Ankle injury update

On New Year's Day, we were headed home from Pennsylvania and stopped to feed Caroline and take Elizabeth to the bathroom. 

We stopped at a McDonald's and while I fed Caroline, Ben went in a grabbed a snack for Elizabeth.  Once Elizabeth was done with her snack, I took her inside to use the bathroom.

On our way back out, I stepped off the curb onto uneven pavement and did something horrible to my ankle.  I dropped Elizabeth as I fell into the street.  Elizabeth hit her head and I could not move my ankle. 

We were both on the ground, screaming and crying, when a family pulled up.  The dad got out and ran to get Ben who was with Caroline.  Ben called 911 and held Elizabeth while the man waited with me.  It was about 38 degrees outside and I was sitting on the pavement waiting for the ambulance because Ben and I both thought I had dislocated my ankle and I couldn't move. 

I have had two children... this was the most painful thing I have ever experienced.

The EMTs arrived and checked out Elizabeth and me.  They put me on a gurney and into the ambulance.  I was taken to the ER and Elizabeth was taken to the pediatric ER.

*Side bar- When I worked as an athletic trainer; I saw some of the worst kinds of injuries.  I have seen shattered elbows, dislocated patellas, seizures, neck fractures, and broken collar bones just to name a few.

When the PA at the ER took of the compression wrap and ice that the EMTs had applied, I almost passed out.  I thought that I had either dislocated my ankle or shattered the bottom of my fibula and tibia.  The space above my ankle, below my calf was about the size of my thigh and I almost threw up.  The PA quickly explained that it was swelling and edema and not any shattered bones.

I had three x-rays and they told me that my ankle did not look broken.  They then quickly advised me to follow up with an orthopedic. 

At the end of my ER visit, my ankle looked like this:

Ace wrap up to my lower calf with an air split to hold my ankle in place.  I also got a pair of crutches which I have truly come to hate (yet, I am totally dependent on them).  My shoe and sock were cut off my foot and I have no idea how they got my skinny jeans out of the way.

Friday, Ben took Elizabeth and I to our Kaiser doctors to get checked out and to get a follow-up appointment with an Ortho.  I had another round of x-rays at Kaiser while Elizabeth was getting checked out by another doctor.  I will be calling tomorrow to schedule the Ortho appointment and hopefully get one for Monday or Tuesday. 

Elizabeth has been cleared by two doctors and has a small bruise on the back of her head.

This is what my ankle/foot looked like yesterday:

Today, the foot has turned black from the swelling and my toes, foot, and ankle are about three times the size of my left foot.  I was told to stay off my foot until Monday, but even the slightest accidental pressure (like from my sheets on the bed) causes massive amounts of pain.  I am hoping for an MRI early this coming week and to get a definitive answer on if any soft tissue damage exists.

Until then, let me know if you want to come visit.  I am sitting in bed with my leg propped up.