urgent question about numbness, cold and tingling of my foot which is in a cast

[monilu]

I have a fracture in my fifth methatarso (is that how you spell it?) on my right foot. First the ER made a mistake and told me there was no fracture, just a badly sprained ankle. They gave me crutches and I went around with my foot in a bandage and barely used it, although I did put some pressure on it after a week or so thinking it would keep it from getting stiff.
A week and a half after my fall, I went to the foot doctor and they told me I had a fracture. I got put into a cast and got told to come back in two weeks. (all of this has happened at methodyst hospital in Brooklyn).
I went back 2 weeks later, got the XRays done OVER my cast and then had a doctor say that they couldn't really see well coz of the cast, but it didn't seem like my bone had gotten better at all. At this point 3 weeks and half had gone by since the accident.
They put me in a new cast which I have on right now. I felt after a day or so some pressure on my foot, on the top of the foot. I had gone from NY to Virginia for 5 days and decided that I would wait a couple of days coz it could just be swelling. It didn't get worse or feel weird, or I just wasn't aware of it anymore and I let it go. Now I am two days away from my next appt and I can't feel a spot of my foot, on the top of the foot, between my big toe and the second toe, I can't move those toes in their full range although they are not covered by the cast and although my injury is closer to the ankle, supposedly, not close to the toe. I am extremely worried. At this point I don't trust my doctor, but I don't have insurance and have to wait for Medicaid to kick in before I can do anything. I am very worried. I think this cast is too tight and  I don't know what damage I could have done to myself because my two first toes are numb and as I compare them to how my other feets toes moves, they are seriously not working ok.
When I go into the office on Thursday, I don't know what to  tell the doctor that might happen to pop in (I never get the same one and they all sound pretty insecure). I really want to know what to do to heal my foot and why toes on that foot are going numb although my issue is supposed to be on the other side of my foot.
Thanks

[monilu]

Thank you so very much for the advice. I was able to do all that you described yesterday. It seems I have one more week of a cast and then maybe... i get the boot!

Monica

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

The numbness in all probability is due to:

1) Swelling due to inflammation
2) Nerve compression/ nerve involvement
3) Due to compression of the blood supply to the area


You should discuss with your orthopedician and consider removing the cast, going for a fresh X-ray and if there are some signs of healing to continue with a proper cast, boot for proper immobilization and complete recovery.

Take care!