Should my dad becoming home from the hospital this soon? Is there more the hospital should be doing for him?

Question

My dad is diabetic. He broke his leg at the knee at work 9 days ago. The doc said the break wasn't bad enough to require surgery or even be in a cast and that it would heal on its own (I think this is the craziest thing I ever heard).
Anyhow, one of my main concerns is he is still really bruised and it doesn't look any better from the day it happened. The weird part is his foot is really bruised even though he didn't hurt it at all and he has had this weird tingling, numb feeling in his foot since he got hurt. He can't wiggle his toes either and he can't really feel your hand if you touch his foot.
He is supposed to be coming home from the hospital tommarrow. Should he be coming home this soon? I am also really worried about the bruise and numb feeling in his foot since he is diabetic.

Does anyone have any advice? Should I maybe take him to a different hospital and have them look at him.

Thanks to anyone who answers.

Thanks Sue F!!

I wanted to add they said they would be sending him home with a brace. He hasn't add a brace on it though the whole time he has been in the hospital. He has done some physical therapy with a walker. He walks about 10 feet twice a day (he has done this for 3 days now). They haven't made him wear a brace during physical therapy though. (I don't understand that)

Also, he does have good insurance, but since this happened at work its a worker's comp claim, so I am wondering if that has something to do with him getting out of the hospital sooner.

Answer 1

I would advise you to take your father to another doctor of orthopedic medicine, or at least contact one in order to ask about your fathers condition.

I have a couple of friends who are trauma nurses, and they always talk about being extra cautious with anyone who has diabetes as a complication when they have an bone injury.

I don't know what type of insurance coverage your Dad has through his work, but I have known people to not have proper coverage to be sent home without receiving proper care because there are going to be an "excess" of bills. This is not strictly legal, but many hospitals have become businesses as opposed to facilities where patients are taken care of and healed.

The fact that your Dad is experiencing numbness and is unable to wiggle his toes could mean that he has experienced nerve damage or has a blood clot, which can be extremely dangerous and even fatal. I don't mean to scare you, but there is something wrong with this whole picture.

You are your Dad's best advocate and if he is not the type of person to make waves or stand up for himself, you are going to have to do it for him.

I have never heard of a broken bone, other than a toe which is not bad enough for some type of treatment...a brace, a cast, surgery....something. Has your Dad been offered Physical Therapy at the hospital, or is he going to be receiving it at home?...he should be......

Good luck and God bless you for being concerned about your Dad and his well being.

Answer 2

If he is only walking a few feet a day and hasn't used his brace at all maybe the doctor seeing him could refer him to a good rehabilitation hospital. He could learn to use his adaptive equipment (and make sure it even fits) and he might benefit from a more structured, active environment before going home and this would allow him more time with Drs to find out what is going on with the numbness and tingling. I would also seek a second opinion from an orthopedic dr.

Answer 3

Yes. You can even ask for a second and third opinion from other doctors that work with that hospital. There are many things to worry about, blood clots are a real danger.

Answer 4

Did she want to live with her father? Is that a possibility now? Keep in mind that sex with a step-father isn't incest but what you did was adultery. Have you ever apologized to your daughter and tried to make for some the damage you caused to her life, or are you only focused on yourself? You should have known that your husband, like you, has no moral backbone because he was willing to have sex with another man's wife. Confront your guilt, admit your error to your daughter and then seek her forgiveness.

Answer 5

He needs some kind of brace (splint) on it. They don't cast him because it could swell and make things worse. If it were my dad, I'd get a second opinion for sure.

Answer 6

I would definitely get a second opinion if I were you.