OT . So Mad I could spit nails! Venting.

[pampam]

3 weeks ago my BIL slipped after a shower and banged his foot into a wall. He toughed it out, limping around for a few days. He thought he had broken a toe or two. After a few days, he went to the Dr. Dr sent him to emergency. Emergency x rayed it. By this time he had purple marks something like vericose veins up his leg to his butt. Hospital said he was ok. No broken bones. When asked about the marks on his leg they said don't worry about it. You're ok. Just some tissue dammage. Here's some pills. Go home and walk on it. So he did. He tried everything to alieviate the pain. Heat, cold, chiropracture, nothing was working. His baby toe turned black. Veins are worse. Back to the Dr. Dr said he had ischemic foot. Dr. sent him to a vascular surgeon in a distant city the day after next. Surgeon told him to come back in 2 days for an angiogram, possibly an angioplasty, maybe even surgery. He had the angiogram, artery is plugged at the groin, went right away for artery bypass, left leg to right leg. Foot is worse, probably lose the toe, lets see how the bypass works, maybe we can save it. Toe gets gangarene, you need to amputate it. Worse case we will have to amputate it and the big toe. On Sunday the report was we will have to amputate the big toe, baby toe and the ends of all the other toes. Monday, The toes are smelling, oozing, and today Tuesday,he will have surgury to amputate best case senario 1/2 the foot, and possibly his leg. I really feel if he had been examined proplerly at the emergency room things would have been better. The Hospital was not busy. There was only 1 other person in the waiting room, waiting for her husband who had been taken in already. They didn't so much as put a stethoscope to his leg or foot to see if he had a pulse. I know this is off topic, but I had to vent. Sorry.

 

[maryliz]

So sorry to hear that your family is going through this. Holding good thoughts and prayers for his surgery.

Mary-Liz

 

[grover]

Wow-you have every reason to be upset by this-what a terrible thing to have happen. I hope that things turn out for the better,
pixie dust..
G in W

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Tell him to check his medical records from the emergency room visit (he can get them for a fee from the Medical Records Dept of the hospital). Look to see if the examining doctor noted the presence or abscense of pulses (you don't use a stethoscope, you palpate, or feel them) - it would say something like DP (dorsalis pedal pulses) 2+ (present)/1+/ or - (negative/absent); and PT (posterior tibialis) same as above. If they were present at the time of exam then he HAD them then, they are usually felt sometimes without a patient even realizing it (seems like they are "feeling" your foot). Also, the CSM (color, sensation and movement) of the foot would be noted (should be warm, not cold and have normal sensation and movement).

Sometimes during a visit things are ok but deteriorate later. When the pain in the leg became *severe* was probably the point that the artery blocked. From reading your story it sounded like the point of the ER visit his toe hurt and he had bruising on his leg (probably from the fall) but that the pain became severe afterward - when he was trying the heat/cold, etc.. Sometimes after a fall the bruising is severe but it wouldn't necessarily indicate loss of pulses. With that said, I know this situation sounds pretty awful and it's tempting to think that someone was negligent, but until you review the medical records to see if this was a "missed" situation or a "progressive" situation you can't know. Good Luck to him.

P.S. Currently I am taking care of a patient who has ischemia/gangrene of ALL his fingers and toes. He is too sick for surgery so we're waiting for them to fall off. Nobody is at fault, it happened from an "embolic shower" which is when a blood clot forms then pieces break off and block the arteries. This process takes days to weeks after an injury and if I had to guess it's probably also what happened to your BIL (though not a "shower" but a single blood clot which formed slowly after his injury in the shower). Hope this helps.

P.P.S. I think it's a good sign that the ER was slow that day, it means the doctor probably wasn't "rushed" and took his or her time looking at all the data.

 

[sammi]

That is so terrible! Lots of good wishes are heading to your family......so so sad!

 

[cabmom]

This is so sad. I hope he will be okay!

Prayers for your BIL.

Marilynn

 

[bunnyfoo]

Wow! All of that from just banging your foot into a wall ... I never would have thought things could become so serious I hope things turn out okay for your BIL. Keep us posted.

 

[ChisJo]

Pampam - so sorry to hear. Something similar happened to an acquaintance of mine, and I was in contact with his wife throughout the whole ordeal, and saw the anguish she was feeling. I wish I could say I understand, but I obviously don't. Hopefully, things will work out and your BIL will be better in no time.

An off note to pea-n-me - as a 2nd year nursing student, you have just taught me something! Thank you.

 

[Sandyincanada]

wow...so sorry, pampam

 

[PoohBWV]

I hadn't told anyone here this yet but since July we have had my dh in the ER for gallbladder attacks 8 times. Scheduled for outpatient surgery which was to be tomorrow. Three weeks ago he had a very severe attack and became jaundiced. Was admitted to hospital on a Thursday night/early Friday a.m. Did not see a doctor until Sunday - the doctor said he could not find him in the computer system. On Sunday the doctor looks at his eyes - yup your jaundiced and leaves. The nurses told my husband he would probably have surgery on Monday. Monday comes and goes with only an ultrasound done - no visit from doctor. The ultrasound shows a 5 cm stone and smaller stones. On Tuesday he finally gets a visit from our family doctor who says surgery isn't scheduled you can go home. Please visit his office on Friday and he will do a referral to a surgeon! I talked with a friend of mine who works for a doctor. She called the surgeons office and was at least able to get dh into the surgeon on that Tuesday. As I said surgery was scheduled for Wed. Nov 10. Last Friday at 3:00 a.m dh wakes me in terrible pain. Off to the ER we go. He is given morphine. It doesn't help the pain. The doc says that we will need to go home and wait for his surgery. I said no way, we're staying until the surgeon comes. Finally at 4:30 p.m. the surgeon sees dh and admits him. On Saturday his white blood cell count has escalated and he is so sick he can't talk. They take him to surgery and two hours later tell me that his gallbladder was gangrenous and had perforated. Doctor says he's lucky to be alive!!! Since July we have had 8 ER visits and he has spent 9 days in hospital all for a procedure that was to be outpatient surgery. I'm so angry I could spit nails. What is going to happen to our health care system in Ontario?

 

[crazee4mickey]

OMG pampam--that is so upsetting ---I'm not even a medical genius but I even know that when you get marks travelling up your leg somethings not right!! How on earth could the hospital miss this!!
Sending pixie dust his way!!

Pooh BMV--Hope all turns out for your dh--what a terrible and scary time for you all-think I'll send more pixie dust as you need it more now than I do.

Can't believe what your families are going through, I feel guilty about complaining in my most recent post.

Take care to all

 

[wenabre]

Hi pampam,
Sorry to hear about your BIL's injury and the hard time he will be facing with surgery etc. Sometimes we wonder how such simple things can turn into such large disasters. I am sending you some PD and prayers for him and the rest of your family.
Take Care.
Wenabre