Broken Arm, need help PLEASE - suggestions:

[PACVII]

My 8 year old son fell and broke his arm and he is in a cast from the wrist to his shoulder. Doctor said 4 to 6 weeks and we are leaving in 5. He is so upset that he can not swim or get it wet. His favorite part of any trip is always the water parks. We asked about a waterproof cast but the hospital we went to does not use them or suggest that we do as the doctors said they do not hold as well and it can take longer to heal.

Anyone have any past experience with this? Just getting on and off rides is going to be a challenge. We are going with another family and other kids his age. Been planning this for a full year and going for 10 days. He is already kind of down as he was so looking forward to going and is upset that we will not be able to swim.

We hope to make the best of it and any suggestions would be great. We are really hopping that we can get it off or reduced just prior to leaving and maybe just have a partial cast that could be temporally removed or a brace. Will not know until we see the doctor next week or even later????

 

[whitneyNC]

With both of our broken arm experiences we were switched into a short arm casts at the 3 week point. I would insist on the waterproof type, they are great for summer, and with this big trip coming up...it's a big deal not to swim. My kids rode bikes, and snow skiied, etc. in short arm casts. We flew to D.C. and did a bunch of touring with one in a cast. He thought it was great he got a "cast scan" at airport security! With the long arm cast, you are really more limited. They were in the casts a total of 6 weeks. Best of luck in healing.

 

[Neko]

DD 10 broke her forearm in April. She had to have the bones manually set and then was in the plaster cast for 3 weeks, couldn't have the fiberglass yet due to swelling. It was from finger to armpit. She then got a below the elbow fiberglass (green) for 3 weeks. They may decide after a few weeks it's healed enough for a smaller cast. If it makes a difference, we went to an orthopedist for all appts. after the initial ER visit. If it's left in the full-arm plaster, make sure you get a sling those things are heavy!

 

[Mickey_Dust]

you can check with a medical equipment company in the area and see if they sell cast protectors.... they cost about 45 dollars but they go on and use negative pressure to keep the cast dry without having a waterproof cast that is really the only way to go. It kinda looks like a packing pillow only on your arm. We took swim lessons with someone who used one and it worked perfectly... If only I knew about it a few weeks earlier when my son broke his arm. I hope you have a great trip and make sure you get lots of signatures on the cast.

Kinda like this, just google waterproof cast protectors...

 

[deedeetoo]

My dd broke her ankle twice. The first time we had a regular cast and it was a major pain. The problem was that while waterproof cast material is available, they didn't stock it at the doctor's office and the difference in cost isn't covered by insurance. We didn't really know what we were doing so we just accepted what they had.

The second time we knew better. We told the office we wanted a waterproof cast and they told us the medical supply pharmacy to go to and what to ask for and said to bring it to the office. The material was only about $20 though this was about 5 years ago. The doctor used it to make the cast and didn't say anyhting about it not healing as quickly.

 

[PACVII]

Thanks to all. going to see what our options are early next week. going Labor day weekend through the eand of the following week. Really hope he can get a shorter cast and look into the cover option. At this point I'm not worried about the cost after I already have paid for the trip. just got out packet in the mail today. regardless will make the best of it. He is really wanting to get on RNR and Tower. I think we should be alright on ride but really want to make sure he can get some water time in. He is so a little fish. Thanks!

 

[reenie1]

My daughter broke her arm a couple of months ago. I had to call a few orthos until I found one who had waterproof liners. We had to pay $23 and it was worth every penny!

She had a fiberglass cast with a regular liner when she broke her other arm about 8 months ago (she's having a clumsy spell!). The Gore-Tex liner did loosen up more over time, but the doctor said it was fine. And like a previous poster said, she could do anything with it - swim, ride her bike,... She did end up with a blister/abrasion on her hand that we had to watch closely, because the cast was loose, but I am glad she got the waterproof liner and would search for it again in a heartbeat if we needed too!

 

[kristinw3girls]

My DD did the exact same thing 3 weeks before our trip. I bought a plastic gasket type protector (found online) for about 40$. Worth EVERY CENT! We hooked it to my purse and put it on for water rides and swimming in the pool. It worked very well for showers and our trip. We were having breakfast in CRT and the fairy godmother told us that it seemed to her the kids with the broken arms all did it 3-4 weeks before their trip! We were seated next to a family with a cast also. The boy broke his wrist in the parking lot of their hotel on check in day! I really felt bad for the mom and dad, but the boy seemed to be feeling better. Good Luck!!

 

[JerseyMamaBear]

never had to deal with broken limbs but wanted to wish you luck and Im sure all will work out for him in the end.

 

[WDWAtLast]

They do make a material that orthopedists cast with that is waterproof - you can even swim with the cast on (nothing covering it - just in the cast alone). Most insurances do not cover it - but it might be worth looking into!!!

 

[abbiep]

We purchased a cast protector from Walgreens. My 5 yr old granddaughter used it all day long on a water slide at her bday party and then we used it for all her baths and had no problem. Good luck, hopefully he will get some extra attention from CM because of the cast and that will make up for what few things he might miss out on.

 

[Leajess99]

My 8 year old son fell and broke his arm and he is in a cast from the wrist to his shoulder. Doctor said 4 to 6 weeks and we are leaving in 5. He is so upset that he can not swim or get it wet. His favorite part of any trip is always the water parks. We asked about a waterproof cast but the hospital we went to does not use them or suggest that we do as the doctors said they do not hold as well and it can take longer to heal.

