THR copsham's recovery thread
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copsham
post-grad
@Sullivand thanks for post, unfortunately this is real pain in the foot, like agony if any part of my lower foot touches the floor. I always feel contrary. I have no achiness from the fall which is surprising. I can't understand how I fell so hard got no bruises or aches anywhere other than both feet. which turned under me. I am so grateful that my hip is fine but so shocked to be back on the sofa except for forays to the bathroom. Oh well I am gradually adapting to the change of pace that is necessary.
Sullivand
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@copsham
Oh I am so sorry and it is not fair to have to start over with bed rest when you were anticipating recovery to be so much better~ I can relate because having to have back to back surgery~ week 12 from first hip surgery back to the beginning again with second surgery at week 13. I hope I didn't make you feel I was minimizing your pain in the foot. I hope you heal fast.
Oh I am so sorry and it is not fair to have to start over with bed rest when you were anticipating recovery to be so much better~ I can relate because having to have back to back surgery~ week 12 from first hip surgery back to the beginning again with second surgery at week 13. I hope I didn't make you feel I was minimizing your pain in the foot. I hope you heal fast.
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copsham
post-grad
Thank you sullivand I had a wonderful 2 months with my hip being 99% before breaking my foot bone. So it was a wonderful taster of how life will be soon. Certainly having the hip done has made me appreciate simple things like walking without thinking and being pain free! I feel confident it will come again. Oh well it is midnight here and I have being enjoying the music at Glastonbury on the TV. So time to see if I can make it up the stairs tonight. What is clear is that we all don't know what is round the corner your week 12 -13 experience must have been a shock emotionally as well as physically but you are so supportive on the forum. Thank you x
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
Obviously I haven't seen the xrays but mostly using boots or casts for these foot injuries are more for pain management than fracture management. Thing, being the proximal end (base) of the 2nd m/t, the bone is splinted on both sides by the 1st and 3rd m/ts so should be pretty much okay as far as healing is concerned. And that will take about 6-8 weeks after the original injury. But I haven't see the xrays so don't take this as kosher.
this made me chuckle though wryly and in sympathy. I had myself taken into A&E one night with a suspected thrombo-embolism in my thigh. I was blue lighted in and expected to be seen pretty quickly. Instead I was parked in a wheelchair in the waiting room where an electronic display informed me that waiting time was 4-6 hours. This was about 8pm. By 11pm it changed to 4-6 hours and at 1am it changed to 8-9 hours! By my reckoning that meant I wouldn't be seen until 9am the next day!
I managed to catch a passing nurse (first I'd seen all evening) and asked when I was going to be triaged and was the waiting time to be applied on admission or only to those already triaged? He never came back so I phoned my sister to take me home and asked her to stay the night with me. I figured that I was safer at home because if I did end up having a PE, I'd probably get dealt with a lot more quickly calling an ambulance!
I wrote and complained, specifically about not having been triaged even after 4 hours and the reply was that the sister had triaged me in the corridor as I was brought in! I remembered her being there and taking a hand-over form the ambulance men but she never even said hello to me!
So that's what being triaged is like - ho-hum, I never knew! (sarcasm!)
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copsham
post-grad
Thanks for your reply @Josephine - so virtual clinics without the patient knowing, triage without the patient knowing what next - it is beyond the imagination. I haven't got the X-ray but the break was a clean break across the base of the second metatarsal about 1/4 inch from the base. It was very clear and very clean looking and not out of place. The nurse practioner said I should be seen within three days to assess that it is stable and if not pin it- sounded sensible but not followed though as there were "capacity issues" and "virtual clinics" between me and the appt. What you said about the second metatarsul being splinted by 1 and 3 makes sense.
I feel at an advantage re icing, elevation, patience, and pain meds. etc thanks to Bonesmart. Glad you are back and thank you!
I feel at an advantage re icing, elevation, patience, and pain meds. etc thanks to Bonesmart. Glad you are back and thank you!
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copsham
post-grad
Hello all,
Getting used to broken foot is so different from the hip! With the hip I went forward little by little so the difficulties were sandwiched between better times. I loved the sense of achievement walking a bit more, getting up the stairs etc. With the foot it is the opposite - I have to be totally non weight bearing for a minimum of 6 weeks i.e. laying or sitting on the on the sofa for 35 more days. I am waiting now for a CT scan and that will decide whether I need to have an op or not to secure the bones. If I do need an op that will mean the 6 weeks of no weight bearing starts again. So hard.
I have just thought though that I could now be in hosp having a revision if I had damaged my hip so I should really count my blessings! x
Getting used to broken foot is so different from the hip! With the hip I went forward little by little so the difficulties were sandwiched between better times. I loved the sense of achievement walking a bit more, getting up the stairs etc. With the foot it is the opposite - I have to be totally non weight bearing for a minimum of 6 weeks i.e. laying or sitting on the on the sofa for 35 more days. I am waiting now for a CT scan and that will decide whether I need to have an op or not to secure the bones. If I do need an op that will mean the 6 weeks of no weight bearing starts again. So hard.
