Half rant half looking for advice. So the short of it is i sprained my foot worse than ever in my life. I honestly thought it was broken until I got my xray today. I cannot put any weight on it, when my puppy accidentally nudged my foot I almost collapsed in pain. I of course went to a specialist to get the xray done. The doctor was extremely rough moving my foot around and the only question he asked was “どこ痛い?” We did the xray and he manhandled me from one pose to another. Not even speaking to me. After he pulled up the images and said it wasn’t broken and to wrap it. That’s it. No estimated recovery time, advice or anything. He basically shoo’d us out after.
I got the wraps (he didn’t prescribe anything besides some patches for pain relief that I find don’t really do much) and now im at a loss for what to do. I can barely support my weight or walk. My job is very active so im probably going to have to call out for the whole week since I can’t even put a sandal on or move around.
This isn’t my first rodeo with a bad doctor in Japan. Actually almost every orthopedist in Japan I have seen has been horrible. I had broken a bone in my finger a few years ago and that doctor insisted I had an accessory bone and it was never broken (it absolutely was). Now I’m having war flashbacks worried if something is broken again or perhaps there’s something the xray wouldnt see, like with muscle.
I spoke to the Himawari hotline and they seem to have diminished in quality since I last used them. Not only were they giving me false information, for example- they said I could call an ambulance but I cannot make any suggestions about what hospitals I’d like for them to try to contact first to find an opening. They then suggested I get an ambulance to a hospital in particular. When I mentioned this conflicting info she suddenly didn’t remember what she had previously stated and changed the subject to another clinic being available but they can’t call for a few hours. They also mistook me for someone else upon answering the phone and started giving me some of their info. “Oh yes we just spoke you live in shinjuku and you are looking for a doctor who can xyz xyz” I of course corrected her but that made me feel even more anxious and insecure about who was really helping me. Multiple times through the call she forgot to put me on hold and was asking questions to her peers, at times mistranslating my question and situation. At one point she forgot I was a resident mid call and said I should call the visitor helpline. I corrected her multiple times about my residency status, where I lived, and my NHI. I honestly thought I was going crazy.
Ok enough ranting but what the hell can I do now ?? If it was anything else I’d just walk to another clinic. But the problem is I can’t walk. I can hardly get to the bathroom. I know I could call an ambulance but I’m worried that I’ll just sit in the ambulance, wasting a resource for someone more in need and a hospital won’t want to take me for a sprain. Also for context my fiancés mom drove me to the clinic but now she can’t because she’s busy. My fiancé will be at work until 7-8pm
UPDATE:
ITS A FRACTURE ! Got a second opinion and the doctor said level of pain was absolutely not normal for a sprain and any good doctor wouldn’t have let me walk out to play doctor at home. I truly wonder why some of these guys even get in the health care business.
by Spaghetbby