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Broken 5th metatarsal To Matthew and others.

(3 discussions)

Matthew and all others with broken fifth metatarsal bones!
I am so choked up, I don’t know where to start. I consider the foot doctor/surgeon I dealt with a BUTCHER THANK GOD, that I DID NOT DO WHAT HE RECOMMENDED.
If I would have done exactly what he advised, I believe I might be in your position now Matthew.
(I also went to another podiatrist a few months ago whom I also did not like.
He was extremely impersonal and had a “give me your money and get out of here” kind of attitude. -by the way, I have read every 5th metatarsal story on this board.
My heart goes out to all of you.
I also felt depressed and generally experienced feelings of frustration and helplessness.
Perhaps we should take this time as an indication to slow down and reflect upon our lives.
I am just trying to be helpful.
Keep what you find useful and ignore the rest. What I do for my fracture:-I realize that not everyone can do what I do.
Your fracture may need more drastic measures.
Please follow your intuition.-I wear hiking boots, that is my solution instead of what the doctor prescribed -my foot seems to be healing.-however, from what I read on the Internet, and from my intuition, it seems that 5th metatarsal fractures are tricky, and I should be careful for many months-I try to eat calcium rich foods (cheese, yogurt, seaweed, broccoli, brown rice, beans…)-I hypnotize myself (another way of saying this is, I relax deeply) and I imagine a screw joining my bones together.
I have seen a X-Ray of a Jones fracture joined together by a screw, on the Internet and this provides a picture for me.-sometimes I imagine a thin flexible wire joining my bones together-other times I imagine glue is holding my bones together. -I don’t do the self hypnosis as often as I would like it is difficult to concentrate, but I am feeling like it more, as I write this.
I guess even writing here is helpful.
Here is my story: I hope it helps someone.- I broke my fifth metatarsal in January 2013 and I never had a broken bone before.
I am in my forties, so healing is not taking place as easily as when I was younger.-In my first X-ray the 5th metatarsal was broken in two -possibly three- places. (conflicting information).-I asked to see my X-rays and I could see at least two places.-I was given a removable fiberglass cast and was prescribed crutches-the prescription stated:SEMI-WEIGHT BEARING-as soon as I put on fiberglass cast I could immediately feel that it was not the right thing to wear.-there was not supposed to be much weight on the foot (semi-weight bearing), BUT WHEN I WORE THE CAST, EVEN WITH THE CRUTCHES, THERE WAS TOO MUCH WEIGHT ON THE FOOT (the doc, or should I say THE BUTCHER), said I could put some weight on it.
IT HURT and it did not feel right!-I chose to do what I felt intuitively.
I took off the cast, laid around in bed a lot (I did not like this, but I did it anyway)-I hobbled around the house using furniture to lean on instead of crutches.-when I went back to the doc for the second visit, I did no tell him immediately that I did not wear the cast He asked, but I was evasive, and I said “Well, let’s see how the X-rays are.-he took the X-rays and then he got angry at me, he was rude and condescending.-it appeared that he wanted me to have worn the cast, and have me put weight on my foot, so that my second visit I would need an operation (or something like that)-he said something like: “what use is it, if you don’t do what I tell you?”-he gave me something else to wear -he put it on me but he took it off before I got off his chair, do that I did not have an opportunity to walk around in it in his office.-when I got home and put it on and walked around, I almost killed myself walking around in it. (i.e. I kept slipping) DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A DANGEROUS PRODUCT place where I can report this?
It should not be on the market! -a short while later, I took a witness with me and went to his office, telling the secretary that what the doctor gave me was inappropriate and I would like to talk to him for a couple of minutes to explain the problem.-after making us wait for 40-60 min., she said he could not see us until the end of the day, or I could make another app’t (for which I would have to pay)-I handed her a letter I had prepared, stating my concerns.-I pleaded with her, asking whether he could spare a few minutes now, because the person I came with (who also drove me there) had to leave.-she got rude and refused.-we left-when I got home, I phoned my insurance, tried to explain what happened and I said I thought the doctor should NOT be paid-the insurance said they would do an investigation, but I would not find out the results of it (apparently prohibited by federal law)-however, they would send me some kind of letter (I am still expecting it)Bye for now.

3 comments

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    9 10

    Pat, I am not trying to sound condescending here, but you have given some VERY BAD advice to people who have suffered Jones fractures/5th metatarsal fractures.From my experience, the cam walker (or fracture walker) the doctor gave you is to HELP your fracture heal quicker while protecting it. One of the basis of bone healing is the amount of force being applied to it. By weight bearing in the cam walker, you are telling the bone it has to heal… It has weight on it; but because you are in the walker your bone is still protected. This allows piezo (sp??) charges to occur between your fractured bone and excites your osteoblasts and osteocytes….in other words it naturally stimulates growth. I wore a cam walker for at least two months and did as my doctor said and everything has worked out well. I am now in a post-op shoe and I can tell everyday that my foot is growing stronger. Even though I am almost healed (I still have a very small crack in my bone) I listen to my doctor and feel that it is in my best interest. I honestly don’t think your doctor is trying to harm you in anyway, shape, or form. One possibility is it’s a little early for you to be in a cam walker. I went 7 weeks non-weight bearing and then was put into the walker. It proved to be comfortable and I had no problems with it. I think you may be harming your healing process more by wearing hiking boots…and walking around your house unprotected and without crutches. THIS will cause more harm than the cam walker EVER will. I wish you well and I understand your frustration, but my advice to anyone else out there is to listen to your doctor/podiatrist. They do know what they are talking about.

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    9 10

    I broke mine about 2 weeks ago. I went to the foot specialist and all he did was look at the x-rays. Not even looking at my foot at all. All I do all day is sit on the couch. Nobody understands the pain I am in. They think I am milking the injury. It hurts to bad to put pressure on my foot but that is what the doctor tells me to do. I have mcome to the conclusion doctors know nothing. Do what feels best for you. – Casey White may 2003-

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    9 10

    I’m very glad I’m not the doctor treating ‘Pat’. I have a fractured metatarsal and have followed similar (standard) treatment procedures as ‘Pat’ and my progress has been absolutely fine. I think perhaps Pat should be seeing a psychiatrist rather than a podiatrist on the basis of this letter… I also imagine his/her refusal to follow medical advice has led to ongoing pain and further damage to the foot.

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