Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Have DS2 broken (?) arm checked privately tonight or wait for NHS appt in 1 week

26 replies

lynniep · 30/06/2014 14:58

DS2 has suspected broken elbow. He had a cast put on, on Saturday evening. I say suspect, because he's 4 - x-rays were inconclusive - they can't see a fracture, but the docs and the specialist think that it just doesn't look right, and wanted to put a cast on, then have him rechecked at the fracture clinic asap. Asap is in a week.

DH wants us to take him tonight to the private consultant. I have no faith in private consultants having seen two in the past (one for DS1 and one for me) and basically paying £75 + prescription fees for disinterested waffle. (DH gets private cover through work) I have found the NHS to be generally brilliant, and the GPs and Consultants etc are far more helpful.

There is no guarantee he'll do anything but waffle. What he needs is more x-rays and investigation and there's no guarantee we'll get that. We are very skint right now. BUT I don't want DS2 to put up with a cast for another week if he doesn't need one either.

WWYD

OP posts:
ElizabethMedora · 30/06/2014 15:02

So you want to take your son for a private second opinion in the hopes they will say it's not broken & take the cast off?

I wouldn't bother. If 4 x x-rays & several doctors thought it needed a cast, I would want the cast to stay on. It's only a week!

Original poster
lynniep · 30/06/2014 15:05

Essentially yes. DS2 needs a second opinion whatever as the cast is just a temporary one. It could go either way. Fracture clinic could decide he needs to keep the cast, but would replace the one he has on now.

DH wants him to go private so we can get that opinion tonight. I think we should wait and go to the fracture clinic next week.

(I meant DS2 is 4 - he had 2 xrays)

OP posts:
Mabelface · 30/06/2014 15:07

Might need the swelling to go down before it shows properly on an xray.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
ElizabethMedora · 30/06/2014 15:08

I would wait personally, It might need swelling to go down before they can decide anyway.

Original poster
lynniep · 30/06/2014 15:09

I agree. DH doesn't. We are currently battling it out over email...

OP posts:
Trooperslane · 30/06/2014 15:10

Madlizzy has it.

VivaLeBeaver · 30/06/2014 15:14

I would wait.

I've been in this position with a leg. Though it was actually a private Swiss clinic who weren't sure and put the cast on. A week later, swelling had gone down and nhs decided it wasn't broken.

They were actually rather disparaging of the quality of the private X-rays as well and said their machines were far better.

If several Drs weren't sure I'd say its the break that's the trouble not the Drs. In general a&e Drs in this country are very good, especially bread and butter stuff like fractures. They're going to be more experienced than a private dr.

wigglybeezer · 30/06/2014 15:25

Elbows are tricky, leave the cast on and go to the fracture clinic.

My DS2 fractured his elbow (bad fracture) in the Easter holidays and had to have an op, the consultant on duty wouldn't operate because he was a leg specialist and felt it would be better to wait a day for the arm specialist to deal with it as elbow fractures have a high complication rate.

Most four year olds will cope well with a cast for a week or two, just cover it with a poly bag taped onto his upper arm if he need a bath.

Original poster
lynniep · 30/06/2014 15:30

Well he's booked it and he's taking him. He's not listening to me at all. I can't do anything about it (he's just left work to collect him) so I have to suck it up.

OP posts:
ElizabethMedora · 30/06/2014 15:53

That's frustrating OP.

lljkk · 30/06/2014 15:57

Oh dear. :(
DS had something similar few weeks ago. Only had a cast for 3 days, though.

justabigdisco · 30/06/2014 16:03

I would wait. I had something similar with my DC broken collarbone. It took 10 days to show up on an X-ray as it was such a thin crack. No point doing them again so soon.

lljkk · 01/07/2014 18:03

update?

Original poster
lynniep · 02/07/2014 18:18

Hi. Well it was fine in the end and I'm happy he went in spite of my misgivings.

We got the head honcho of the orthapedic unit who reexamined the x-rays with his ultra posh (DH's words) machine (I don't know why it was any different) and pointed out the fracture which the initial specialist hadn't spotted. He was unable to get x-rays Monday as the team had gone already, and we couldn't go back yesterday as DS2 had a school session he has been so excited about, so we came back in today.

Temporary cast came off and he examined the arm externally. Poor little sausage - his elbow is black and blue :(
Had more x-rays taken. Had a lightweight cast put on (he chose pink :) ) and hopefully only needs it for 3 weeks. Dr said he'd examine the new x-rays after he finished his surgeries today, and let us know if there's anything else to worry about, but he doubts it.

So good outcome. DS2 happy with his new cast. DH happy he was 'right'. I'm happy that DS2s arm is being treated as it should.

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 02/07/2014 18:19

Actually, your DS's arm was "being treated as it should" before you paid through the nose for a private consultation

But there you go Smile

celestialsquirrels · 02/07/2014 18:24

So what's the difference in treatment? He got his pink cast 3 days earlier? That makes you DH "right"?

Gosh some people are delusional

lougle · 02/07/2014 18:24

The treatment the NHS gave was absolutely correct. All the private Paed did was identify where the fracture was that the NHS paed's were sure was present.

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 02/07/2014 18:25

DS recently fractured his leg. The consultant explained to me that they put a temporary cast on initially because they need to allow for swelling to subside before they put the permenant cast on. This is why the fracture clinic appointment is normally several days -a week after the A&E visit. So actually you would have been fine not paying as your DS was being treated as he should have been, and completely correctly considering his injury.

Percephone · 02/07/2014 18:26

I hope you remembered to cancel your fracture clinic appointment.

krazipan · 02/07/2014 18:30

Drs whether they work privately, NHS or both are all qualified! All private gives you is potentially quicker treatment as your case shows (although it is not uncommon for fractures to 'show themselves' after a few days when swelling is starting to subside).

GertieFinkle · 02/07/2014 18:34

Stop having a go at the OP, she didn't want the private appointment, has stated she thinks NHS care is excellent and is just relieved her injured child has been treated.

FFS vipers, cool your boots.

OP - glad he has his new pink cast (and well done for striking a blow against the pink is only for girls brigade). Hope he heals up quickly.

AnyFucker · 02/07/2014 18:35

"having a go"
Give over Smile

Original poster
lynniep · 02/07/2014 18:36

You can jump on me now, I expected no less of MN and I wouldn't be here if I didn't expect some flack! (and yes of course I cancelled the original appointment)
I didn't get a choice in the matter, but I'm happy with how its been resolved, even though we're £75 down.

OP posts:
Original poster
lynniep · 02/07/2014 18:38

(thanks Gertie!)

OP posts:
CharmQuark · 02/07/2014 18:47

Eh? No one is vipering at the OP!

People were continuing to support the OP in that she was actually right and her DH merely got the fracture confirmed (once the swelling had gone down from Sat-Wed) and the treatment is exactly the same as it would have been in the fracture clinic except that the OP was re-assured a few days earlier that the cast was not uneccessary, and the child got his lightweight cast a bit earlier.