Navicular Fractures
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:14 pm
For the past 3 months, I've been in a cast and on crutches. I had the cast taken off, supposabely for good, on wednesday. Yesterday afternoon, my doctor called me with catscan results of my left foot. He said that the fracture was actually worse that it had been when I got the cast on the first time.
I'll be getting surgery next week sometime on my foot. The surgeon is going to rebreak my navicular and then put 2 titanium screws in. I will then be in a cast for 2-3 months, and have an estimated 2 months of physical therapy after that. My senior season is now completely destroyed, one of which many people had high (17-2) hopes for.
My purpose in telling you all this is not to get sympathy from you, but to warn you.
If you have pain on the top side of your foot, just beyond your ankle, get an appointment with a podiatrist immediately. In most cases, there is a distinct loading and unloading pain every step you take. Personally, the pain for me was worse walking than it was running, but that was due mainly to adrenaline.
7 months ago, I experienced a mild pain in the location mentioned above, so I went to my doctor. He told me it was tendonitis and prescribed me some 800mg motrin. I stayed off of my foot (on crutches) for a week, just as he had told me. The next meet, the pain became nearly disabilitating. I went back to the same doctor and he, yet again, told me that it was tendonitis. I then saw a so-called specialist and got the same answer. 4 months later the pain was still really affecting my daily life, so I saw yet another specialist. This time an MRI was ordered (which took 4 weeks to schedule). The doctor found the fracture and had me wear a protective boot and use crutches for 4 weeks. Came back and he told me it was magically healed and to start walking on it. Pain returned once again and he said, "you need a CT scan because I have no idea what's wrong".
After the last comforting exerience, I met with the surgeon who reviewed my 1st CT scan. He insisted that I try the cast option first, instead of goin ahead with surgery. After 4 weeks, I got a new cast put on. At that appointment, he wouldn't agree to so much as xray my foot. After that, my story unfolds to the present.
My point is this: If you have even a little bit of pain in the above described area of your foot, order your doctor to get you either a CT scan or an MRI. Xrays are, unfortunately, useless for this type of fracture. You have to actively insist that you won't leave until the doctor orders a referral for you to have a ct/mri scheduled. Once they do give you the results and their opinion of the best form of action, make sure to get at least 2 more opinions from different doctors (preferabely sports specialists). I can't emphasize enough the importance of being pro-active, possibly even borderline annoying in a process like this. One more thing- Whatever you do, don't try and rush the healing process with this type of fracture. It's just a fact of life that there are 4 bones in the human body that you don't wanna break. The navicular is one of them.
I wish the best of luck to anyone who has this same injury and I commend those who have already conqured it.
Your prayers are welcome and appreciated.
I'll be getting surgery next week sometime on my foot. The surgeon is going to rebreak my navicular and then put 2 titanium screws in. I will then be in a cast for 2-3 months, and have an estimated 2 months of physical therapy after that. My senior season is now completely destroyed, one of which many people had high (17-2) hopes for.
My purpose in telling you all this is not to get sympathy from you, but to warn you.
If you have pain on the top side of your foot, just beyond your ankle, get an appointment with a podiatrist immediately. In most cases, there is a distinct loading and unloading pain every step you take. Personally, the pain for me was worse walking than it was running, but that was due mainly to adrenaline.
7 months ago, I experienced a mild pain in the location mentioned above, so I went to my doctor. He told me it was tendonitis and prescribed me some 800mg motrin. I stayed off of my foot (on crutches) for a week, just as he had told me. The next meet, the pain became nearly disabilitating. I went back to the same doctor and he, yet again, told me that it was tendonitis. I then saw a so-called specialist and got the same answer. 4 months later the pain was still really affecting my daily life, so I saw yet another specialist. This time an MRI was ordered (which took 4 weeks to schedule). The doctor found the fracture and had me wear a protective boot and use crutches for 4 weeks. Came back and he told me it was magically healed and to start walking on it. Pain returned once again and he said, "you need a CT scan because I have no idea what's wrong".
After the last comforting exerience, I met with the surgeon who reviewed my 1st CT scan. He insisted that I try the cast option first, instead of goin ahead with surgery. After 4 weeks, I got a new cast put on. At that appointment, he wouldn't agree to so much as xray my foot. After that, my story unfolds to the present.
My point is this: If you have even a little bit of pain in the above described area of your foot, order your doctor to get you either a CT scan or an MRI. Xrays are, unfortunately, useless for this type of fracture. You have to actively insist that you won't leave until the doctor orders a referral for you to have a ct/mri scheduled. Once they do give you the results and their opinion of the best form of action, make sure to get at least 2 more opinions from different doctors (preferabely sports specialists). I can't emphasize enough the importance of being pro-active, possibly even borderline annoying in a process like this. One more thing- Whatever you do, don't try and rush the healing process with this type of fracture. It's just a fact of life that there are 4 bones in the human body that you don't wanna break. The navicular is one of them.
I wish the best of luck to anyone who has this same injury and I commend those who have already conqured it.
Your prayers are welcome and appreciated.