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Thread: I think I broke my toe.

  1. #1
    smartcookie
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    Sad I think I broke my toe.

    In the course of vacuuming last night I managed to knock my laptop off a table and it landed on my left index toe. The laptop is fine. The toe is not.

    I don't have insurance and refuse to go to the hospital and wait 8 hours to be charged three thousand dollars so I bandaged it up and took Advil. It throbbed all night and I couldn't sleep. Today I can walk with a li
    mp. It's hurtling less but hurts to the touch. I took the bandages off this afternoon and it's swollen and black and blue (but straight). I googled pictures of broken toes and that's what mine looks like.

    So as broken digits are farily co
    mmon approximately how long will I be limping around do you think?

  2. #2
    God/dess Sirona's Avatar
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    They don't do much for broken toes anyhow so the hospital trip would probably be a waste. At most they make you wear a big flat bottom shoe.

    Advil (or other ibuprofen) will keep the swelling down and pain managable. Ice will help with swelling while heat will help the bruising to clear up quicker.



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    Featured Member Lyssa Lynn's Avatar
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    It depends on your pain tolerance. When I was young and on pointe I suffered a few broken toes. Really there's not much you can do for it. You can keep it iced and elevated to help with the swelling/throbbing. Take ibuprofen for pain. As far as how long will you limp, again depends on your tolerance. Sorry! Take care.

  4. #4
    God/dess
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    Aren't you supposed to tape it to the one next to it or something? To keep the bone straight?



    Because there ain't no tits on the radio

  5. #5
    tampafldancer
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    Put something straight (a ruler) under it and tape it so it heals correctly.

    basically a make-shift splint.

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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    I broke my pinky toe about 10 years ago.. Hurt like a bitch! Going to the doctor really won't help much. There isn't much they can do. Just load up on Tylenol/Advil/Etc. and I agree with taping it to the next toe to restrict the movement and hold it in place.

    I actually stubbed the toe on a coffee table, and that's how it broke. You never realize how vital that toe is until you can't use it for months!

    Feel better, SC!


  7. #7
    BrunetteGoddess
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    I broke my pinky two hardcore in two ways:spiral and straight fracture. Oooowww. The about 2 weeks later I had marching band camp. You just have to push through the pain.

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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    Call a few natural foods stores and see if they have any Comfrey ointment. This is good for fractures, bruises and sprains. The brand name is Natures Way and it costs about $8-9 a jar. There is another brand with a green and white label.

    I had that happen to me once and after cold soaking it for swelling and then using heat for the pain, I used Comfrey and also Burdock. You can buy the capsules of Burdock at the natural food store too, and after rubbing some Vaseline on the injured area so it will stick, open the capsules and rub the powder on the afflicted area, and kind of lay around not moving your foot for an hour or so several times a day.

    Your pain should go away within the week unless it's a serious break.

  9. #9
    God/dess VenusGoddess's Avatar
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    Oh, I can feel your pain. When I was working in the gym, I walked out of the locker room without my shoes on (stupid step #1...I was 19) worried about being late to my Stretch and Tone class...and I full out swing set kicked a 45 pound steel weight laying on the floor that I didn't see. I finished the class and ran my mile (owwwwwwww...) and when I got home my foot was fat. I did go to the emergency room and get x-rays...and it was mucho, mucho bad. Not only had I shattered all of the middle 3 toes (there was very little intact bone) I had a hair line fracture in my big toe and another hairline fracture that ran 1/2 way down the ball of my foot.

    Do you know what they did? They bandaged my foot, said sorry you're in pain, but have a good night. They don't do anything about broken toes or hairline fractures in the foot. There's nothing that they can do.

    What I suggest, though, is getting a good amount of gauze and wrapping the toe to keep it straight, then wrapping the gauze around the toe and the foot (this keeps the toe from "spreading" when you step on it). If you just did this last night, then ice it every 15 minutes (or as much as you can) for the next 24 hours. After that, you use heat. If you know someone who has crutches, use them when you are going to do a lot of walking. Put as little pressure on the toe as possible. Continuing to apply pressure to the toe will prevent the toe from healing as quick. Keep the toe wrapped as much as possible...keep it from moving around much, don't step on it much...and be very aware of where your toe is in comparison to other objects (I was navigating my new apt with my broken toes while talking on the phone and not paying attention and cracked my foot right into the leg of the coffee table...needless to say, it didn't make the foot feel better).

    But, just remember, cold for the first 48 hours of bruising/swelling/etc. Then after that apply heat. Keep your foot elevated as much as possible. Do foot massages (it helped my foot to be massaged, gently, several times a day...increases blood flow to the foot which helps in the healing process).

