Broken fifth metatarsal18 Jul 2012
Survival tips - 12th August 2012
Over the period of six weeks I've picked up some survival tips which I wanted to share with anyone that is going through with frustration, boredom and loss of mobility due to foot fracture. So here we go:
Bathing
With only one leg working it's hard enough trying to balance but keeping up with your normal bathing routine really becomes a challange. What I found helped me was a few things. The first item I would recommend is using one of the LimbO products. I picked up the full leg cast and it makes it so much easier to have a shower or bath without worrying about getting your cast wet. The second thing I had to worry about is keeping my balance. With a broken foot thats going to be near impossible for more than a few minutes. A plastic garden chair is a great substitute, its cheap and I showered with comfort.
Dressing
Because my right foot is in a cast I found it easier to pull up my jeans / pyjamas in the left leg first then then right. If I dressed the other way round then I felt pulling in my right leg which did cause some slight discomfort in the affected area.
Getting around at home
The use of crutches did two things, help get me around and also cause severe pain in my hands the following morning. It's probably a good idea to have some non-slip padding applied to the handles of your crutches. What also helped is a wheeled office chair. Because I was now working from home I was mainly in my tiny little office but it also helped me 'wheely' around the house when my hands were too sore.
Picking up things
Your hands will be busy using the crutches so it will quite difficult to pick up other items, move them etc etc. I have a small shoulder bag I used for gym which was great help. I just dropped in my things which I needed and moved from A to B. Obviously I didn't do this for food. :P
Swelling
From what I have been told by my Doctor and what I have read online is that swelling is a normal behaviour of the body to repair any damaged tissue. You might be tempted to take some anti-inflamatory medication but try not to. Taking anti-inflamatory drugs will bring down the swelling but it will also slow down the process of tissue repair. Obviously consult your physician but what I was informed by my Doctor was to elevate my foot so that it's higher than your heart. This really did help bring the swelling down for me.
If there is numbness, pins and needles and blue / blackness of the skin then you should consult your physician.
Swollen foot - 20th July 2012
I don't know why but last night was totally uncomfortable for me. I keep my foot elevated but did wake up with a swollen foot. I do also feel that the cast is a little lose. Maybe it's just me. But I'm hoping that I get some decent sleep tonight. Working from home was a real challange today.
Changed plaster - 18th July 2012
I went to the Orthopaedics today and had my cast changed. It's blue this time but it is bit better now. Just need to keep it elevated, drink milk, eat fruit etc etc. I’ll be having my xray on the 21st August.
Consultant review - 17th July 2012
I saw the consultant today and he advised that I will need to be in a cast for an additional 4-5 weeks and will reassess then to see if the bone has healed. The break is near the joint where there isn't much blood supply so if I eat right the bone should heal. If it doesn't then they will have to insert a pin to hold it - which means more casts. :(
I'm desperatly hoping it heals on its own.
I also had a lighter cast put on and it is quite tight but I spent the night sleeping ok - but the cast is too tight, digs into the wound and ankle.
Broken fifth metatarsal - 8th July 2012
I was playing (running) around with my son and broke my fifth metatarsal, a Jones fracture. I went straight to hospital and was examined by the nurse who put me in a plaster cast (slab). I didn't get home until 2:15am.