Sprained Ankle

illihor
illihor Member Posts: 283
edited 13. Oct 2010, 13:49 in My child has arthritis
Help I'm at a loss what to do to help her. Our local a&e were rather pathetic and haven't given me any advice what so ever :(

I don't think the person that dealt with her knows that much about arthritis especially in children. Today at school Kayleigh managed to hurt her foot which I only found out at 5.30pm only because I could see a bruise on the side of her foot :? After calling up NHS direct and them telling me to go a&e spent just over 2 hours up there for them to say yeah looks like a sprain won't bother to x-ray she'll probs limp a bit for a while but as long as she's ok in a week of so she'll be fine :o

I can't believe that someone who has joint problems and has been seeing an increase of pain lately was just fobbed off like that, yeah it was busy but surely she deserves more than that. Thankfully I've already left a message for the rhuemy nurse to give me a call as I was getting concerned over her general decrease of late but now I can question this whole ankle business and perhaps call up physio and find out from them what's best to help her.

I feel so bad as well as all school told me when I picked her up was she's had a very bad afternoon and wanted in her wheelchair just before home time :( she was complaining the side of her foot/ankle was hurting but I just assumed it was arthur and gave her a wheat bag (fell even worse now) wasn't until dinner time that I noticed the bruise (as I was trying to ignore her crying etc as I had already done all I could including giving her paracetamol and I had dinner to cook) it was then that I found out she had actually gone over on her foot and that's what had been up the WHOLE afternoon so some words to school to not just assume that when she complains of something hurting just to think ah it's only arthritis she'll be ok grrr She's not the best talker in the world and hardly speaks there but to go from running to crying her eyes out in pain and she had gone very very pale surely says something else is up, very upset at the mo with them.

Michelle xxx

Comments

  • lare73
    lare73 Member Posts: 154
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    aw michelle, didnt want to read and run, what an awful experience!

    i am so angry for you both, being a nurse myself i always find it embarrassing when someone has been let down by the nhs, there is no excuse, :x
    poor kayleigh, how is she this morning?
    i would ring the rheumy nurse, i find them very good in these situations, and seek some 'real' professional advice, with sprains in able bodied people, ice, raise and rest is recommended, physio would be a good port of call too, it may need strapping for a few days.

    it is never straight forward is it, i feel for you and hope things improve soon.

    take care
    clare x
  • illihor
    illihor Member Posts: 283
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I carted her off to school this morning. The limp isn't as bad today so I'm happier but she is still saying it hurts poor love. I'm waiting for rheumy nurse to call back but once you start the process can take about 24 hours to receive a call back.

    Have spoken with school and they are really appologetic and said i'm so sorry we just assumed it was her hips :o as i had told them she was stiff that morning.

    Hopefully lessons will be learned to not just assume it's down to arthritis especially when she goes pale and is crying. She rarely cries for arthur anymore will complain about it but will moan and whimper.

    I'm thinking that as they didn't know about it and she had her boots on (well orthotic shoes) for the first 3 hours after the accident that this has helped with reduce the swelling even though I put a wheat bag o, which I still feel really bad about.

    Michelle xxx
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Don't beat yourself up: these things happen. You are in a very difficult position - how can you know that it isn't a painful joint and something else? The main thing is that you know now, and things can be sorted. It is so easy to blame arthritis for everything - the fact that sometimes it isn't can come as a shock, but that is no one's fault. I wish her well. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • andylambs
    andylambs Member Posts: 71
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Oh no, that's dreadful. I hope she's feeling better in the morning. My sympathies to you too. How horrid.

    Let us know how she gets on,
    Andy