little bit out of it. I was very proud of myself for remembering my height in under 30 seconds. Then I find out she wanted it in feet and inches. (I remembered that right afterwards, but honestly. I'm in PAIN here, you do the math if it matters so much).