Kid in aur cast...2 weeks before trip!

[luvmarypoppins]

Best of luck. I hear you loud and clear.

We are going in 2 weeks too (Swan and Beach Club) and taking 2 ds. The one is suppose to be non weightbearing except for his heel in the aircast. He is in college and has a fracture in his foot that wont heal since January.

I am not canceling the trip because its the only time for their spring break etc.

He is going to the ortho next week so I will make him ask all the questions too. I would like him to be able to swim but we shall see.

I am thinking of renting him an ecv so he can keep up with his other ds.

Also for the trip, if you have made adrs, I know they ask if you need wheelchair accomodations. Disney is long and tiring and I dont know how much your ds can do on crutches. If you have buffet meals scheduled someone could wheel him up there etc. Also you can put the chair right at the table too.

I would also think of getting a handicapped room where ever you are staying if you need roll in shower for your ds.

We will probably bring ds crutches and maybe our wheelchair.

Other posters have mentioned a knee scooter. I did see an adult use one in the park and its hard to manuever.

Also at home my ds uses a computer chair to get around from room to room with one leg (the aircast one) up on it facing backwards (the chair), this works really well for him and keeps the frustration level down.

 

[CassieF]

I have degenerative Osteocgondral defect (as a kid, his was probably traumatic), a large lesion in my left knee and it's painful! I had surgery to repair it and was non weight bearing (no toe touching!) for 6 weeks and it was very difficult, but he's young and should adjust to crutches well. A wheelchair would be a MUST and plan to take it easy depending on how he does. I'm sure the vacation will be a morale booster for him and the entire family, as non weight bearing really wears on you. Do NOT get a knee scooter (unless your ortho specifically says it is okay) as it puts pressure on the knee, which you need to avoid, depending on where the actual injury is...if it's on the tibia it might be okay, but for the patella or femur it would be a big no no).

 

[jillian01520]

The decision has been made, we're going to postpone the trip. :-( I have to call Disney and the airlines today. My trip is obviously paid in full now, will they let me do this?

 

[ljcrochet]

I hope your son heals quickly.
Because you are flying, I would still go. Not worth losing the money on plan tickets.
Take it slower. Push your son in a wheelchair and enjoy yourself.

 

[dsneprincess]

The decision has been made, we're going to postpone the trip. :-( I have to call Disney and the airlines today. My trip is obviously paid in full now, will they let me do this?

I would call the airlines first. Depending I if they will work with you, it may end up less expensive to rent the wheelchair nd go! Airline is the sticky point; Disney will postpone/reschedule.

 

[seashoreCM]

Some discounts and free dining plans might not be available for your new rescheduled dates. On the other hand other discounts may become available.

Not putting any weight on the leg means just that, not putting any weight on the leg. Yes he should have crutches, for his benefit in keeping the rest of his body exercised from time to time. If it hurts to put weight on the leg, that is helpful warning that he is overstretching his boundaries.

Go slow, unless someone else is pushing his wheelchair. If you are on a whirlwind tour, make it EF1 not EF4 or EF5.

If you are driving to the park and won't have a wheelchair until you get inside, consider dropping him off near the tram lane before driving down the aisle and parking.

Don't forget, the amount of walking in the park over the course of a full day could well be more than three miles.

... So all summer long, I propped my elbow up and slept strictly on my back so that my hand was literally over my heart. Of course he just meant on a level above my heart, ...

Doing it longer than the doctor expected won't hurt. Now you could sleep on your stomach and still have your hand above the level of your heart but I tried that and found that somewhat uncomfortable too. (If you are into yoga, gradually work on folding your arms behind your back.) Keeping the injured part up cuts down on bleeding by reducing blood pressure at that location.

Health hints: http://www.cockam.com/health.htm

 

[jillian01520]

We are going. Couldn't cancel our flights and changing the flights was 1k. Being the crazed person I am I called disney this AM and changed our res. first to June. When we found out about the flights I called to change it back and the all stars were all booked up so now we are staying in PORFQ.

 

[NinaBella]

When my 19-year old was in pre-k, he broke his leg. Doctors said he was too small for crutches (no coordination for them) so they gave him a walker. His teacher at school complained that he was too slow on the walker when she had to walk the kids to the cafeteria, library, etc. I worked at a military hospital at the time and went to the insurance office in the hospital (tricare office) and explained the situation. They sent a medical company to my house to deliver a child size wheelchair to us. After he got his cast off, they came and picked up the wheel chair. The wheel chair was FREE through my insurance.

I mention this because you may not need to RENT a wheelchair. Just explain to your insurance your child is too big for a stroller (weight/height) and too small for normal rental chairs (or don't mention rentals at all). State your child doesn't have the coordination or maturity to use crutches, can't carry bookbag, lunch tray, etc. See if they will give you a wheelchair at no cost.

