Cast

After nearly four weeks of being on crutches and seeing a PA at an Orthopedist office, we finally were able to go see an actual orthopedist and found out that Mikayla's foot is fractured.  We had got nothing but the run around at the office we were going to.  I was getting fed up, and Mikayla was in pain and fed up too. 

On March 7th Mikayla was playing soccer during recess at school.  A kid (just happens to be the biggest kid in the class) was running to kick the soccer ball, missed the ball and hit Mikayla in the side of her right foot.  I didn't think much of it, just thought it was bruised or sprained. 

On March 11th when she was getting ready for school, she started complaining and saying it hurt to get her foot into her shoe.  That afternoon we went to the pediatrician and he sent her for an x-ray.  The next day the pediatrician called and said that they could not rule out if the foot was fractured or not, so he wanted us to see an orthopedist.  The pediatrician referred us to an orthopedist in town, but the only way she could be seen right away was if she saw the PA at the orthopedist office so that's what we did.  Mikayla and I both liked the PA.  He spent time with us, examined her foot, went over the x-ray with us and explained the treatment to us.  He said" we are going to treat it as if it's broke, but not cast it and put you on crutches for three weeks". 

At the end of three weeks, Mikayla went off the crutches.  We went shopping, she went to two soccer practices, she went bike riding, she was walking, playing and having fun. 

On April 8th Mikayla returned to the PA to see how her foot was doing.  He manipulated her foot and Mikayla said it hurt, he turned her foot the other way and Mikayla said it hurt.  The PA said,"well you seem to be doing fine on it, so if you have any more problems contact us".  When we walked out of the PA office, I knew something was not right, but Mikayla was not saying much.  A few hours later she went to soccer practice and about 30 minutes after soccer practice was over she was crying because the pain was so bad. 

The next morning I called the doctors office and long story short, got nothing but the run around for two days, they would not schedule her for an appointment.  I asked for them to order another x-ray which they finally did after a couple more phone calls (I was taking her to another doctor and I wanted the x-ray in hand, but I did not want them to know that), in the meantime, Mikayla was back on crutches and could not walk on her foot.  A friend, and neighbor of ours when we lived in Hughson, responded to a post on Facebook, telling me that her daughter worked for an orthopedist in Modesto.  I made sure the orthopedist was covered under our insurance, and got an appointment for the next day. 

The new orthopedist took a quick look at the x-ray, pointed out where the fracture was, looked at the knot on Mikayla's foot and said we are putting her in a cast, the lady will be right in to take care of it.  Why couldn't the PA see that?  Why could Mikayla walk fine for 5 days, walk into the PA office and come out in pain?  Why did we get such a run around from them when we tried to schedule another appointment?  I don't know.  It really makes you wonder how some doctors are able to stay practicing.  I wish I would have listened to my instincts sooner and took her for a second opinion, but I didn't.  Now something that could have and should have only taken 3-4 weeks to heal is going to take at least 10.  And she is missing out on playing soccer in the spring league with her two friends, on top of missing the dance rectial last week, on top of being miserable on crutches and having a leg that won't stop itching from the cast.  The list goes on and on....  What has happened has happened, so we cannot look back, we can only look forward right?   Hopefully she is on the road to recovery now and her foot will heal well.