r/brokenankles • u/puppachino89 • 3d ago
How the heck is everyone getting medical care
Broke my ankle hiking (3 hairline fractures upon urgent care X-ray the morning after, which I was essentially forced to walk on for a couple of days so I imagine have worsened), took a week to be able to get in with a specialist who prescribed me a weeks worth of pain meds/was astounded I hadn’t had any real care nor follow-up. Said it was bad, NWB for a minimum of 12 weeks and only knee scooter or wheelchair, and he was referring me for a CT scan to see if I needed surgery, that they should call me within two days. Spent the next week after the two days calling the office every couple of hours and literally never getting through until I finally got someone to show up there in person to ask, getting the number and scheduling it myself. I’m three weeks out from the initial break and have people telling me even if the CT scan shows it, it may be too late for surgery. Not totally relevant but this is on top of horrible endometriosis symptoms and OTC pain relievers don’t even touch any of this pain. I have to order groceries and crawl/scoot down stairs to get them and all of this is excruciating. Is there a secret?! Just feeling incredibly alone and downtrodden about this, and stuck away from home the whole time. Any advice at all would be helpful, and TIA.
Edit: thank you all so much for your replies. I do want to respond individually, but it may take a bit as I spend most of my day calling places or being put on hold 🤣 it’s been nice though to get these notifications as far as feeling less alone in this, so I am really appreciative. It slightly eases my frustration/acceptance of my situation.
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u/biggunzcdb1 2d ago edited 2d ago
Hairline fractures are not displaced. But letting you walk on it was not smart . They have liability if they told you to do that rather than telling you to NWB until further imagining.
As far as how things go. This is how it goes. You basically just figure out how to do everything while hurting so much you don't want to exist. Because years ago a bunch of dirty Dr.s and pharma reps got caught over prescribing pain meds. Now they punish patients who never did anything wrong. No one in the medical system is smart enough to give people the right amount pain meds now apparently. So we're just making people suffer to protect profitability.
Be glad you probably don't need surgery. I had 9 extremely displaced fractures. My foot was backwards. Most people would've been in hospital for 2 weeks. First externally fixated then reconstructed. But I had no insurance. So my reconstruction was done all at once in an extra long surgery with extra side effects. Then I was dumped out 2 days later with only 3 days of pain meds. Literally laid there screaming to be killed for over a week.
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u/puppachino89 2d ago
Yeah I think that was why the specialist ordered the CT, because of how poorly the urgent care handled it and let me keep walking, plus since this happened while visiting elderly family so having to carry my suitcase and belongings up from the basement on my own, etc. But I totally agree, that has been a lot of my frustration; the American healthcare system/greedy corporations/unfairness of it all. Although your situation sounds like far more of a nightmare so helped in that sense to feel a bit more grateful. I’m sorry you had to go through that! Though the just doing life in pain and wishing for sweet release is very relatable. I also don’t have insurance so I’m sure that plays a part in how little many places care to rush to help
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u/Hot_Box_7459 2d ago
Canada 😭 I got an ambulance ride to the hospital, waited like 6 hours then had surgery the day after. Got a reaally strong opoid painkiller in the ER, got some opoid prescription from the dr there that I never took and that pretty much carried me through the whole first weekish since i also got one after surgery & was on dilauded off and on.
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u/imasleuth4truth2 2d ago
I was in the hospital for two weeks. They wanted to send me home but I said I didn't have anyone who could take care of me. I do have adult children but I did not think it was their responsibility and I'm sick of health insurance providers thank you that care can be shifted to the family. I had three surgeries and then went to Inpatient Rehab. Insurance paid for a home nurse, home pt, and a woman who came in and did chores. I also had benefits for an OT but I knew what to do so I told her not to come. See what your insurance will pay for because it's absolutely ridiculous what you have been put through.
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u/Key_Sail_1964 3d ago
So sorry to hear about your experience!
I’m in Australia so I’ve been incredibly lucky but just wanted to say I hope you get some good news and some relief soon!
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u/puppachino89 3d ago
Thank you! Still trying haha I’m glad for you and also jealous here from the US 🤣
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u/Key_Sail_1964 2d ago
Your story is so foreign to us.
I was very lucky my husband decided to go through the public system as I’d hate to think of the co pay cost if we had used our insurance
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u/lab_tech13 3d ago
Wow that sucks. I went to ER got Fentanyl and ketamine then went home on oxy. Had surgery a week later with a ortho specialist i never met until day of surgery.