 

[patty57]

You'll be fine! I pushed my mother all over WDW while she was in a wheelchair, and I was 55 at the time. Have a great trip!

 

[nemodeb]

We are going. Couldn't cancel our flights and changing the flights was 1k. Being the crazed person I am I called disney this AM and changed our res. first to June. When we found out about the flights I called to change it back and the all stars were all booked up so now we are staying in PORFQ.

I think you'll like POFQ. To me, it seems small and cozy. Not too far to any of the rooms. You can request a ground floor room (not guaranteed but tell them your situation) to make it easier. Like others have said, just allow a little more time to get places. Have fun, you'll be at Disney!

 

[jillian01520]

I think you'll like POFQ. To me, it seems small and cozy. Not too far to any of the rooms. You can request a ground floor room (not guaranteed but tell them your situation) to make it easier. Like others have said, just allow a little more time to get places. Have fun, you'll be at Disney!

Thanks I think we'll like it. I'm just going to go with the flow. Nothing we can really do about it. Hopefully when he gets the MRI it will show it's not as bad as they thought. He's not in any pain really so we shall see

 

[JennyDrake]

Again, having been in the zero weight bearing, I feel for you...(another poster asked--no, I was not even allowed a toe touch--ZERO weight bearing for 12, looong weeks.)

SUE was right, check out the stickies on the diaAbilites board to learn more about which rides to transfer and how. I have gone 3x as a companion to a senior w/ mobility issues--the Backlot Tour tram was the worst. _I_ would not try that with your son. Getting IN is not the issue--it's getting OUT--STEEP and minimal hand supports. ExE, Splash and Space will also be tricky.

At each attraction ASK the CM how to get in using a wc--a frustration we experienced was that there was no uniform system. Sometimes you went through regular queue, sometimes, side door or sorts, sometimes FP line (this was before FP+).

PORFQ will be great as it is so small and I just love it!

 

[3happydancers]

Thanks I think we'll like it. I'm just going to go with the flow. Nothing we can really do about it. Hopefully when he gets the MRI it will show it's not as bad as they thought. He's not in any pain really so we shall see

POFQ is one of our favorite resorts. I don't think you will be disappointed. You might find it very convenient because of how small it is. And...you even have the boats from the resort to DTD! When my DD was in a wheel chair this is the resort we stayed at and they were wonderful! Relax, enjoy, take it slow!

 

[SueM in MN]

Just wanted to mention -
Someone mentioned renting an ECV for him (motorized mobility scooter). There are no companies I know of that would rent an ECV for use by a 9 year old.

NinaBella suggested checking if your insurance would provide a wheelchair for you. That is a good idea; some areas also have lending closets thru schools or clinics that can lend equipment.
If you bring a wheelchair from home, the airline will transport it free of charge for you and it will not count toward your baggage allowance.

Most lines/attractions at WDW are accessible thru the main (Standby) line. This page has a link at the bottom of the page for the park maps for guests with disabilities for each park.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/guests-with-disabilities/

They list the 'mobility entrances' for each attraction. You can print them out ahead of time or pick up a copy at each park - they are in the park map kiosks at each park entrance.

 

[jillian01520]

Thank you all for your input! We are looking forward to pofq now!! And I'm going to wait till after to the MRI to rent a wheelchair. I actually think he's doing much better and he says it doesn't hurt anymore. Who knows though! I'll wait to talk to the doc more this week

 

[ilm2000]

My DD hurt her knee on a ski trip and is not supposed to bear any weight on it. Takes time to build up the endurance for crutches. We have rented a nice push wheelchair from CVS Pharmacy. $15 per week. Well, worth the money. I was surprised how cheap. Not all locations rent equipment, but guessing if you called and asked they could point you in the right direction. I would rent from home though and take it. It would be awful to get down there and everything is rented out when you need it. Good luck. It will be a long 3 months for the whole family. It has given me a lesson about what some families deal with everyday if they have a disabled child.

 

[3happydancers]

My DD hurt her knee on a ski trip and is not supposed to bear any weight on it. Takes time to build up the endurance for crutches. We have rented a nice push wheelchair from CVS Pharmacy. $15 per week. Well, worth the money. I was surprised how cheap. Not all locations rent equipment, but guessing if you called and asked they could point you in the right direction. I would rent from home though and take it. It would be awful to get down there and everything is rented out when you need it. Good luck. It will be a long 3 months for the whole family. It has given me a lesson about what some families deal with everyday if they have a disabled child.

I know when we rented a scooter for my mom, we called a few weeks ahead of time to reserve it. The scooter was at the resort waiting for her when we arrived. I do believe this can be done for wheel chairs too.