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5th metatarsal Recovery / post cast care

Discussion in 'Ask your questions here' started by Unregistered, Aug 9, 2010.

  1. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest


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    Hi,

    I broke the base of my 5th matatarsal at the end of june.
    I was in a plaster of paris cast for 10 days and then a fibre glass cast for another 4 weeks.

    I was told that the fracture has started to heal - although it wasnt completely healed - but would be ok in time. Other than being told to walk on it - i wasn't given any other post care advice.

    During my appointment, i was just so relieved that the cast was off that my mind went blank and i forgot to ask the questions i had planned to ask. (really regretting this now)

    Are their any do's and don't.
    how much should i walk etc etc

    Now my shins, ankle and heel hurt - which i'm assuming is the norm as ive been in plaster for so long, but my foot still swells and i do still feel some pain/discomfort around the actual break area.

    I've made an appointment with my GP just as a follow up and to give me some piece of mind - but thats not til the end of next week ;-(.

    Any advice would be much appreciated.

    Thanks in advance!
     
  2. FootDoc

    FootDoc New Member

    You seem to imply that doctors have a universal handbook in which blanket one-size-fits-all instructions are given. You have stated that your fracture was not completely healed, and therefore any responsible answer to your question would hinge on how much healing is yet to take place and many other factors involving your individual case and physical condition.

    The fact that you have mentioned making an appointment with your GP for followup leads me to believe that you are probably a U.K. patient under NHS. For the life of me, I will never understand why a specialist would defer to a GP to complete treatment of a case for which he/she was called upon to administer care. But, if I am correct in inferring that your are an NHS patient, it would seem to me that you and ALL NHS patients who seem to routinely assert that they have but one shot at the specialist treating them and that they are unlikely to be able to contact him/her for questions to be acutely aware that they MUST be prepared to ask any and all questions at the time of the visit with the specialist. Certainly, if you were told to walk on it, the very next logical question should have been, "How much?" I know of no one who does not have the facts of your case who can responsibly answer such a question as you have asked with the prospects that you are prepared to act upon that blind opinion.

    If I am incorrect, and you are a U.S. patient, then call your specialist and ask your questions.

    In either case, have enough respect for your body and your well-being not to throw such an important question out to those who have no idea as to your specific condition and have no responsibility to you with obvious intention of acting upon the necessarily insufficiently based answer received. You have already spent upwards of 6 weeks in a cast. Why screw it up now?

    I once again remind all that I generally refrain from definitively answering questions relating to specific individual cases, the answers to which would require the same degree of knowledge regarding the nuances of the case which I would demand for patient for which I have actual responsibility. The exception to this would be the few conditions in which a question is asked in such a manner and which presupposes a well-defined already made diagnosis and the answer is to be directed not to an individual questioner but to what might be appropriate for a GENERIC patient with that diagnosis and it is clear that the questioner is asking only for academic purposes and not to act upon the answer as if it were directed to their individual situation.
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2010
  3. Mick D

    Mick D New Member

    Hello there, I'm very interested in your case, I'm going through a similar situation my self,
    when do you feel the pain at the fracture site and how severe is it ?

    Did you tell the Dr about this, and what did he say ?

    Mick
     
  4. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Hi Mick!

    Pain on the fracture site isn't that bad. the main pain is around the ankle - im assuming this is because muscles around the ankle need to build up again etc and this is normal.

    My foot also feels restricted at times - slightly tight and a low aching pain along the foot and lower leg.

    Are you experiencing anything similar?
     
  5. Mick D

    Mick D New Member

    I have occaisional pain at the fracture site, but as it is in a cast until next monday (16th Aug) I don't know how diagnostic this is, as I have obvious limited mobility. It is nothing on the scale of the pain I had on the day I did it though.

    I have aches in my ankle, heel, bed of foot, as well as mirror image aches in my right foot (overloading or compensation I guess).

    I have a real dread of being asked to walk without the crutches or cast on monday, its as if I cannot remember how to do it !
    I have a feeling I'll be put back in plaster as I think it cannot have heeled enough.

    I'm going insane with worry.

    Mick
     
  6. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    towards the end of my 5 weeks in plaster i could easily put weight on my foot and i was walking around with just the one crutch - i could take a few steps without a crutch aswell.

    Like the Doc said - everyones different.

    From my experience they wont expect you to suddenly ditch the crutches. The nurse told me to keep hold of the crutches in case i need them for support. When they took my cast off I had to go down to XRAY and couldnt walk or even put weight on the foot straight away - simply because i just wasnt used to it, so i used the crutches.

    I'm sure you'll be fine. Try not to worry too much!

    All the best.
     
  7. Mick D

    Mick D New Member

    cheers mate.

    Mick
     
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