I sprained my ankle two days before I start a new job.

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I called around and couldn't find a place that sold them so far. Is it the type of item you need a prescription for or only a doctor has access to to get you one, if you do want one right away?

I don't know for sure, sorry. I got mine in hospital after the xray for my broken foot. I actually waited overnight at home and had to go back the next day for an appointment with the fracture clinic, and they gave me one. I'm not sure what happens with sprains. I'm not saying that there's no need for you to see a doctor. A doctor might be able to help in some way, but since it will take you a while to see one I was suggesting other options. Can you go to hospital or a medical clinic to see a doctor urgently?

Ah - greenhouse work. I didn't see that. I do hope you can still go somehow, even if it's only to demonstrate that you are truly incapacitated and take their advice about how to proceed.

I will go to the doctor but just want a plan B to get one if I cannot get into see a doctor before my first shift in almost only a day now. So I didn't think I could get one in time. I live in Canada and perhaps it takes longer to get into doctors here. But in case it does, is this type of item I can get without having to see a doctor I wonder, just in case I have to wait on the doctor. I have called around in more stores, and no one has them.

I can go to the mediclinic but the last time I went I waited the entire time it was open to close and the line up still didn't let up for me to get in. So not sure if I can get into a medclinic in less than a day.

Get your butt in there early. They will triage the patients and I feel it's very likely you will get taken care of tomorrow.

I don't know if you can buy an aircast. When I had my sprain, the doctor just handed one to me off his shelf. When I had my break, an aircast was not sufficient and I got a "soft" cast that was a lot bigger and clunkier. In either case, the device is meant to allow you to do your normal activities, but a break will hurt more and take a lot longer to heal. The sprain took 6 weeks and 3 days to be a lot better - 6 weeks to get my butt into the clinic, and about 3 days with the aircast to be pretty much healed.

If you try to treat a break like it's just a sprain, it will hurt like the dickens and take longer to heal. So get your butt in early to the clinic. Like, right when they open.

Oh yeah I will go when they open for sure. However, some people are saying where I live that the clinics are not doing walk ins because of covid now. I will still go when they open but if they do not do walk ins, is there any type of plan B to get one, or is it just hard to get medical equipment without a doctor like that?

If the normal or urgent care clinic can't take you without an appointment (because of Covid) just go straight to the ER.

Edit: act like you're really in pain, it's no time to play the hero. There's this process called "triage" where they take life-threatening cases right away, urgent cases (like you) second, and things like a sinus infection or tennis elbow last priority. Don't know what you wanted to be seen for the last time, but presumably it was rated lower priority.

Ah ... good point. I was thinking that the boot I had was called an aircast. My foot was broken so I guess it wasn't the same thing. It was called a walking boot cast. It was pretty heavy duty, black and clunky like Frankenstein. I was just at the stage of taking it off after about 6 weeks when I dropped something heavy on my bare foot and broke it again in the same place. All done when I also needed a walker. Not fun. Breaks are unbearably painful and I'm sure a sprained ankle is pretty brutal too. I agree that you should be able to find some sort of medical clinic or else go to ER. They can't just deny people medical care because of Covid. Mask up and arrive early.

Okay if they won't take me I will go to the ER. But I am guessing the urgent care clinic will not have an X-ray machine though, so if they take me and will not have one, will they still give me the cast though?

If Urgent Care doesn't have an xray they will give you a requisition paper so you can get the xray done elsewhere.

I hope things work out for you, and you manage to find a doctor. It sounds like this is a pretty bad injury for you.

How did you hurt your ankle?

Okay thank you very much! Well the doctor said it was most likely a sprain or dislocation and not a fracture, but will have to wait for the x rays. I was jogging, and when I took the next step, all of a sudden my ankle could not support my weight causing me to collapse and the foot started hurting after.

So I could get the aircast and I found two stores that sell it but they are $160, so I wonder is it worth it, since I don't have a lot of spending money right now, and just starting a new job tomorrow or should I keep taking pain killers and tough it out?

Beats me. I hope the first day goes well.

Holy smokes!

That sounds extremely painful! I'm glad you went though. It's good you got a medical opinion and the approval for an air cast if you want one. Did the doctor say how long it might take to heal? You'll likely know better whether you want an air cast after starting your job. See if they will give you accommodations or how much walking you'll need to do. They might be very kind and say that you can go home and start next week or something - if you're lucky!

Oh well they said it should take two weeks. I will decide on the aircast after the first day. Thanks for the advice everyone so far!