No Pain Management Allowed

The radiologist report was of a mildly comminuted spiral fracture of the fibula (the non-weight bearing bone of the lower leg) and a simple fracture of the malleolus of the tibia at the syndesmosis. Basically, both bones of my lower leg were broken at the level of the ankle. I was provided a short “boot” to stabilize the fractures and a pair of crutches, given 4 ibuprofen, and sent home with an appointment to see a specialist the next morning. I received no written information about managing the pain or a prescription for pain medication. All I left with was a copy of the radiologist’s report and a disc with the x-rays. Several days later, the visit summary was loaded into the patient portal and this had information about fractures, icing, elevation, and using acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs, like ibuprofen) for pain.

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