A wonderful week...

[Lastro]

Really...things couldn't get any worse.
So, on Tuesday I was having a nice time, walking to my car from English Class, as usual. I parked a little away from the building for my last class, and it's a waste of gas and time to drive back and forth. Plus, I have time to look at the small forest close to my school. Any way, I was daydreaming and walking and not the least bit concious of anything going on around me, until the damn sidewalk jumps in front of me and trips me up. I come out of the mess with a very damaged ankle. Seriously, I don't think an ankle is supposed to look like it is now. It's purple, blown up and giving me a hard time. Limping around the house is getting to be a choir. Though the swelling has gone down, it still looks like I stole a goblin's foot, excluding the green color. Miraculously, I haven't tripped over my cat, who insists on standing on my feet.

So, anyone know what to do, without the whole hospital thing? I hate going to the hospital and would rather choke on Ramen noodles than suffer through a visit to that dismal place.

[fionkell]

Sounds like a bad sprain, how exactly did you land on it? Might have torn a ligament or worse, even. Go to local polyclinic/doctor's surgery or something, see a GP if you don't like hospitals. I'm not sure what the system's like in your country but it's an alternative to waiting around in casualty for ages. It's still a waiting room though, heh.

[Saturns Gate]

Just feel glad you did not get shot at in a tattoo parlor. I hear thats ten times worse. Seriously, just go to the hospital.

[Elwell]

Really...things couldn't get any worse.

Of course they could.

[Anid Maro]

Chances are it's just a bad sprain. Can you move it? Can you put weight on it? Yeah, it'll hurt to do both of those things, but if all it does is hurt (which means if you ignore the pain and can stand on it and move it) then it ain't broke.

If you can stand on it and move it, then it's very likely you haven't torn anything either.

So just try to keep weight off it, fashion a crutch if need be, and hobble around 'till it gets better. Between hobbling marathons make sure to elevate it and apply ice to keep the swelling down.

I'm no doctor, but I have absentmindedly beat the hell out of myself over the years (particularly ankles, tiny ankles + large frame = lots of rolled ankles). Give it a few days, if there's no improvement then go see a doctor.


Really...things couldn't get any worse.Of course they could.

Indeed. They can always be worse.

Like the one time I stabbed myself in the leg during finals week. No time for a doctor. That was fun. Got a nifty scar out of it though.

[Serpian]

Of course they could.

There's the optimism we all need!

[daestwen]

Chances are it's just a bad sprain. Can you move it? Can you put weight on it? Yeah, it'll hurt to do both of those things, but if all it does is hurt (which means if you ignore the pain and can stand on it and move it) then it ain't broke.

You could walk on a hairline fracture. It would probably hurt like a bitch, but it's not impossible.

A clean break you wouldn't be able to stand on, though.

[Mirana]

Go to a clinic or go to your primary care doc and then see if you need more advanced help from there. Not a lot of people like doctors, but you could do more or long-term damage if you don't go.

[Steph Laberis]

I did this to my ankle (http://flyingclam.com/tmp/gratuitous.jpg) back in December - it looked that bad, I could not move or put weight on it for a full 3 weeks, it's still sore and I don't have a full range of motion with it yet... and it wasn't broken. They say sprains can be worse than breaks. I believe them.

I can't stress enough how important it is for you to see a doctor just to be safe, but if it's not an option, here's what they had me do:

-Use crutches until I was comfortably able to put weight on the ball of my foot - then use one crutch, then a cane (which I never used...)
-Elevate as long as possible, try propping it up on a chair if you are in class
-Ice for 20 minutes 4 -6 times daily
-It's VERY IMPORTANT to do stretching exercises after you are able to start putting weight on it! I was lax about that part and now I have a lot of scar tissue which is making this part of healing very slow and stiff for me and I have to get physical therapy :sadcheerleader: This site lists the sort of exercises you should do. (http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/anklesprain/anklesprain.html)

I know you're in school and money is tight, but also don't try to man up and walk around campus too much if you can't take it. Slow down and let it heal properly - when I was at Revelations I tried to suck it up and walk up and down all those hills in Seattle. I'm still paying for that now :x

[Lastro]

iolarnula:
The foot rolled inward, and the outer ankle touched the ground.

Saturn's Gate:
What with my county's tattoo parlor looking the way it looks and the location, I'm not surprised with the shooting.
Maybe I should go see a doctor. I just hope they don't ask the same creepy question they did a long time ago.

Elwell:
You're going to jynx me into tripping again.

Anid Maro:
There is some movement that I'm able to do, though it's difficult to stretch the foot. Weight is still very hard, as I found out with the stairs.
Well, I bet it was a blast to go through that during finals.

Daestwen:
Nope, not broken.

Mirana:
Oh, fine. I'll go.

Steph:
It looks just like the image you put up. I tried the flexing exercise, and that is a pain.
Well then, I'm gonna have to jump a friend to give me a ride on his motorcycle, since I have to face six stairs, and two small hills.
Seattle does have a lot of ups and downs. Lived there for two years and it was nice, save for the hills.

[Anid Maro]

iolarnula:
The foot rolled inward, and the outer ankle touched the ground.

Yeah, that's a sprain. Done that plenty o' times. No fun.

The above advice will help. And mind you, you don't have to see a doc, but it wouldn't hurt. My advice stems less from a dislike of doctors and more from years of not being able to afford one. :)

And yes, that stab wound was fun. Pretty minor though, went only a quarter of an inch to half an inch deep. 'Tis only a flesh wound, as some would say. It is amazing how uncomfortable even such a minor wound can be though. :(