Osteoporosis Community

Hi Ginny

What a coincidence. I broke my foot last Thursday by jumping out of a raised flower bed while running from wasp nest. Broke the 5th metatarsal. Ankle O.K. though. I too have the basic black, goes with everything boot. I'm assuming you didn't break your ankle? My doctor told me to "bear weight as tolerated." I've been home from work but puttering around the house. I find that the boot makes it hurt more. It's so heavy and rubs against the top of my ankle. Even the extra padding doesnt help. Like you, this is the the first break I've had and I'm 57. I get the pain more at night in bed than during the day. I don't know if it's because I overdo during the day or the fact that I don't have the boot on in bed. I also know the muscles and ligaments took quite a wrenching during my leap so that could be the problem. I'm making sure to take my calcium while home (usually I take it at work because it's on my desk) and I know that weight bearing causes the muscles to pull on the bone creating bone growth. Like you, I'm kind of feeling my way here. Aggravated to not be able to do the stuff I want. I go back to the doctor Tues am., so will ask him these questions. Good luck to you and your recovery.

Beth

Ouch, I wish you both quick healing and lesser pain as the days go by. Take care!

Me too I wish the both of you speedy healing! Beth do you have low bone density? Things can happen so quickly to the body. Don't forget all your good vitamins and minerals to help speed things along! Good Luck to you both

Ouch! Here's wishing you two speedy recoveries!

Hi Trishanna,

Thanks for the good wishes, and to answer your question, no I have very good bones. This was a crash that occurred when I was in a raised (about 2.5 ft) flower bed. I turned and jumped to avoid a wasp nest and then lurched to avoid hitting my grandson. At the same time, my hip caught (the reason I'm having hip surgery) and I fell on my foot, rolling down my steep slope of a front yard. All very awkward and painful. The good news, because of my strong bones, is that the ankle did not fracture. I'm taking all my calcium and vitamins, sitting in the sun and getting fat

Hmm, I've never broken a bone in all the falls I've taken, including one after my osteoporosis diagnosis, where I dropped my 500 pound motorcyle on my ankle. My ankle was supporting all 500 pounds, everything else was off the ground. Its things like that, that make the osteoporosis dx hard to swallow.

Thank you all for the good wishes, and Beth...you and I are two peas in a pod. I am sorry it has taken me so long to reply, but been soooooooo busy...LOL I too have good bones, but have not been taking any VITAMINS. Yikes, guess I better. Beth, they told me to wear this boot even when I go to bed at night. It is to uncomfortable, but I am getting used to it...as used to a "BALL AND CHAIN" as you can get, I guess. I did not break my ankle either. Doctors these days don't reply to a mere voicemail plea to call, so I talked to the young lady who put this boot on me. She was so helpful; even looked up my record and told me the "plan". I have to wear this "no weight-bearing" boot for 4 weeks, re-xray, and go from there. She said it was called a "little bit of a fracture" whatever that means. I guess a "BIG Bit" would hurt like childbirth ! She said that if it had started to heal after 4 weeks, then I would be going to the partial weight-bearing phase, then a hard-soled shoe thingy. AND, while I was on the partial weight-bearing, that I would be still in the boot. I think I could handle it better if I could put in on the ground now and then. But I am being a good girl. I AGREE BETH....it is SOOOOOOOO heavy. I feel like I am breaking more bones just holding it off the ground.

Thanks again for all the well wishes and good luck to everyone in this or similar situations. BETH, let me know what the doctor says on Tuesday.

Ginny

Hey Ginny,

I'm 2 weeks post fracture, but my ortho told me to "bear weight as tolerated." I do not sleep in the boot, but do wrap my foot in a tight ace bandage. Sleeping is very uncomfortable because the natural outward falling of the feet when I'm on my back, is easy on the foot, but very painful with my hip (the reason I fell and the reason I was scheduled to have surgery but couldn't because I broke my foot) I've found that putting a pillow between my legs all the way to the feet and lying on the side that wasn't injured works best.

My doctor on Tuesday showed me the x-ray. My 5th metatarsal is broken. I didn't realize it went across the width of the foot, I was thinking it was a vertical fracture. But...he did tell me I could return to work May 27 - IF I wore my boot. And since I work in the hospital where he does, he'll be spying on me. He said no more than 5-6 hours a day total on my feet. To drive, I take off that boot, put on a hardsoled slipper and go. When I get to my destination, I hang out the door, remove the slipper and restrap the boot. What a pain!

Ask your doctor why he doesn't want you to bear any weight? Weight bearing does encourage bones to grow, but maybe your fracture is more fragile than mine.

Enjoy your weekend as best you can.

Beth

Hey Beth, How was you first two days back at work? Was it difficult to stand on the boot? Believe it or not, I was thinking of you Tuesday and hoping it went well. I don't know if I could do that. My foot (boot) is SO heavy. And it slips around so much, I can't keep my heel to the back like it starts out.

I am counting the days until I go back and find out if it is mending. When I take the boot off for a shower, I notice that the side of my foot is still very bruised. Do you know if that is normal or not?

Were you wearing shoes when you broke yours?

