21 days to go and broke my arm

[BWVPam]

Have been anxiously counting down the days to our May 4 trip and low and behold I fell and broke my arm last week. Had to have surgery and two metal plates in my right arm. Before surgery I told the dr I was going and he said no problem he would give me a waterproof cast. I go back Monday to see him and hopefully get the cast done and am wondering how much this will affect our plans. I figure I will by pass the roller coasters but am wondering if I can ride flights of passage. Any thoughts?

 

[ginny65]

Oh I am so sorry. Good luck. I know my niece broke her arm and they put a waterproof cast on. I'm not sure how you'd handle rides, and I haven't ridden FoP yet, but I'm sure someone will be along shortly with good advice.

 

[GirlDreamer]

I haven't broken my arm before, but I broke my leg quite badly a couple of years ago where I had to have surgery and they put a metal pin, plate and screws in my leg. I never went on any rides for the first few months, but we did go for a walk on a gravelly road around a lake where I used a wheelchair, which was quite uncomfortable on the leg. The gravel was very fine, but it was still very uncomfortable for the leg, as if I could fine the bones rubbing together or something. I've also worked in themeparks myself and seen people in casts go on the ride I worked on and come off in tears as it ended up being a lot more painful than they expected. So based on that, I'd say be careful with any ride that can jolt you around a bit. I'd ask the doctor to be sure though, what they say about going on rides, because it probably depends how your fracture is as well.

 

[richmo]

Sorry to hear that! I think you can and will still have a great time.

for FoP I guess it'll depend upon your range of motion as far as lifting at the shoulder. FoP is kind of like riding a motorcycle, so you'd need to be able to lift your arm up at the shoulder quite a bit and hopefully get hold of the handle somehow as you lean over. I'm not sure if you can or whether they'll let you ride if you can't grip both handles. Maybe at 3 weeks you'll be in a smaller cast that won't limit your mobility so much. Outside the ride, be sure to try the dummy banshee and ask a CM. Good luck!

 

[EmpressBubbles]

I'm sorry that you're having to deal with this on vacation! I broke my arm and had surgery the February 2nd. I also had a plate and about 8 screws. I would have been able to do anything I wanted at 4 weeks. Are you in a stiff cast or a removable splint?
I would have been more worried about sweat and itching than I would have been about my abilities. I think you'll be fine with most rides.

 

[Shelleyfs]

I'm very sorry. I hope you have a great time!

 

[JimmyBean42]

That stinks, sorry to hear it. If you want to look on the bright side, it's easier to get around WDW with a broken arm than a broken leg. At least it's a place where you can still do a lot with a broken arm too.

 

[MamaBelle4]

I'm so sorry, that stinks!!!

 

[DLgal]

Even with the surgery you will need a cast? That's interesting. My friend completely shattered her wrist and had surgery and they didn't even put a cast on it afterwards, just an ace style support wrap that was removable.

Will you still be in the cast in 3 weeks? Maybe you won't have to wear it that long. From my understanding, there really isn't a fully waterproof cast. There are casts that have liners that CAN get wet, but you won't be able to fully submerge it in a pool or anything. You will likely need to avoid jarring rides or anything that may cause you to bump your arm.

 

[BrianL]

Flight of Passage doesn't jerk you around too much. It's pretty gentle. However, you do kind of ride it like a bike, so it may be a little difficult to put your arm somewhere. I doubt it'll be an issue because you are still strapped in place, but it might depend on how you can position your arm.

 

[HopperFan]

I rode FoP with one hand, shouldn't be an issue.

Photo Credit: Florida Smart

 

[MomDoc_99]

My husband broke his arm less than a week before one of our trips a few years ago (before FoP so can't help you there). He was able to ride everything he would normally have ridden (everything except big coasters and really jerky rides). The funniest part of the trip was meeting Popeye. He looked at my husband's cast and said, "Did Bluto do that to you? I'll get him for you!"

 

[Bullseye]

Sorry to hear about your arm. But, on the bright side now you can have characters sign your cast!

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

That sucks! I broke my 4th toe 5 days before we left last year. All I could do was buddy tape it to my little toe. Yes it hurt a lot walking around but it got better every day. Hopefully 3 weeks will give you enough time to heal enough to enjoy the coasters!

 

[McGirth]

Have been anxiously counting down the days to our May 4 trip and low and behold I fell and broke my arm last week. Had to have surgery and two metal plates in my right arm. Before surgery I told the dr I was going and he said no problem he would give me a waterproof cast. I go back Monday to see him and hopefully get the cast done and am wondering how much this will affect our plans. I figure I will by pass the roller coasters but am wondering if I can ride flights of passage. Any thoughts?

My son broke his arm 2 weeks before our trip in 2014. He was able to ride everything at WDW, and we had a wonderful time...it didn’t really hamper things too much. But Universal severely restricts what you can ride with a hard cast, so we literally cancelled that entire leg of the trip. Assuming you’re just doing Disney, rest assured that you’ll be able to ride most if not all the rides. Good luck.

 

[BWVPam]

Even with the surgery you will need a cast? That's interesting. My friend completely shattered her wrist and had surgery and they didn't even put a cast on it afterwards, just an ace style support wrap that was removable.

Will you still be in the cast in 3 weeks? Maybe you won't have to wear it that long. From my understanding, there really isn't a fully waterproof cast. There are casts that have liners that CAN get wet, but you won't be able to fully submerge it in a pool or anything. You will likely need to avoid jarring rides or anything that may cause you to bump your arm.

Yes, two metal plates and screws. Doc said I would be in a cast for 8-10 weeks. I go see him Monday and will find out more.

 

[BWVPam]

Thanks everyone for your responses. Hopefully I get good news on Monday

 

[BWVPam]

Hi all. Just got back from our trip and didn’t have any issues with my arm. I was put in a removable cast two days before we traveled. I was able to ride everything I determined was suitable. I did big thunder, 7 dwarfs, tot,and FOP. I had no issues at all. We went into the parks at opening or EMH every day and finished in the parks by 1 daily. I stayed in the cast and sling while in the parks and was able to take it off while I was in the hotel room.

 

[McGirth]

Hi all. Just got back from our trip and didn’t have any issues with my arm. I was put in a removable cast two days before we traveled. I was able to ride everything I determined was suitable. I did big thunder, 7 dwarfs, tot,and FOP. I had no issues at all. We went into the parks at opening or EMH every day and finished in the parks by 1 daily. I stayed in the cast and sling while in the parks and was able to take it off while I was in the hotel room.

So happy to hear that! I’m remembering now all the stress we had leading up to our trip with my son in a cast, and all the relief when we got there eland realized it would be ok. We’re leaving for our next trip in 33 days...

 

[goofyintoronto]

Hi all. Just got back from our trip and didn’t have any issues with my arm. I was put in a removable cast two days before we traveled. I was able to ride everything I determined was suitable. I did big thunder, 7 dwarfs, tot,and FOP. I had no issues at all. We went into the parks at opening or EMH every day and finished in the parks by 1 daily. I stayed in the cast and sling while in the parks and was able to take it off while I was in the hotel room.

Awesome! So glad you had no trouble. Im glad you were able to ride everything.