Do I doctor? Broken toe in quarantine edition.
April 19, 2020 3:29 PM Subscribe
Two days ago, I broke my pinky toe. It is unquestionably broken. I haven't left the house since the February and I know it's just a toe, but...
The pain is verging on unbearable. I cannot put any weight on my foot, so I've been using crutches to get to the bathroom. I've buddy-taped, continue to ice and elevate, and rigged an rather impressive splint because the slightest movement (it can't bend but it can wiggle) in that area causes excruciating, eye-watering, nauseating pain. I have been taking 600mg prescription ibuprofen that I had in the house. There's bruising that extends out to my middle toe and a third down my foot. I have broken toes before but the pain has never been this intense.
At this point, in the before time, I'd be headed to the hospital to see if I needed a walking cast or, G-d forbid, surgery. But now I have all these conflicting feelings about going to a hospital when I'm in a high-risk category for COVID-19, using hospital resources during a pandemic, and questioning if I'm going to permanently damage my foot because I'm too scared to go the hospital/don't want to waste resources or if I just need to suck it up and ride this out. Note: I am in Rhode Island, and hospitals are still below full capacity. The local urgent care is closed, but they don't treat broken bones anyway.
If you were me, what would you do?
The pain is verging on unbearable. I cannot put any weight on my foot, so I've been using crutches to get to the bathroom. I've buddy-taped, continue to ice and elevate, and rigged an rather impressive splint because the slightest movement (it can't bend but it can wiggle) in that area causes excruciating, eye-watering, nauseating pain. I have been taking 600mg prescription ibuprofen that I had in the house. There's bruising that extends out to my middle toe and a third down my foot. I have broken toes before but the pain has never been this intense.
At this point, in the before time, I'd be headed to the hospital to see if I needed a walking cast or, G-d forbid, surgery. But now I have all these conflicting feelings about going to a hospital when I'm in a high-risk category for COVID-19, using hospital resources during a pandemic, and questioning if I'm going to permanently damage my foot because I'm too scared to go the hospital/don't want to waste resources or if I just need to suck it up and ride this out. Note: I am in Rhode Island, and hospitals are still below full capacity. The local urgent care is closed, but they don't treat broken bones anyway.
If you were me, what would you do?
Response by poster: Twice, I just self treated at home. Once I went to the ER at a hospital that has since closed.
Complicating factor I should have added: My beloved GP is moving out of state sometime this month so I'm not sure if she will be available for a televisit.
When you say be ready for you, do you mean there's no wait?
posted by Ruki at 3:41 PM on April 19, 2020
Complicating factor I should have added: My beloved GP is moving out of state sometime this month so I'm not sure if she will be available for a televisit.
When you say be ready for you, do you mean there's no wait?
posted by Ruki at 3:41 PM on April 19, 2020
In my city there is an orthopedic emergency place. Check to see if you have something similar. Or just call an ortho office and ask them.
posted by mareli at 3:43 PM on April 19, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by mareli at 3:43 PM on April 19, 2020 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Here's one in Rhode Island if that's where you are.
posted by mareli at 3:50 PM on April 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by mareli at 3:50 PM on April 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
I would try to reach your GP tomorrow. It sounds like you don't know if they're available or not. Even if you can just get their office, they might suggest a new GP for you. I would see if my GP could do anything for this--painkiller, walking cast, etc.--rather than going to an emergency place, assuming you can make it through the night.
posted by gideonfrog at 4:02 PM on April 19, 2020
posted by gideonfrog at 4:02 PM on April 19, 2020
Buddy tape the toe to the next one over and ride it out until you can get better than an internet consult from some random MD...
Reducing movement will reduce the pain. You should wear shoes with a larger toe box if you have them- you don’t want any pressure on the toe and you certainly don’t want to stub it on some chair leg, etc. while you’re hobbling around. See you GP when you can. ER visit not needed.
posted by sudogeek at 4:24 PM on April 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
Reducing movement will reduce the pain. You should wear shoes with a larger toe box if you have them- you don’t want any pressure on the toe and you certainly don’t want to stub it on some chair leg, etc. while you’re hobbling around. See you GP when you can. ER visit not needed.
posted by sudogeek at 4:24 PM on April 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
When I broke my pinky toe when I was 15, they x-rayed it, snapped it back into place (it was sticking out at a 90 degree angle) and taped it to the neighboring toes. I wore a sneaker with the front cut out and hopped around on a crutch. It was a clean break and healed in the usual 6 weeks.
