I fell while skating and hurt my ankle pretty bad. this happened friday afternoon (5 days ago) at first i.couldn't bare any weight but progressively i have been able start hobbling around. after too much use it begins to hurt. i wouldn't describe it as a

It's : It's impossible to know for sure how bad the injury is without an exam and (probably) some x-rays, but in general an ankle sprain that's bad enough to cause bruising (as yours has) is bad enough to be immobilized in a splint or cast and to be non-weightbearing for several weeks. The risk of doing nothing is that you could wind up with an ankle that is permanently unstable, so i would recommend that you see a doctor. Going to the er will probably cost a lot more than going straight to an orthopedic surgeon on a scheduled basis. I doubt he or she will just tell you to go with the rice method, though that will probably be part of your care.

Need to get exam : Need to get an exam and an X-ray by a foot and ankle specialist Probable MRI