    It took my toes 3 months to go from wrappings and crutches to a walking shoe...and then another 2 months after that to get the walking shoe off. Even to this day, though...when it's going to rain, the ball of my foot gets this little "ache" in it. But, my toes were bad...I would say for you, if it's not really bad (simple fracture) it may take anywhere from 3-6 weeks.

    Take care of yourself...I'm sorry you hurt your toe.

  10. #10
    smartcookie
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    I taped it to the adjacent toe. Thank you very much for all your suggestions ladies! I will try some of the homeopathic remedies suggested.

  11. #11
    miss marina
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    "I actually stubbed the toe on a coffee table, and that's how it broke. You never realize how vital that toe is until you can't use it for months!"


    I broke my right pinky toe this way also =( Years later it STILL bothers me. I can only wear sandals/high heels now because anything that isnt open toe drives me INSANE! grrrr. Sorry my post is all off topic lol.

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    God/dess Casual Observer's Avatar
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    I taped it to the adjacent toe.
    That's really all you can do. Happened to me five years ago.
    Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.

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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    Comfrey does amazing things for broken bones. I'm not sure about the gel, but I've had and heard of amazing experiences with the plant itself. It shouldn't be hard to find some of the herb itself... just make a poultice with the leaves. If you can't find the plant, see if you can find a tincture. Tincturing is really the most reliable way to get all the "good stuff" out of most plants. Just dilute some tincture and use it on your toe.



  14. #14
    God/dess FrustratedBunny's Avatar
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    I broke my pinky toe. It was bent out to the side. I freaked out and went to the ER with no insurance. It cost me $1200 to have them X-ray it, tell me it's broken, give me a shot to numb it (which it didn't it all) and pull it into place and tape it to the other toe next to it. I then had to wear flipflops for the next two or three weeks and keep it taped. Next time I'll tape the damn thing myself and save the $.

  15. #15
    Veteran Member boxingdoc's Avatar
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    Buddytape it to the toe next to it. Wear a hardsole, rigid bottom shoe. Lots of ice and motrin. Try to stay off it as much as possible. It could be several weeks before it's normal. I am an ER doc and I can't convince people that an xray of a broken toe won't make a difference. Sorry for your pain.

  16. #16
    God/dess FrustratedBunny's Avatar
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    I am an ER doc and I can't convince people that an xray of a broken toe won't make a difference. Sorry for your pain.
    I wish those fuckers at University Community Hospital had told me that, especially after I told them I had no insurance. They sure didn't have a problem looking at me like I was a crackhead when I told them I was uninsured.

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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    Comfrey does amazing things for broken bones. I'm not sure about the gel, but I've had and heard of amazing experiences with the plant itself. It shouldn't be hard to find some of the herb itself... just make a poultice with the leaves. If you can't find the plant, see if you can find a tincture. Tincturing is really the most reliable way to get all the "good stuff" out of most plants. Just dilute some tincture and use it on your toe.
    I second the comfrey-love. It's amazing for healing. Sorry about your toe- that sounds awful.

    Feature costumes for sale!

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    Veteran Member boxingdoc's Avatar
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    Bunny, That's why we have it set up in our system that I can't even see who has insurance or not. Makes not a whit of difference to me because I try to treat everyone the same. If someone tells me they don't have it, I do my best to minimize testing or find a cheaper, but still effective, prescription for them

  19. #19
    God/dess FrustratedBunny's Avatar
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    boxingdoc, do you know any good gp docs in Tampa by any chance? My doctor disappeared and he was really understanding about the no insurance thing.

  20. #20
    Veteran Member boxingdoc's Avatar
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    Sorry Bunny. I'm in Virginia. I'm mostly in contact with other Emergency docs anyway. I would start here: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/Profiling/index.html
    You may be able to find where your doc moved to. I have a girlfriend who lives in Florida. I'll ask her if she knows anyone. Unfortunately because of Florida's three strikes and you're out law (3 malpractice suits, win or lose, frivolous or valid, and you get your medical license pulled) a lot of good docs are leaving the state. A guy from Florida just joined our group because of that law and he has never even had a lawsuit before.

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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    Tape them together, keep taking anti-inflamatories.

  22. #22
    God/dess FrustratedBunny's Avatar
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    thanks boxingdoc. I heard through the friend that recommended this doc to me that he's back in town but I haven't had any luck finding him. He was out of town for family reasons I believe. He mostly practices with nursing homes but would see patients sometimes too and I was very happy to be one of them. I'll look on that site and see what I find. I tried to find him on the AMA website and he's no longer listed.

  23. #23
    God/dess FrustratedBunny's Avatar
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    oh, I found him on that site! Thanks so much for listing it!!!

  24. #24
    Veteran Member boxingdoc's Avatar
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    Default Re: I think I broke my toe.

    Glad I could be useful.

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