So you should get x-rayed so the break can be ascertained. Then go from there. My understanding is that hospitals are really fast about getting people in and out of the ER for non-covid cases. Good luck!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:44 PM on April 19, 2020
So you should get x-rayed so the break can be ascertained. Then go from there. My understanding is that hospitals are really fast about getting people in and out of the ER for non-covid cases. Good luck!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:44 PM on April 19, 2020
When I broke my pinky toe when I was 15, they x-rayed it, snapped it back into place.... If it's causing an uncharacteristic amount of pain, I suspect this may be the part you're missing. I hope you can get it tended to in short order.
posted by kate4914 at 5:57 PM on April 19, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by kate4914 at 5:57 PM on April 19, 2020 [5 favorites]
Yeah, with a call ahead honestly we’ve had the shortest ER waits ever (in Boston). And the waiting room has been empty. Overall ER visits are down dramatically in a lot of places.
posted by mskyle at 6:46 PM on April 19, 2020
posted by mskyle at 6:46 PM on April 19, 2020
Thats an orthopedic problem, id personally go straight to an orthopedic practice and skip the ER. Most cities have walk in ortho clinics for this kind of thing.
ER is for emergencies, you don't need to go there but you should get this seen sooner than later if you want to avoid surgery.
posted by fshgrl at 6:58 PM on April 19, 2020
ER is for emergencies, you don't need to go there but you should get this seen sooner than later if you want to avoid surgery.
posted by fshgrl at 6:58 PM on April 19, 2020
Best answer: Tele-care asap. Believe it or not some people have problems with blood clots caused by Covid-19 that cause their toes to become swollen and painful. It's probably just a broken toe but unless you dropped a brick on it and you are certain that and only that is the problem and the cause, you should talk to some medical professionals and get someone to look at it.
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:26 PM on April 19, 2020
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:26 PM on April 19, 2020
Response by poster: It's definitely just a broken toe. My husband left the bottom drawer of a very sturdy, solid wood bureau open and I caught my toe on the corner in the dark.
I will call the place mareli linked tomorrow. Many thanks! I appreciate the reassurance that I should have it looked it and the new knowledge that emergency orthopedic clinics exist.
posted by Ruki at 7:36 PM on April 19, 2020 [3 favorites]
I will call the place mareli linked tomorrow. Many thanks! I appreciate the reassurance that I should have it looked it and the new knowledge that emergency orthopedic clinics exist.
posted by Ruki at 7:36 PM on April 19, 2020 [3 favorites]
Literally just read a story from the Washington Post about how people are avoiding showing up at the ER and making bad problems worse by trying to wait them out at home. Please get yourself taken care of <3
posted by potrzebie at 9:39 PM on April 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by potrzebie at 9:39 PM on April 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
Also if it helps: someone posted here about being a doctor and worried because people didn’t know about telehealth and have been avoiding all medical care and it’s been causing layoffs at small practices. So reframe it from taking scarce medical care to helping doctors keep going!
posted by corb at 7:30 AM on April 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by corb at 7:30 AM on April 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Update: I called the emergency orthopedic place linked above on Monday and was seen this morning. I'm now rocking an air cast and will be going for follow up in two weeks. I am tremendously grateful that y'all talked me into getting this checked out, because it did need medical treatment, and I feel like I took care of it in the best possible way in these times. Thank you, thank you!
posted by Ruki at 4:23 PM on April 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Ruki at 4:23 PM on April 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Also I’ve been to the emergency room three times in the last six weeks (it’s GREAT) and I bet if you call ahead they can be ready for you and keep you in a non-COVID part of the ER.
posted by mskyle at 3:32 PM on April 19, 2020 [1 favorite]