A mum shattered her hip when simply changing positions to get comfy on the sofa while watching Netflix. Kimberly Fullerton was sitting at home watching her favourite Netflix show, Virgin River, on the couch on August 10 when she heard two loud snaps while rearranging her legs.
The 41-year-old had been experiencing pain in her left hip for around a week after tripping over a suitcase while cleaning, but believed the agony was just muscular. However, looking back, the mum-of-three believes she may have fractured her hip during the fall which then resulted in a full break while lying on the sofa a week later.
Kimberly, who has osteopenia, a condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break, had never broken anything before. After calling 999, Kimberly said she was assessed by paramedics who deemed her pain as ‘muscular-related’ and ‘probably sciatica’. Emergency staff dismissed her claims that she had broken her hip and told her that her injury ‘was not a priority’.
Eventually, x-ray scans revealed that Kimberly had snapped her hip and needed an operation to replace the bone with metal on August 13. Kimberly, who works as a care coordinator, said the incident has made her determined to share with others the importance of advocating for themselves if they believe doctors are dismissing their health concerns.
Kimberly, from Arbroath near Dundee, Scotland, described her experience before the diagnosis, stating: “I had woken up with cramp about a week or so before I broke my hip and was walking with a bit of a limp. I was battling through it. A few days later, I stumbled and again hurt it. I tripped over a suitcase while clearing out my father-in-law’s property.”
Kimberly recounted the response from paramedics as ‘very dismissive’ about her pain, emphasizing that they believed her symptoms were muscular. She expressed frustration at not being taken seriously and the delay in receiving proper medical attention after the incident.
Following an x-ray scan, Kimberly was informed that she had indeed broken her hip and required a metal replacement for proper healing. Despite not being released from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee until August 18, Kimberly urges others to listen to their bodies and advocate for themselves if they suspect health concerns are being dismissed.
Ninewells Hospital declined to comment, and a spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service expressed regret for Kimberly’s experience and encouraged her to reach out to their patient experience team for further investigation.
In conclusion, Kimberly’s story serves as a reminder of the importance of self-advocacy in healthcare, especially when facing injuries and conditions that may not be immediately obvious.