My 78 year old mother has a swollen righ ankle and her big toe is starting to turn dark. She has been to her primary care doctor and two specialists. She has been given two boots to wear, but she says they hurt too much and she won t use them. I try to keep her off her feet and keep the ankle elevated, but this has been going on since September 2012. She can barely walk. She says she didn t fall, but she doesn t know how it got injured. She has taken some type of pill ... Celebrex maybe? She also has had pain pills but neither do any good. Does she need surgery? What should I do with her?