Going on DCL...with arm in a cast...now what?

[disneylandkids]

Despite all my planning and finessing the details of our upcoming trip on the Disney Cruise, which includes two stops at Castaway Cay and active water-related shore excursions, my older daughter has managed to throw an unexpected curve.

She was at ice skating on Thursday evening, fell, and broke a bone in her hand!

Now, she's in a cast, and it is *possible* that she might be out of it in time for our trip but I need to come up with Plan B.

We might be able to get her switched to a 'waterproof' cast, but those are designed more for just getting wet a little (as I understand it) rather than being submerged for longer periods of time (such as snorkeling for hours).

We have a special bag that is water-resistant, which she uses for the shower, and we figure that would be useful for keeping sand out of the cast. ('m actually more concerned about sand than water because water will dry but sand could really tear up her skin if it gets into the cast.)

Thoughts? Suggestions? I'd appreciate them all!

 

[maroo]

There is a TR on the Trip Reports Thread of a lady that did Disney with a cast on...hers was completely water proof...a "swim cast"...I am sure it will cost extra, maybe, but it could be worth it...She actually had 2 broken arms...one in a sling and one in a cast...

Her TR is usually on the first page, as it is updated often...and some good reading, too!

 

[Tiggerific711]

My DS8 managed to fracture his wrist the week before we left for WDW this summer. We got a cast that was completely waterproof (it was made of goretex). He was able to go swimming and take a shower without a problem. We even had the cast signed by Aladdin, Jasmine, Mary Poppins, Cinderella and Alice.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[disneylandkids]

My DS8 managed to fracture his wrist the week before we left for WDW this summer. We got a cast that was completely waterproof (it was made of goretex). He was able to go swimming and take a shower without a problem. We even had the cast signed by Aladdin, Jasmine, Mary Poppins, Cinderella and Alice.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

How comfortable was the Goretex liner? (my understanding is that the liner is goretex and the outer part is still fiberglass) Did you have to buy the goretex separately (our HMO said we would have to do that if we wanted to use it but were very discouraging about it--said it was very uncomfortable, etc.)

 

[SueM in MN]

How comfortable was the Goretex liner? (my understanding is that the liner is goretex and the outer part is still fiberglass) Did you have to buy the goretex separately (our HMO said we would have to do that if we wanted to use it but were very discouraging about it--said it was very uncomfortable, etc.)

My DD had a cast many years ago with traditional padding. It was hot, smelly and when she got the cast off, her skin was all 'soggy' like after being in water. As a nurse, I can see a lot of advantages to fiberglass casts with Gore-Tex liners.
The lining is Gore-Tex; the outer part is fiberglass.
Goretex is water repellent, but breathable. For raincoats, people find it much more comfortable because it can keep moisture away from the skin. At the same time as it prevents water from the outside from coming in, it wicks moisture away from the body.
Those same qualities make it good for cast lining. And, one big advantage is that things like sand that get inside the cast can just be rinsed away (you don't want to get large quantities of sand inside the cast, but it's nice to know you can rinse it away if some does get inside.)

Many people have posted over the years about having waterproof casts. Everyone has posted positive things (they could swim with it, it was lighter). The only negative thing anyone has posted about waterproof casts was the increased cost (which insurance usually won't pay). The extra cost people have posted about has usually been $30 or less and most people have posted it was money well spent.
I've seen medical studies that report higher satisfaction with Gore-Tex casts, compared to traditional casts, with no negative results.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

My DD had a cast many years ago with traditional padding. It was hot, smelly and when she got the cast off, her skin was all 'soggy' like after being in water. As a nurse, I can see a lot of advantages to fiberglass casts with Gore-Tex liners.
The lining is Gore-Tex; the outer part is fiberglass.
Goretex is water repellent, but breathable. For raincoats, people find it much more comfortable because it can keep moisture away from the skin. At the same time as it prevents water from the outside from coming in, it wicks moisture away from the body.
Those same qualities make it good for cast lining. And, one big advantage is that things like sand that get inside the cast can just be rinsed away (you don't want to get large quantities of sand inside the cast, but it's nice to know you can rinse it away if some does get inside.)

Many people have posted over the years about having waterproof casts. Everyone has posted positive things (they could swim with it, it was lighter). The only negative thing anyone has posted about waterproof casts was the increased cost (which insurance usually won't pay). The extra cost people have posted about has usually been $30 or less and most people have posted it was money well spent.
I've seen medical studies that report higher satisfaction with Gore-Tex casts, compared to traditional casts, with no negative results.

ITA!! from an xray tech too!!
Ds11 has broken his arms 3x over the years and has had the goretex type cast every time. It was still fiberglass on the outside and easy to sign. It was completely submergeable and we just had to hold it up and shake a little to drain. His skin was never funky underneath after it was cut off nor did it itch.

The first time we didn't pay extra but the last 2 it was maybe $20 more and well worth it. Don't let the ins. co talk you out of it. They are just trying to cut costs and are not concerned about your child having a good vacation. or even just being able to take a shower.

We took a cruise not long after he broke it the 2nd time and still got awesome underwater photos of him snorkeling with sting rays in Grand Cayman. It went up just below the elbow so it was relatively easy for him to swim. We got a lot of strange looks on that cruise as if we were doing something wrong.