Nutter I met

[shalomsteph]

So I broke my leg a few months ago, and have had various trials and tribulations since, including a current infection.

Well, today I was in the grocery store, and a woman behind me offered to help. I was very happy to have her assistance, but man, did she talk!!

She asked about my leg--I politely explained I slipped on the ice and broke my leg in 5 places. I had surgery and many screws and a new technique with buttons in my leg.

Then, she said something that made my jaw drop. She told me that SHE broke her leg a few years ago, but she doesn't "believe" in surgery. She went to A CHIROPRACTOR, who set it in a splint but was not allowed to cast it. She continued to exercise the entire time the bone was healing, and was completely recovered in 6 weeks. That is really a speedy healing time, since I have about 6 weeks LEFT after having surgery 8 weeks ago...she then went on to say that there are vitamins and herbs that speed the healing, and that pain meds slow the healing down. I just smiled and said that I was NOT giving up the codeine....

Anyway, she just kept yapping on and on....I finally got rid of her when I had to get my prescription.

Does anyone here really believe she had a broken leg? Can a chiropractor fix a broken bone correctly in 6 weeks when a physician takes 14 weeks? Maybe her leg was a more simple fracture? And is that LEGAL for a chiropractor to set a broken leg? I mean, this is important...walking is very important!

OK...just wondering...

[Hellbound]

Sounds like she might have had a mild fracture, rather than an actual break. Especially if she continued to exercise, I'm pretty sure it wasn't broken.

A lot of people use "broken" as a generic term for any bone damage, but that typically applies to a fracture that completely splits the bone in two. If the bone is not seperated, it's a fracture, and these can vary in severity from hairline fractures, which can sometimes go un-noticed, to serious fractures.

My suspicion is she had a very mild fracture that healed on it's own.

[Tricky]

My suspicion is she had a very mild fracture that healed on it's own.
I don't know. It might have not been mild at all. It sounds like it spread to her head.

[Hutch]

I think Tricky and Huntsman have made all the necessary comments.

Steph, hope you heal soon, I have never broken my leg in one place, much less than 5, but from other various fractures I have had to live with in my life, I can guess that you are not having much fun with that.

Get well--and follow a real Doctors Orders...

[Tricky]

Steph, hope you heal soon, I have never broken my leg in one lace, much less than 5, but from other various fractures I have had to live with in my life, I can guess that you are not having much fun with that.

Get well--and follow a real Doctors Orders...
I'm embarrassed. How unfeeling of me not to wish you well, shalomsteph. Hope your treatment goes well and quickly.

[Hellbound]

I don't know. It might have not been mild at all. It sounds like it spread to her head.

Good point, possible brain-death from an undetected subdural hematoma.

You know, though, I don't see how she'd knwo her leg was broken without getting it cast. Because if she went to an emergency room, they'd have done it there.

Sounds like she hurt her leg and went directly to her chiro. I wonder if X-rays were done?

In any case, I'd question the diagnosis as well.

ETA: Oops, me too. Hope you get to feeling better soon, shal. It does take time, but don't get impatient and try to rush things. The doctors do generally know what they're talking about :)

[Lisa Simpson]

I fractured my foot 6 days before my youngest son was born. It healed in 6 weeks.

I'm sorry about your leg, steph. That sounds awful.

[J. Arthur Hastur]

I once broke my leg in two places, I went to the doctor, he told me to stop going to those places!

Someone had to say it.

[Dogdoctor]

No two fractures are exactly alike. There are many different methods to deal with fractures all of them have pluses and minuses. If a fracture is stable enough to have a reasonable chance of being healed with a splint then very likely that would be a fast healing fracture since surgery disrupts the blood flow to tissues around the fracture site which results in slower healing. Unfortunately many fractures are not likely to heal or will loose function if surgery is not done. If the chiropractor did that, I am not sure but it sounds like practicing without a license to do so. As for the woman, I would ask her to shake her head quickly from side to side and listen closely for the loose screw rattling around in there somewhere.

[Walk The Line]

Speaking as someone who has broken a leg, broken a collar bone in 4 places, and fractured his right arm, I'd say that her injury was fairly mild if she were able to walk on it. Mind you, I'm no doctor, but when I broke my leg, I was unable to put any sort of weight on it. Perhaps the most painful experience in my life was having the doctors move my broken leg into different positions to get x-rays. It took me about 3 months to get back to full strength.

