bandman

I got hit 7 days ago by a bad throw from 3rd to 1st when I was coaching first base. Since then I have coached 2 games, taught 5 days of school and directed on my band concert. It hurts pretty bad and I have a little limp.

Today a doctor was at school and asked me why I was limping and I told him the story. He looked at my ankle and said it looked pretty bad and I should have X-rays done.

Yes, it hurts worse now than a week ago, but if it is broken would I have been able to walk on it for a week? If I haven't gone in for X-rays by now, what's the use? I leave on a trip in 10-days and I don't want to have a cast or a brace. If I take pain killers (or drink Mai Tais) I'm just fine with the pain.

What would you do? Is there a reason I should go in if I have been able to stand the pain this long?

The_Lip

Run, walk, hobble, crawl to a doctor immediately! You may have a hairline fracture that only X-Rays will detect. If it hurts worse than a week ago you may have a much more serious injury than you think. Don't play fast and loose with your health.

Tootsall

I would go in. Two stories:

1) Many years ago I took a fall while skiing. I fell forward and "across" my right foot. The bindings did not release but my foot was able to "twist" inside the boot. I ripped the daylights out of the top/outer ligaments in my right foot. X-rays showed that the bones weren't broken. It still took a full year before I could walk up and down stairs without feeling pain.

2) Two weeks ago our symphony's 1st violist took a step backwards... ill advised. He fell off the stage (a 4 foot drop) and landed on his left foot. Damage proved to be: tibia broken in 3 places (all near the ankle). Ankle dislocated. Ligaments ripped all to heck and gone. He'll be over a year before he's fully recovered and that is with full rehab etc. He's now got more metal in his ankle/tibia than you can shake an airport detector at.

The ankle is an extremely complex joint that is (relatively) easy to "ignore". If you don't want to be SERIOUSLY hampered later in life, get it looked at NOW before you do secondary damage from which there might be no chance of full recovery.

(And what's wrong with having a cast or a brace on a trip? You'll get excellent customer service, the best seat, lots of leg-room, solicitous babes looking after your every whim, even someone to carry your case of batons!)

silverstar

Bandman, as a person that hurts herself A LOT, I would tell you to take that ankle to a doctor immediately.

I've sprained my right ankle about 7 times in the last 2 years, and everytime, they took X-rays because even a slight sprain can cause the ligaments or something to pull on the tibia and break it. Not a fun thing.

Three years ago I fell down the stairs during a school musical performance. I hit the ground pretty hard with my right wrist. I went in to the ER, they said it was sprained, put me in a splint, and sent me home. Two weeks later it still hurt, much worse actually, and I went in to my regular doc again. Turns out I had a hairline fracture in the little bone that sits right below your thumb. Had it gone undetected, it could have cut off blood supply to my thumb (and the surrounding area) and I may have lost the corresponding bones. Not a fun idea to think about.

So, git yourself to a doctor ASAP!!!

Take care,
Lara

40cal

You may want to bring the rest of yourself too

Ok, sorry...bad joke.

I echo what others are saying, go to the doc. You have nothing to lose.

bandman

OK -- you win! I'll go in tomorrow morning right after I drop my daughter off at school. There's no need to let her know I'm going to the hospital. Every time I go in there is need for surgery -- this is something much less serious and I don't want to make her worry for nothing.

Thanks for the responses.

By the way, I coached another game on it tonight. The pain is now shooting up my leg to the knee. Even the other teams coach looked at me and said; "Dude, you better get that checked out!"

Oh Yeah, we won 13-5! I'm sure you all wanted to know that!

Tootsall

We're more interested in seeing some common sense out of you! Be well.

Eclipsehornplayer

Yeah definately....

I find that as I get older; better safe then sorry.

Get that ankle looked at; your an educator so I'd assume you have good health benefits. Put them to work for you and be certain that your health has not been compromised in any way.

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that as you age you realize just how important your health is and just how much you took if for granted in your youth. I know I did!

We look forward to the report and personally I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.