"Ankle Injury"

Recently I attended the Geraldton Hospital after rolling my ankle on a on some equipment at an event. I advised the doctor that I landed on the side of my foot and felt/heard a loud pop. This was followed by extreme pain, swelling and bruising.

On arrival at the Geraldton Hospital, I had already received care from a paramedic at the event, my ankle had been firmly bandaged, iced and elevated and my pain had eased but I was still unable to weight bear.

The doctor treating me did not unwrap and view my ankle and did not appear to be very interested (my ankle was grossly swollen). In my opinion, there was very little assessment completed at all.

I had an x-ray and was informed in the waiting room that there was no break and I was sent home with no pain relief, no crutches and no advise. I had to cancel my shifts at work with no medical certificate as I was not offered one.

I saw my GP when they opened two days later and was sent for an ultrasound which revealed I had almost completely torn my anterior talofibular ligament and had inflammation to a number of others. I was referred to a specialist.

I had 10 days off of work due to this injury and am still unable to participate in my volunteer work. I am required to follow up with the specialist after 3 months to decide if I require surgery.

I sought medical attention from my GP because I have two family members who have previously been advised that they did not have a broken bone, yet discovered months later that this diagnosis was incorrect. One family member requiring surgery to have a pin put in. This along with the very little treatment I received made me feel like I could not trust the results and is why I sought advice from my GP.