I'm shocked anyone who might think they have a broken leg wouldn't go to the hospital.

[jj]

I once broke my leg in two places, I went to the doctor, he told me to stop going to those places!

Someone had to say it.

That was random of you, J. Arthur!

Steph, I suspect that the other person had at worst a hairline fracture of some sort.

You had a catastrophic break. Big difference.

You were very nice not to whack the person with your crutch, too. :)

[shalomsteph]

Thanks for responding and happy thoughts!! I am closer to the finish line every day, but a little discouraged by the infection. I am grateful to science, medication, and an excellent orthopedic surgeon.

This lady really freaked me out, because I couldn't figure out how anyone could completely recover after only 6 weeks. I am JUST starting physical therapy and walking on it now, after 8 weeks. For the first 7 weeks, I was not allowed to bear any weight at all on it. Not a problem, since it was pretty painful.

I must say, when I broke my leg, consulting a chiropractor was not anywhere in my mind at all. Getting to the ER was, though. :-) Thank God I am a skeptic. :p

[morningstar2651]

I don't know. It might have not been mild at all. It sounds like it spread to her head.
Gee, I sure hope it isn't contagious.

[John Jackson]

I think we may have a quick-thinking chiropractor here!

If she went to him with a 'broken leg' he may have just played along and 'fixed' it; and of course, created a walking anecdote into the bargain.

Misdiagnosis is a major reason why miraculous cures can appear to happen, but I would have thought the chiropractor would be able to spot a real break.

Hope you're back on your feet properly soon Steph. :)

[chillzero]

Any chiropractor who doesn't refer a suspected broken leg to a hospital needs to be struck off.

And strung up.

[gfunkusarelius]

as, as negative as it might sound, she could be fabricating a lot. people tend to think someone wouldnt just lie about something like that, and in this case, she is probably just stretching the truth, or possibly comment 14 is onto something, but i have met people who would just out and out lie about something they thought was either a good story, or a story that had significance. i have a feeling she just likes having people think she has the secrets and what started out as a more honest embellishment of her experience ends up as dangerous dishonesty.

[J. Arthur Hastur]

That was random of you, J. Arthur!



I have found that a Henny Youngman one-liner, often puts everything back into perspective.

[jj]

I have found that a Henny Youngman one-liner, often puts everything back into perspective.


:p

[kieran]

She told me that SHE broke her leg a few years ago, but she doesn't "believe" in surgery.

Doesn't "believe" in surgery! Its soooo hard to think of all the obvious lines on the spur of the moment but I am currently wondering what twaddle she would have come up with if asked what treatment she would "believe" in if she had a bullet wound, or partially severed limb, or severed artery ....

I'd also love to know who diagnosed the "break" - she probably self-diagnosed ... and she probably has the "flu" every winter when her nose gets a little runny.

I can only hope that natural selection can be trusted to weed such idiots out of the gene pool.

[LostAngeles]

Wonder if she'll feel that way in the event of a major injury or a heart bypass. (Major injury is always my biggest question about health woo. What does magic water, subluxations, herbs, and needles in pressure points do for internal bleeding, punctured lungs, and other such things? Seriously, I want to know.)

Anyway, yeah, it was probably a minor fracture or some such.

That non-contribution contributed, I hope you feel better. From what I understand of people who've done that, it's no Magical Pony Land.

But, so long as you'll be able to dance like that hot monkey in your avatar...Mrow.

Gah! It's Fundy Prez! My eyes!

[Zep]

Family member genuinely fractured her toe in a bathroom accident - X-rays proved it. But it was not displaced, not was it particularly inconvenient - a green-stick fracture. So no need to splint or whatever, just take care, do not run or put undue pressure or movement on the toe in question. Within 6-8 weeks, full functionality restored. However even that was too painful to walk on initially.

So I suspect this nutter lady is a hyperchondriac who may have bumped her leg a bit hard on the chair, and then when it bruised she scuttled to her chiro. Who saw her coming from the other side of the city and milked it for all it was worth.

How unusual. :nope:

[Flange Desire]

... broke my leg in 5 places.

And the doctor replied: "So don't go to those 5 places."

boom boom

[Flange Desire]

I once broke my leg in two places, I went to the doctor, he told me to stop going to those places!

Someone had to say it.

Sorry - I now see you beat me to it.