Hope you are feeling better,

Ginny

Thanks for the good thoughts on Tuesday. It was a difficult day simply because my routine was more strenuous than the previous 2 weeks of lounging around. Everybody was solicitous of me and I got lots of "Bless your heart"s. The swelling is still a problem, but I know it's temporary. My boot is quite comfortable to wear, other than the weight of it. What is the biggest drag for me is the taking it off to drive, putting it on before I leave the car and then doing it all over again when I go home.

My toes are still a spectacular rainbow of colors. The bruising at the actual site of the break is dark black, although now a smaller bruise, and around the heel is green. And, it was 3 weeks Thurs that I broke it. Yes I was wearing shoes (New Balance Sneakers) What got me was the jump up and over the landscape logs and tumbling down the steep yard.

Do you wear a thick sock in your boot? Can you not tighten the straps across the top? That's what I do and don't have a problem with slipping. That seems like it would rub a blister. Adding insult to injury. Good luck to you and get as much sympathy out of this as you can.

Hello, I broke my 5th metatarsil long bone on june 17th and have been in a boot ever since, but it seems like this is taking forever to heal. I still have a lot of reddness in my foot although the swelling has gone away to a large degree, it still doesn't feel right. I am supposed to see Dr. on Sept. 9th again. He had xrayed it on Aug. 8th and it was non-union at that point. Does anyone know how long it takes to build bone and get back to walking around again? I am 50 yrs old and wondered if this was due to osteoporosis(the non-union part) I am taking so many supplements and juicing veggies daily trying to help my foot heal. I also started applying DMSO and Comfrey ointment which both help when it starts hurting at night. Just never realized how messed up a broken foot could be. Any input or info you can give me will be greatly appreciated Thank you brokefootgal

Hi! I broke my 5th 20 weeks ago, April 27th a week before going to Cancun. My doctor was very optomistic, put me in a post op hard sole shoe, told me i could walk on it as soon as i felt i could, and that i should put a sneaker on as soon as i could. I walked on it at two weeks and put a sneaker on at five. Never had ton of pain...was managed by tylenol. I didn't think i had a care in the world. Went back at week 6 and no new bone growth. Was treated this way until 3 1/2 months until i sought a 2nd opinion. The new doc said i should have been in a boot from day one. He couldn't believe the treatment i received from my original doc who was a well respected well known orthopod. I switched doctors but since it was so long since my original fracture until it was placed in boot i still had a nonunion at four months. I received a bone stimulator last week and i am hoping and praying it works. I too broke my right foot so i have to put my original hard soled shoe on to drive then switch back into my boot....foot hanging out of car in rain etc. I was an active exerciser and am gaining weight...when you sit...you eat. What ever you do, don't walk on a fifth met brake until after 6 weeks! i wish i could do it all over again!

I wish everyone luck!

I just joined the broken-5th club on Sept. 9. I've never broken anything before. My mom broke her foot twice over the years, and both times, she was in a walking boot within a couple of weeks, so I thought I would be, too. I was shocked when the doctor said absolutely no weight-bearing for six weeks. I've been trying the crutch thing, which is fine at home but impossible at work, where I've had to switch to a wheelchair. The doctor initally wanted to put on a cast, but I asked for a boot, and she agreed, with the stipulation that it not be removed at all for the six weeks, not even to sleep or shower. As I'm trying to get used to all this, I find I have a bunch of questions:

1. It's taking me a while to get used to the length of this boot, so I tend to knock it against things. Not too hard, usually, but this afternoon, as I was turning, I gave it quite a whack on the refrigerator. No pain, but I'm wondering if I dislodged the bone or something. is there any way to tell?

2. Our school nurse warned about blood clots, which now has me frightened. She suggested moving my heel up and down inside the boot, but the doctor so impressed upon me the need to keep the foot immobile that I'm scared to move it. Is a range of motion allowed at all? (Doc out of town till next week.)

3. What do you do about a smelly foot?!?

4. I'm wondering if I made a mistake in going for a boot instead of a cast. Would the cast really be more supportive/helpful?

I have a stress fracture of the 5th metatarsal, left foot. One day I noticed a small pain in my foot when I walked, and when it had not gone away after a week, I went to the doctor. I am 58, female, and just this month considered post-menopausal (no period for 12 months). I do not know how I fractured it, although I walk quite a bit in my little town. Not lately though! My doctor put a soft cast on this foot, but I could not tolerate it due to nighttime swelling. I then talked him into the boot, which he did not want to do because "people" will not wear them. I do wear this boot religiously, other than at night, but after 3 weeks, the x-ray shows the crack has widened minutely. The fracture is called a Jones fracture due to the location near the ankle end of the 5th metatarsal. This part of the bone sometimes never heals. He has not advised me to be non-weight bearing, only that the foot must not bend while walking. My foot does not usually hurt with this regimen, except when I have spent too many hours in a row standing on it. Then I put it up with and cold gel pack for an hour or so. I do not walk anywhere anymore, only am on my feet at home or to get into the car to drive. I have sort of lost faith in this physician (a podiatrist), but am not in a position at this time to travel 150 miles to the nearest orthopedist. When reading everyone's posts thus far, it seems they have actual breaks all the way through the bone as opposed to a crack as I have with the stress fracture. I have also noticed we seem to be in the same age group. Thanks, MissOtis