Anyone have any past experience with this? Just getting on and off rides is going to be a challenge. We are going with another family and other kids his age. Been planning this for a full year and going for 10 days. He is already kind of down as he was so looking forward to going and is upset that we will not be able to swim.

We hope to make the best of it and any suggestions would be great. We are really hopping that we can get it off or reduced just prior to leaving and maybe just have a partial cast that could be temporally removed or a brace. Will not know until we see the doctor next week or even later????

My youngest was in a cast that length when she was 4. They would not shorten it as it would more than likely just have fallen off per the ortho. Anyway, hers was not waterproof either and it happened less than a week from our trip camping and to Holiday World. I actually had 2 kids in casts at the time. What I did was bought the waterproof cast covers from the local medical supply store (they fitted the kids to make sure they were the right size) and used those for when they were swimming and bathing. Just to be safe I did wrap a plastic bag around the cast and tape it the first time to make sure it would stay dry since it was the first week they were in the cast and both were in them for 4 weeks.

Your child's arm may very well be healed prior to the 6 week mark depending on how bad it was broken. My middle child stayed in a cast for 6 weeks and then in a brace for a couple more weeks but she had a bad break thanks to her soccer coach. The other two were not as bad.


Go and have fun. I know at Holiday world they let my kids ride all the rides they wanted to ride including the big rollercoasters.

 

[laughinplace199]

OP, I'm sending some to you. Hopefully, your DS will have his cast off by the time you go. The 2nd time DD broke her arm, it was about 6 weeks before our WDW trip. The dr initially said she would be in the cast for 6-8 weeks, but it ended up only being 5 weeks. She got the cast off less than a week before our trip.

DD has broken an arm twice and both times we were given the choice of a plaster or waterproof cast. We went with waterproof both times. My neighbor's son just broke his arm and is in a plaster cast. The bought one of the cast protectors and it is working ok for them, but she wishes they got the waterproof cast. If your DS ends up with a shorter cast in a few weeks, I'd ask about a waterproof one, even if you have to go elsewhere to get it.

Good luck!

 

[surfgirl]

When you have a full length cast, a waterproof cast isn't a good idea - what happens is that water will pool in the elbow and can cause a very nasty rash. Doesn't matter if there is a water proof lining or not... the water can't drain out properly. It is like the pipe that has a bend in it... where does all the junk collect ? In the corner at the bend. Think about that being your skin for 6 weeks. Not worth it.

A waterproof cast protector is the best alternative. Be careful about wearing it, though, since we had one that only recommended use for 45 minutes to an hour - it had a valve at the top and you put a little pump on it and sucked the air out so it was contoured to the cast. It was great, but we were still careful. She did lots of swimming with her shoulder in an inner tube so that the water wasn't fully over the entry point to the cast (the hand and arm was protected so water couldn't get in there).

You may be a candidate for a half arm cast after 3 weeks -- what did the ortho say ? With my dd, she was not a candidate based on her type of break. Her break was so close to the elbow that a half arm cast would not have given her the needed protection, so we were stuck with the full arm for the full 6 weeks. (and 2 weeks of beach and a brand new backyard pool... made for an interesting summer!)

I know a poster upthread talked about their child riding bikes, skiing, etc. That dr. who okay'ed that was much more leniant than my dr.!! He said, no bikes, scooters, monkey bars, etc. Anything that a child may have a 'high impact or high energy fall' was forbidden. For two reasons: what if it was the off-chance that the other broke - it would really s(ck to have 2 broken arms! Reason #2: you don't want to either re-break the broken one (it CAN happen) or some kids can easily break their arm where the cast ends. Yes, it is hard, but in the lifetime of a child, it isn't the end of the world for a few weeks.

Also, be aware, that once the cast is off, you may not receive 100% clearance immediately. We were told no high impact falls for 30 days and then went back for a follow-up x-ray. At that point, there was a little point that still had not healed, so he wanted us to wait another 60 days. So it was a long recovery after the cast was off. The good news is that she is back active, full gymnastics with no repercussions and strength is fully back.

Remember this is a long-term thing if it doesn't heal correctly, so skipping the water parks one time isn't the end of the world. Did you talk to your doctor ? Can you go in before vacation and have them do an x-ray and see if it is ready to come off then ?

Also, some other things to be aware of: when it comes off, the hair on that arm will be darker and thicker. I was also surprised by how much atrophy occurred, but it does come back quickly. Her arm would also ache after it came off... I'm not sure why. She also held her fingers like they were in a cast for about a week even after it was off... they had gotten used to being in that position.

good luck!

 

[billwendy]

Oh, Im so sorry this happend and so close to your trip!!

I work at a pediatric hospital - the lining is called Gortex, and you usually have to ask for it specifically. One thing to remember if you have this type of cast, is that you need to make sure it dries/get all the water out or it will get nasty!!

Aside from water parks and pools (which I really hope he gets to do) a cast cover would at the least be needed for bathing!! Lets face it - you do sweat and need a good bath/shower at Disneyworld!!!!!!!

If you do get the cast off, you may want to ask if there is any type of splint (you know like those ones people have for carpal tunnel - yes, they do come in kids sizes) that you should wear on the rides for a little extra protection.

Best Wishes and Pixie Dust heading your way!!!

 

[laughinplace199]

I agree with the PP. DD has had 2 waterproof long arm casts in the past year and a half. She has had to put her arm in all kinds of crazy positions for the water to drain out, but we still felt that the waterproof cast was worth it.

When her most recent cast came off, a week before our WDW trip, the dr gave her a splint to wear for extra protection on the rides.

Good luck!