Help, I broke my big toe!!!

[mcqueengroupie]

Here's what happened......I was running (why? I don't know) up my stairs with my arms filled with laundry and I hit the step with my big toe. All I heard was "SNAP!" It didn't hurt too bad at first, then the throbbing came and I called DH @ work. He came home and took me for and X-RAY. I couldn't walk on it, but the MD said it wasn't broken. So I believed him, why wouldn't I, and we left. I was crying and DH asked if it hurt real bad, and I said it hurt, but I was crying because we leave for Disney in 7 wks.
Well, I got a call from the hospital's radiiology dept. asking for me to come get another x-ray, I said sure, I went in, showed them my foot, now swollen and purple, they take another x-ray and sure enough, it's broken. I have a fracure that runs diagonly from one joint to the next. They told me to stay off my feet, (yeah right, with 2 boys????) and go to an orthopedic Dr. Easier said than done. I called around and they say, oh you could come in two weeks or else they are very rude and say they don't do toes. I get it, it is only a toe, I'm not a Dr. kind of girl, I never go....but I want this to heal correctly, I don't want to have issues @ Disney. Any suggestions???

 

[Haley Whippet]

Sorry about your toe, I would call my regular MD and tell him you want to know how to care for your toe..
Tell him you called a Ortho Dr. and got the run-around.
Good Luck
Deb

 

[MousekeMommy]

Sorry about your toe . . . Ouch!
As a dancer, I can say that I have broken every toe on my body (some of them more than once!) They do hurt like . . . . but I never had a Dr. do more than "tape" them. As far as it healing properly--you should see my crooked toes!!! My best suggestion from experience is pain killers--if a Dr. won't give you some, take extra strength Tylenol, Advil, or whatever works for you ... Hope you find some relief or some better advice . . . you do have my sympathy, whatever that's worth (I have a 3 year old boy & a 5 year old boy, and I know staying off your feet isn't an option, but I performed on broken toes with some "help" from painkillers--it is possible to function and even smile through this)

 

[CantWaitToGo2007]

I'm sorry to hear about your toe too.

I'm an x-ray tech for an ortho office. Is the fracture displaced? If it is you want to go and see a doctor and possibly have it fixed. But it sounds to me that it is not displaced since they had to have you come in for the second x-ray to determine that it was indeed fractured. I would find a good pair of hard sole shoes and stay off your foot as much as you can to give your foot a chance to heal. The thing that usually causes pain in toe fractures is when the bone shifts slightly when you walk, so I would wear the hard sole shoe even when you are at home rather than going barefoot.

I hope this might help you some.

Wishing you a speedy recovery
Nanette

 

[Selket]

I've broken a toe too - my little one - while carrying laundry....dang laundry!

I did the recommendations in this article: http://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/metatarsal-fractures.htm

Of course that was on the advice of my doctor - it is just similar to what I did. They didn't even want to see me cause there is so little they can do for the little toe. The little toe matters much less than the big toe though. I thought that article had some good advice but I would definitely call your doctor and make sure the fracture is not so severe and will heal properly if "buddy taped", etc. If the dr. really thinks you need to see and orthopedist then find out why - if there is a more serious issue and you can't get in then the dr. needs to know about it so he/she can make sure you are getting appropriate treatment - just in case!

 

[mcqueengroupie]

Well, one of the ortho.'s offices did call back late yesterday, and again said they would see me in two weeks!!!!!! Wow, I remember the good old days when you were sick or hurt, and you could actually go see a Dr. right away. Anywhooooo, I said no thanks, if I could wait that long, then I didn't think I needed a DR. at all. She said hold on, then came back and gave me an appointment for Monday. I took it but, I don't know if I will go. I still have to get a referral from my PCP, and who knows if I call Mon. morning if they will write one by the afternoon!
Thank you all for the advice I am getting around OK. The hospital did give me a boot thingy which I sometimes wear....but as for the fracture, it does't look displaced, not that I'm a professional but I have broken alot of bones in my life. I know its silly I just want to be able to "walk the world" when we are in Disney. I did want to hop on the treadmill before we went, but I think that is on hold for awhile. My foot looks pretty good in the morning, but by the night it is all purple and swollen! And tonight my DH and I have a wedding to go to....I should look beautiful in my boot!! I don't think it will be fun, neither one of us will drink, I'ld probably fall, and DH is on heart medication....Did I mention he was hospitalized last month for A-Fib. and had a cardioversion....that came less than two weeks after DS2 took a nose dive into his headboard and broke his nose.....I'm holding my breath that DS6 doesn't want a trip to the emergency room before our trip!!! I'm gonna sprinkle some Pixie dust over us and hope for the best, thanks for listening to me moan and groan!