Hello all, as mentioned, I (25 F) had a fall while entering a vehicle during some bad weather. I basically tumbled into the car with the area just above my ankle hitting the outer door frame (hard to describe lol). This took place 5 days back; there was instant throbbing and puffiness, though walking wasn’t painful. Having dealt with sprains and torn ligaments in the past, I could sense this was different. The pain is concentrated right above the ankle joint. It felt very warm for about 48 hours and stayed swollen. I’ve been consistent with icing, elevation, and taking ibuprofen. I chose to skip the emergency room since I can walk comfortably, but the spot is incredibly tender to the touch or even light contact, like pulling on socks. I’ll post photos showing the progression—right after it happened, 3 days ago, and today—in the comments. Was it the right move to avoid the hospital since I can put weight on it and walk? Or is an X-ray still necessary? I’m trying to be mindful of how overwhelmed the ERs are currently.
https://ibb.co/cK7DW3fw
https://ibb.co/CKrJFK4X
https://ibb.co/WvyXNNvq
https://ibb.co/j9pFJncp
Here are the photos: 1) right after the fall, 2) two days later, 3 and 4) how it looks now.