Still hurting a lot - Foot Problems Message Board

star12300 · 04-24-2005, 06:22 AM

OK this could end up being kinda long but PLEASE bear with me because I really need the help.
So. When I was 11 (I'm now 17) I fell down about 9 stairs and broke my ankle. When I was laying on the floor waiting for the ambulance to come a teacher moved my leg. I TOLD her it was definately broken, I felt it crack and it was hurting REALLY badly. But she ignored me, told me I was making a fuss out of nothing and that it was probably just a sprain and she moved it. And till this day I swear her moving it made it worse. I was told at the hospital my leg I broke may be shorter than my left leg and that I will definately get arthritis. I needed an operation to put 2 screws in it. I was in plaster for 3 months, I had to use crutches for about 6 months and I needed physiotherapy twice a week for about 5 months.
About a year later my ankle started getting really weak and once when I was walking across a road it gave way and I fell to the ground in the middle of the road. I went back to see the doctor and he said that the bone around the screws could be breaking and that if I wanted they would take them out. But I'm absolutely terrified of having operations and the day before I was due to have the operation, I backed out.
So the screws are still there. I know I should have gone through with it and got them out but I just couldn't. My ankle has bothered me since I had the operation and I've needed x-rays about twice a year since but they haven't found the exact reason why it's still causing a lot of pain.
In february this year I fell again. I went to the hospital to get it x-rayed because it was causing me serious pain and I was told it was just sprained. After about 3 weeks it was still the same and my whole foot was swollen and bruised. I went back again and they put it in plaster for a week for me to rest properly. After getting the plaster off the doctor said I'd need physiotherapy. But I went back to the hospital a month later to start physiotherapy and the doctor suddenly changed his mind and said my ankle is better and I don't need it. But my ankle is still causing me serious pain and I told him that but he just didn't listen. That really upset me. So now, almost 3 months since I had the accident I'm still in pain. Around the area where the scar is from when I had the operation from when I broke it is bruised and really painful. I'm scared to walk too much incase I damage it more. And sometimes when I walk it feels like my ankle is going to snap.
Why is it still causing me so much pain now? Should I go back to the hospital? Because I don't really want to see that doctor again because, to me, his attitude seemed all wrong. At one point it even seemed like he was suggesting I'm putting it on when I'm definately not.
Any replies would be appreciated!

igel44 · 04-24-2005, 09:38 AM

It wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion. I know the feeling of just wanting to start over fresh with a different doctor who is hearing about your problem for the first time. If you still have bruising and pain then you need to get it taken care of. Good luck.

girl12345 · 04-24-2005, 09:45 AM

I understand what you are going through. MY injury is more recent (1.5 years), but I also broke my leg just above the ankle. I did have surgery to have a plate put in. I was not in a cast and NWB for as long as you were, but I continued to have a lot of problems. I was still in a lot of pain and my ankle felt like it would give out. I was constantly twisting my ankle. I finally went to see another Dr. who took a lot of tests (MRI, CT scan, arthrogram). He did not find anything wrong, but I ended up going back to my first Dr. who stated that if it still bothered me this long something needed to be done. I think that it was because the other doctor believed me that something bothered me. He suggested to take the plate out and get the ligaments shortened. He sent me to another Dr. to do the procedure, but this doctor did not think that there was anything wrong with the ligaments. He just took the plate out and did an arthrogram. They found a lot of scar tissue that kept on catching on something and hurting. I am now feeling a lot better. I still have some problems and do not walk correctly, but it is better than before.

You have to keep on the doctors to do something. Maybe you need to get an MRI or CT scan to see if there is something else wrong. Maybe it is something as simple as scar tissue. If that doctor will not do anything, can you see someone else? I would get a lot of other opinions. If one doctor does something then maybe the other doctors will start to listen to you. That is what happened to me. I hope that this helps.

star12300 · 04-24-2005, 10:27 AM

Yeah, I could see someone else but it would probably have to be in the same hospital and in the same clinic.