I’m wasn’t quite sure how to title this blog. Perhaps “Always Be Your Own Best Advocate” might have been more appropriate.
The Story
A few weeks ago we received an urgent call to our Brantford Podiatry office from a patient explaining that over the past weekend she “had done something to her foot”. Now it was extremely painful and swollen and she was due to travel in the near future.
Later that morning in the office upon examination the forefoot was indeed visibly swollen, red and hot to the touch. She described having a busy day Saturday entertaining family and friends with a patio meal, necessitating lots of standing, walking and in and out of the house. She didn’t remember falling or going over on her ankle, but did admit to wearing “strappy sandals with little support”. (Yes! she’s suffered our tedious lecture on footwear a couple of times. For the video click here)
Regretfully we informed her of a likely March Fracture involving possibly both 4th and 5th metatarsal shafts and that an Xray would be necessary to confirm this diagnosis and rule the necessity for something more invasive than an air cast or walking cast.
The Plot Thickens
Going to the Emergency was not a viable option given personal time restraints, so she went to get and X-ray requisition from her General Physician with a letter of explanation from our office.
Her Physician addressed her with a curt, “I hope you didn’t pay for this opinion” having read our note. Instead they proceeded to write a prescription for anti-inflammatories and long-term gout medication. Only at her repeated insistence did they grudgingly write a request for X-rays.
A little rattled by this encounter she went to the X-ray department, had the images taken and by chance, the radiologist was on hand to read them. The fracture of the 5th metatarsal shaft was confirmed and she was advised not to fill the prescription for gout medication but instead confirmed the management plan and referred her for follow up at the fracture clinic to ensure proper healing.
The Conclusion
This isn’t meant to be a story about the right or wrong diagnosis. Instead, it’s an example of how it’s vital for YOU to actively participate in your own healthcare provision. Your choice of treatment should be made only after the necessary investigations are completed, diagnoses attained and management options have been presented.
As healthcare providers, we should be better at working co-operatively and in consultation with various specialties, sadly sometimes we fall short of this ideal. In a world where communication is made easier with our digital networks, sometimes it just seams to have become harder to be heard in the noise. In acknowledging this we regularly invite our patients to have their clinical specialists to call us directly. The spoken word is often a much faster means of communication and less likely to offend or be misinterpreted.
Occasionally your healthcare providers need a little guidance, it’s your health, so keep one hand on the wheel at all times!
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