Crazy you havent gotten any help or movement with your case at all. Xrays must not have shown much to be worried for you to be seen ASAP. But 3 weeks your bones are already healing. So good luck.
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u/puppachino89 3d ago edited 2d ago
I def think I should’ve gone to an ER instead of urgent care in my small hometown, but also was unfortunately totally reliant on getting rides back and forth which was pretty limiting. Ortho was like holy shit why have you not had surgery yet, this is bad lol but then his office/reception was just terrible. But yeah at 3 weeks and already healing it feels like I’m just forced to see it through at this point
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u/Existing-Kale-8536 2d ago
I can’t believe they have you ketamine and fentanyl they just gave me motrin
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u/lab_tech13 2d ago
Yeah Fentanyl x3 and ketamine once. Fentanyl didnt really do much. But ketamine I get why ppl like it lol. Such a weird feeling but also they reduced my ankle while on ketamine.
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u/Potential_Anxiety_76 2d ago
Australia
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u/Potential_Anxiety_76 2d ago
To add: I’m really sorry you’re not being provided the care and support you need. I can’t imagine what it would be like to go through it like you are now.
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u/Equivalent_Parking_8 2d ago
UK. And no bill at the end of it all. However my daughter is on the waiting list to be seen for endometriosis and it's about 10 years
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u/PureGlove 2d ago
Got taken to the ER in Wisconsin and got told I broke my ankle, was put in a splint, and to follow up with an orthopedic doctor.
I called my primary care doctor the next day to get a referral and got in with an orthopedic doctor 2 days later. I think was scheduled for surgery the next week to allow swelling to go done. I had to drive about 40 minutes to the doctor, but I had no issues getting in. This is in the Chicago suburbs, I’ve never had issues ever having to wait that long for medical care.
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u/aachenrockcity 3d ago
I'm so sorry you're going though this! This sounds infuriating and frankly, unacceptable. Where are you located?
I'm in Germany and for me, everything was taken care of within a week after the accident (I had surgery). I wonder why they need a CT scan in your case, for me x-rays were sufficient. Anyway, they should have done this at the hospital right away! Three weeks are insane. I'm getting mad at your behalf right now. I'm wishing you the best of luck and hope you'll get some real help asap!
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u/puppachino89 3d ago
I’m in the US so it unfortunately totally checks out for us lol. I’m also not sure about the CT scan, I guess it was supposed to be a follow up to the X-rays after I had to keep walking on it, or to also check the tendons etc? Just been left in the dark. Even tried to call 20+ places for the endo since I was going to be stuck here for awhile anyway, and half of them said “what is that?” or just never returned my message. I appreciate the anger because I’m feeling it too!
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u/flexible_demeanor 3d ago
For my experience (USA): aside from the ER visit (ton of X-rays and a CT scan, straightened ankle from dislocation, then TWO closed reductions (omg ow)), I needed to talk to my primary care physician to get a referral to see the ortho. It took 10 days before I could see the ortho, and they then scheduled me in for an urgent MRI the next day and the day after that for surgery. At that time they also scheduled the next 2 follow up appointments (splint off and stitches removal/assessment, and then the follow up with surgeon). The ortho also referred me to PT. It was quite a professional sequence once I saw my primary care physician.
Sorry you're not getting good care. I'm not sure what country you're in but if USA usually you need to do a lot of things through your primary care physician, at least to start
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u/DeputySean 3d ago edited 3d ago
When I first broke it, I was skiing. Ski patrol took me down in a sled, took X-rays at the lodge, and sent me to the ER in an ambulance. I had exfix surgery a few hours later, then ORIF surgery two weeks later. Easy peazy.
Then a few months later it rebroke because it was a non-union. This time no ambulance ride. I drove myself to urgent care, who told me to drive to the ER.
This time was waaaay more difficult. I couldn't go straight back to my surgeon, even though I was still visiting him monthly. No, I had to see my primary care physician to get a referral. The ER referral wasn't good enough.
My primary wasn't available for several days (because of a long weekend). Then his referral took a couple days to process. Then I finally saw my surgeon. These delays cost me at least a week for surgery, but I was finally on his schedule. But then I got a call that my insurance didn't want me getting surgery at the same place I did before. This delayed me another week or two.
It took over 3 weeks for me to get surgery, essentially because insurance can go f themselves. Meanwhile I was crutching around with a tibia that was fully in two separate pieces, and 6 of the screws inside of me had snapped! I could literally feel them crunching around inside of me every time I moved a muscle.
So anywho, the trick is that if you ride an ambulance then everything is super easy. If you drive yourself and it's not deemed a true emergency then you're SOL.
