Foot Fracture

I feel your pain..right now! I feel down the steps 9 days ago (basically missed the bottom one) and broke my 5th metatarsal. Broke the "shaft" part in half at a angle sort of break. Hurts like hell times 6. Bruising is horrid after several days.

But I have been on my feet almost constant. No choice. I had a big grad party to prep for and execute last Saturday. I am not sure how I made it thru. I have a small boot and was told stay off it. I was not given crutches (offered but strongly suggested I not have them as they did not want me walking). Its my right foot.

I bought a cane and that helps as I stink at crutches and am more dangerous that way!

I have to work (I do home childcare...10 week old, 15 mos old, 23 mos old, 24 mos old, 2.5 year old, 4 year old and 4.5 year old....at least 5 of them at once up to all 7) so am hobbling about my home. My 17 year old is here to help me some and she is my driver as of late. Ugh. My hubby is great and sets me up after work with ice pack and what I need to rest it when I can.

I go back in a few weeks (if no issues) for another xray.

Good luck!

Which foot is it? If it is the left one then you can still drive and get around just fine.

I drove with my right leg in a cast. I put it on the seat and drove it with my left. It was an automatic so it didn't matter. I did avoid heavy traffic so I wouldn't risk not being able to respond quickly enough. I had no problems.

I also was in college full time. I used my crutches and walked all the way to my classes from my house. I had been tackled by center field during a softball game in college so nothing was broken but every thing was torn from the knee cap out. I had over 100 stitches inside then about 25 on the outside. My cast had a hole over the stitches so they could open the "window" and take them out. It was fiberglass so I could still shower and it could be wet. I put shampoo in it and swished it up and down to clean my leg. Then I could blow dry it...it was so much fun!

I was not allowed to walk on it or I put the tendons and ligaments at risk for tearing apart. They were shredded on the ends where the tore. The staples were all that was holding them together. If I had ripped the staples loose my knee would have not been fixable.

I lived upstairs and had to go up and down 16 stairs several times per day. I went to classes in the hospital before I could come home to learn how to do all this.

When I rode with someone else I stood in the open passenger door with my back towards the car. I sat flat on the seat and scooted almost all the way to the steering wheel. Then I slid my leg into the foot space in front of the passenger seat. Then I rotated my body to facing front. It was very easy to do once I figured out how to do it.

I think you can do whatever you want if you just figure out how you can do it successfully. The way YOU can do it for yourself. It may take some trial and error on your part but you just have to try.

Oh no. I broke my foot when my twins were 18 months old and I'll be honest... it was not fun. Do you have a boot, or crutches? Ask your doctor if you can get a boot - that at least enables you to hobble around. I couldn't walk on my foot for two weeks and then had a boot for 12. It was the winter so I had to deal with snow and ice.

Set expectations with your husband/partner right now that you're going to be able to do only about 1/2 of what you normally do. Everything will take longer - so be kind to yourself and plan to do fewer house chores and errands than you normally do. Don't try to do too much - you need rest and good blood flow to your foot for it to heal. Hang in there. It will seem like a very long six weeks but you can do it.

Do you have crutches???
You really need to do what the Doc says. If you want it to heal properly.
And certainly you would not want it to get worse or heal wrong, and then you might need surgery.

Explain to your kids.
How old are they?

Just do what you can.
But with your injury in mind.
Because, a Mommy that does not take care of herself, will be of no help to anyone.
Again, you explain to your kids. You explain to your Husband.
I am sure, the kids and Husband can do things too, and chores, and helping. Right?