I have just thought though that I could now be in hosp having a revision if I had damaged my hip so I should really count my blessings! x
Poppet
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It is difficult sometimes times to see the positive in a challenging situation @copsham -- I had a major fall a few months ago. https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/poppet-survived-a-major-fall.26732/ I still think of how much worse it could have been -- hoping for a positive result from your CT scan 
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copsham
post-grad
Hi Poppet,
I reread your post. What a horror your fall was. You seemed to be able to recount what happened in slow motion. I can't do that. One minute I was on the second stair, the next minute I was laying on the floor with my feet feeling like they had snapped off. My husband did not see what happened and all I could say as I lay there was "get me some ice" well indoctrinated.
Like you i was more concerned with hip than anything else. So several of us have had major falls including @NuMe2014 and our hips stood the test!
I reread your post. What a horror your fall was. You seemed to be able to recount what happened in slow motion. I can't do that. One minute I was on the second stair, the next minute I was laying on the floor with my feet feeling like they had snapped off. My husband did not see what happened and all I could say as I lay there was "get me some ice" well indoctrinated.
Like you i was more concerned with hip than anything else. So several of us have had major falls including @NuMe2014 and our hips stood the test!
Poppet
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Yes, it is amazing how strong our prostheses are. Oh yes, because of my nursing and natural medicine training when the shock wore off, I knew I had to document it in as much detail as possible -- just incase. Must admit it is as vivid today and the morning it happened! I guess that is a good thing it makes me more conscious of the risks and how to mitigate them
zauberflöte
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@copsham I finally decided to come over here and see about your foot, because I have done something similar but obviously lesser!
Six weeks NWB you poor thing!! I am, like you, so glad your hip survived the fall. I have faller on mine so many times with no consequences that I'm beginning to think it's the one piece of me that is indestructible! :lol:
When I did my foot, I thought it was the sprained ankle from heJJ for a couple of days, so did not have it seen. Like you, I felt in the know re ice and elevation. That was 14 months ago, and "fractured" never crossed my mind till late last winter, when I was looking for a forum like this for a metatarsal osteotomy my mom was having. None for that, but some community around broken feet bones. If you feel the need to go slumming :lol: After here, nothing looks good or friendly or much use!
So, I will pray for good CT scan results, and swift passage of the next 35 days! And comfortable healing when you do get up
My phone sent this using BoneSmart Forum, clever phone!
Six weeks NWB you poor thing!! I am, like you, so glad your hip survived the fall. I have faller on mine so many times with no consequences that I'm beginning to think it's the one piece of me that is indestructible! :lol:
When I did my foot, I thought it was the sprained ankle from heJJ for a couple of days, so did not have it seen. Like you, I felt in the know re ice and elevation. That was 14 months ago, and "fractured" never crossed my mind till late last winter, when I was looking for a forum like this for a metatarsal osteotomy my mom was having. None for that, but some community around broken feet bones. If you feel the need to go slumming :lol: After here, nothing looks good or friendly or much use!
So, I will pray for good CT scan results, and swift passage of the next 35 days! And comfortable healing when you do get up
My phone sent this using BoneSmart Forum, clever phone!
Sullivand
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Poppet
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Thank you @Sullivand -- he certainly has the logic, I have the emotions -- men are from Mars, women are from Venus comes to mind
isolde
junior member
Hi @copsham haven't been on here for a while and just saw what happened to you. So sorry, I've broken 2 different metatarsals in the past and it REALLY hurts. They didn't plaster it or put it in a boot though - they just let the foot tendons splint it and told me to walk on it a bit each day, wearing explorer sandals. They said getting blood to it would help. Once it was the fifth one (the outside one) and once the third. Pain was sickening though, I really feel for you and don't know how you can do it on just paracetamol. All good wishes. xx
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copsham
post-grad
Thanks for post @zauberflöte. As I now have time on my hand (!) I looked for a forum re feet/bones/fractures etc but none were half as interesting or well run as Bonesmart. One forum re dementia run by the Alzheimers society UK is very good and useful when I was dealing with issues re my mother.
I am now going to go back to @Poppet s articles re bone/strength/nutrition. I can't complain about not having enough time now!
I am now going to go back to @Poppet s articles re bone/strength/nutrition. I can't complain about not having enough time now!
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copsham
post-grad
Hi @isolde
Thanks for your kind sentiments. You are the first person that I have heard from who has experienced fractures of the metatarsal. They are such small bones that I felt like I was a wimp to be in such pain. As well as pain killers i am putting a Chinese Herbal ointment on the foot which seems to help (or if it is placebo I don't mind!)
Did your phased return to work go to plan? hope it did x
Thanks for your kind sentiments. You are the first person that I have heard from who has experienced fractures of the metatarsal. They are such small bones that I felt like I was a wimp to be in such pain. As well as pain killers i am putting a Chinese Herbal ointment on the foot which seems to help (or if it is placebo I don't mind!)
Did your phased return to work go to plan? hope it did x
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