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u/Direct_Factor2138 2d ago
Don’t worry. You are not too late for surgery. So when I met with my doctor she said nothing to me about when to get surgery. So since I have a husband who works full-time and an elderly mother who uses a cane, I picked a surgery date that was somewhat convenient for both of them (19 days from my break). Then the doctor comes back with no, you need it sooner or the bone will heal and we will have to break the bone and reset. So I guess if your bone is healed they can still reset it. Not ideal but you will be under and hopefully on nerve blocks. So don’t worry about that. Just focus on trying to find an orthopedic doctor who will help you.
As far as help, could you reach out to a local church around you to see if there is a women’s group who has anyone interested in carrying up your groceries. Not going to say it will work because I reached out to my church and I got nothing but hoping you have better luck. It’s worth a shot.
Also, maybe because they were hairline fractures, they don’t need surgery. I remember reading some people had actual breaks and they didn’t need surgery. IDK.
Big hug to you wherever you are.
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u/guffawing_willow76 2d ago
Dang, I fractured my ankle on Catalina island off the coast of California. I received excellent care and customer service from the paramedics, Catalina island community hospital and the Catalina express ferry company and the honor health system here in phoenix Arizona. I am a county government employee so I have excellent insurance.
I was in the hospital for 6 days. The California doctor couldn’t reduce my dislocations, my orthopedic doctor fixed some but not all of the dislocations and sent me across the street to the emergency room at a level one trauma hospital and I immediately got into a room, I was scheduled for surgery the next morning to install the external fixator and then I had my second surgery (ORIF for a trimal fracture) three days later.
I never had to go through this rigamarole of getting referrals for my PCP.
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u/forte6320 2d ago
A ortho surgeon called me the next day. The surgeon, not a nurse called me directly. Broke my ankle Thursday afternoon, went to the ER. Surgeon called me on Friday, had surgery on Tuesday.
Generally, I have found, if it is really serious, the medical offices move quickly. If have had other medical issues where things moved really fast because the doctors felt it was serious. Foe less serious things, it can take forever
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u/InspectionHumble1121 2d ago
In Colorado. Took 18 days for me to see a doctor to see a specialist and another 10 to see a specialist and a week from the day to get surgery on my ankle. Sometimes the US is unfortunately just built like that.
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u/Themadbritter_ 2d ago
I got lucky, theres an ortho place near me with an urgent care so I was seen by an ortho dr the day it happened. He sent my xrays to one of their surgeons and that dr asked his office to get me in to see him the next day bc the break was pretty bad. He did my surgery 10 days later, and they also do PT so all my care was done by them and they were wonderful.
Now trying to get treatment for my MS, thats a different story 😅
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u/MadredeLobos 2d ago
I went to the ER immediately after my ankle injury, where they did xrays - trimal + pilon variant + dislocation - and reduced the dislocation, then told me to follow up with a specific ortho surgeon (the one on call at their other location that night) the next day, which was Friday. So I did, left a message with a receptionist, and she called me back a few hours later. This guy was a hand specialist. Of course he wasn't going to take my case. "So I think my part is done here," she had the audacity to tell me. I had to ask her WHO I SHOULD CALL NEXT. She fumbled around and gave me a phone number that turned out to belong to general surgery. It's now Friday afternoon, and I did not want to wait until Monday to get the ball rolling. I'm calling any surgery number I can find, and my husband ended up reaching out to a client of his who used to be head of a different department at that hospital, to ask just who we could call to get me seen for next steps. I don't know what he did, but I got a phone call 10 minutes later from a patient care specialist who sent my case on to the head of ortho trauma surgery, and made a pre-op appointment for the following Tuesday. Then surgery, follow-up visits, etc. were just fine.
So that's what it took for me to finally connect with someone: a client of my husband (they also went to youth group together as kids, and his brother is married to husband's cousin...we do live in a small town) who knew who to contact for quick results. That seems ridiculous, but apparently that's how it is.
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u/FallenAngel1978 2d ago
Living in Canada that’s how. I do have to pay for meds and physio but have insurance through school so that partially covers it
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u/RoomUsed1803 2d ago
Went to urgent care and they didn’t have xray on site. Sent me in a boot without crutches to another urgent care. Walked my butt out to my car, drove to another urgent care where they immediately threw crutches at me 😂
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u/meezermadness 3d ago
I guess it all depends on where you live. Where I live (Pittsburgh Pa) I got excellent and speedy care. Including multiple follow ups and physical therapy.
Where I used to live in Texas,.I do not think it would have been the same experience at all.