‘I shifted on the sofa to get more comfortable and shattered my hip’

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 has osteopenia, a health condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break, but has 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’. However, x-ray scans eventually 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 yourself if you believe doctors are dismissing your health concerns. Living in Arbroath, near Dundee, Scotland, Kimberly said, “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.”

She added, “I was just sort of battling through it. A few days later, I had sort of stumbled and fallen and again hurt it and had a limp. I tripped over a suitcase bag on the floor while clearing out my father-in-law’s property. I had contacted the doctor… The pain was horrific.”

Kimberly recounted the incident, stating, “The next day, my partner and son had gone to bed. I went downstairs and was really in a lot of pain by this point. I thought I was going to have to get crutches. 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 mentioned that paramedics were dismissive about her pain, believing her symptoms were muscular. When medical professionals arrived, they were focused on muscular issues and did not take her seriously, causing a delay in her diagnosis and treatment.

Following an x-ray scan, Kimberly was informed of her broken hip and the need for a metal replacement. Now in recovery, Kimberly encourages others to listen to their bodies and advocate for themselves if they feel their health concerns are being dismissed.