A MUM has told how she shattered her hip when changing positions to get comfy on the sofa while watching Netflix.
Kimberly Fullerton was sitting at home on the couch watching her favourite show Virgin River when she heard two loud snaps while rearranging her legs on August 10.
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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.
Mum-of-three Kimberly has osteopenia – a health condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break – but had never broken anything in her body before.
After calling 999, Kimberly said she was assessed by paramedics who deemed her pain as ‘muscular-related’ and ‘probably sciatica’.
Kimberly said emergency staff dismissed fears she had broken her hip – and told her that her injury ‘was not a priority’.
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However, x-ray scans eventually revealed a snapped hip that needed a two-hour operation at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital on August 13 to replace the bone with metal.
Kimberly, of Arbroath, who works as a care coordinator, said: “A few days before the break I had stumbled and tripped over a suitcase bag on the floor while clearing out my father-in-law’s property.
“I contacted my doctor as the pain was getting worse and was prescribed pain relief.
“The following day was a Friday and I contacted the GP again who saw me and said she would contact the hospital. The pain was horrific. She contacted them and they advised I attend on Monday morning.
“But the next day I was in my living room watching Virgin River on Netflix and went to lift my left leg to put it on the sofa and I just heard two massive snaps.
“I was screaming. I knew immediately that there was a break. I told my partner they needed to ring an ambulance. It was unimaginable pain. I couldn’t move.”
Kimberly- who was allowed home on August 18 – said paramedics were ‘very dismissive’ about her pain – claiming they believed her symptoms were muscular.
Kimberly said: “When the paramedics came to the house, it was clear that they weren’t treating this as a trauma incident. They were quite abrupt and cocky about what was wrong with me.
“One of them said it’s definitely muscular, it’s sciatica pain. They were very dismissive about everything.
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“The paramedics stood me up, which is very dangerous in a hip injury. They told me I hadn’t broken my hip.
“When I got to the hospital, I was told I wasn’t a priority because the paramedics had told doctors it was muscular. It was hours before I was seen.”
After an x-ray scan, Kimberly was told she had in fact broken her hip – and would need a metal replacement for the bone to heal correctly.
Now, the mum is urging others to always listen to their body if they have any concerns.
Kimberly said: “The surgeons said it’s very rare and it’s a long road to recovery.
“I think I was initially dismissed because of my age as well. People thought someone my age couldn’t break their hip.
“I would tell people to listen to their own body. Unfortunately, the paramedics that night weren’t listening to what I had to say.”
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A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “While we are limited in what we can say due to patient confidentiality, we can confirm we received a call from NHS24 on August 10 and responded on scene within six minutes.
“We are sorry to hear of Mrs Fullerton’s concerns with her care and would encourage her to contact our patient experience team so we can look into her case further and identify any learnings. We hope she is recovering well.”