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

Chat

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

DS13 with broken leg - need tips!

28 replies

brightbluecast · 04/08/2020 18:10

We've come 5 hours north to stay with my parents for a few days. On Sunday DS13 broke his tibia. I am in need of lots of friendly tips as we navigate this (with additional complications as we're away from home). I have lots of questions. Going to fracture clinic for care plan tomorrow but I know sometimes it's not possible to get all the necessary practical tips when under pressure. Here goes (and please be gentle - it's a bit stressful):

  1. he has full cast from thigh to toes. It is so heavy and leg is so straight that it's hard to walk with crutches as he struggles to keep leg off the ground and can't swing it in front or behind him. He's managed it in front a couple of times as we go from sofa to loo, but not consistent. So Dad walks behind him and I walk in front, backwards, bent double, with towel around leg just below knee pulling it up like a hoist. Worried that I'm going to do myself an injury too. I've seen leg slings which look easier but, as they go under the foot and he is non weight bearing, I'm not sure this is allowed (will ask hospital tomorrow).
  2. we have booked a wheel chair to be delivered tomorrow, rented for all the time we need it. Lightweight, folding with leg extension. To use around the house so that we can limit the use of crutches, but crutches still necessary for in and out of car, into the bathroom etc, so do need to master it.
  3. my parents have a big house so plenty of variety of where to sit etc. Downstairs loo, thank goodness, although it's a bit of a tight fit to get in there. Currently can't contemplate stairs so he's sleeping on large sofa with me on camp bed next to him. I know he's advised to go up and down stairs on his bum, which is the only option. But not sure how he can get from the position of sitting on top step to standing without us lifting him with all his weight from behind. Likewise to get back to sitting position to go down again. I guess it's a job for 2 strong people - 1 in front, 1 behind. Which leads me to ....
  4. at some point my husband will probably have to go home for a bit and leave me here at my parents'. They're elderly so I can't ask them to do anything heavy. Therefore I guess DS just has to continue to live downstairs and sleep on the sofa. So I 'just' need to work out the solution to sofa-wheelchair-crutches-loo on my own as I won't attempt the stairs. I would also need to be prepared to get him in and out of Dad's car or taxi if I needed to take him for further appointments.
  5. if we went back to our own house, we only have an upstairs loo so we'd have to get him up there and then leave him there like rapunzel forever. So I'm weighing up pros and cons of life downstairs at parents or life upstairs at home.
  6. very daunted by the prospect of 5 hour journey home which will have to be taken at some point while cast is still on (I'm imagining it'll be on for 6 weeks). What is the safest option between: front seat with leg stretched out in front (haven't yet checked if that actually works space-wise); sitting along the back seat with both legs up and seat belt only on his lower half, with his legs up on my lap (there will be 4 of us in the car); sitting with legs in an L shape with good leg and body positioned normally, and bad leg out to the side (on my lap). Any seat belt adaptors for this kind of thing?
  7. other person in the equation is DS15. He could be left here with me and DS13 and assist in some of the caring but he has ASD and is emotionally a bit difficult. I'm worried he'll be bored and depressed if he stayed here. However, if he goes home with his Dad, it's not great either as there's a bit of a grudge between them at the moment and relationship is not a happy one.
  8. DH will come back for me at some point later in the summer holidays (not sure how long to camp out here at my parents) and will probably have to bring DS15 back with him as we can't leave him at home alone, and we don't have anyone he can go to. But that's least of the problems.
  9. would also love other tips about how to wash him, and wash his hair. Also what pitfalls I should look out for. I'm trying to check for chafing around the top of the cast. My Mum is great at sewing so I'm thinking of asking her to make a cast cover or something to keep it a bit cleaner at the top. He's sitting down to go for a wee so I'm just hoping he doesn't wee down it. Sorry for long post - but didn't want to drip feed. These are currently my top questions and worries. It'll be an evolving list, I'm sure. My heart goes out to people dealing with these challenges on a long-term basis, it really is an eye-opener.
OP posts:
Couchpotato3 · 06/08/2020 13:58

I found a 'grabby stick' really useful when I was stuck in a cast - I don't know what the proper name for it is, but one of those things that has a moveable pincer on the end of a stick so that he can grab things that are just out of reach. I still use mine all the time for all sorts of jobs!

Twospaniels · 06/08/2020 14:40

My daughter broke her leg just above the ankle as a teen. We put her bed in the dining room and she used crutches to get to the downstairs loo.
Showered upstairs and got a cast cover from limboproducts.co.uk.
We let her go up and downstairs on her bum, and didn’t help her as such, were just there in case, as it was better to let her do it at her own speed.
Got a wheelchair from Red Cross it was free but needed to make a donation. I think it was £10.
She sat in the front seat of the car with the seat right back. Rested her heel on a cushion.

brightbluecast · 07/08/2020 09:53

We're doing ok - thanks for asking @TokyoSushi
Update:

  • went to fracture clinic on Weds. X-rayed again and all is fine. If we were staying at that hospital we'd be back in 4 weeks for x-ray and shorter cast. Obvs we'll be back home by then so I need to get in touch with GP and local fracture clinic and see if I can book him in. Left hospital with no paperwork (silly me - forgot to ask), so need to chase that up next week.
  • crutches getting easier and he's getting better at pushing leg out in front. More difficult when he's tired. My Mum is making a sling with handles so that someone can walk in front of him and pull the leg up. Eccentric I know, but it's only for moving around the house.
  • have hired a wheelchair with leg support. Took him out around the streets yesterday and he wanted to steer himself - he's an absolute liability so we had an argument about that. I can see that he def can't go back to school until he's back on 2 feet.
  • haven't attempted stairs yet as still sleeping downstairs with downstairs loo. That'll be the next challenge
  • DH and DS1 will go home on Sunday and come back next weekend to get us. I'm thinking they could possibly leave it a week later, as I'm much happier with him here at my parents' (big house, downstairs loo)than at home. BUT I think DS2 will really miss his Dad (as he's the favourite parent). My Mum and Dad are enjoying the company I think.
  • need to experiment with different configurations in the car before we do the big journey home. There are various options it seems. Worry about all of them from the road safety point of view, but can't really do anything about that. Makes me think, though, that all unnecessary car trips to be avoided.
  • DS woke up hot and grumpy this morning but I'm hoping it'll pass. Seems to be painful right now whereas yesterday not as much.
  • He's been good at keeping himself occupied. Even managed to play his trombone for a bit yesterday. And is strumming his new guitar.
  • have decided not to attempt shower/ bath (although cast covers look great) as shower is a bit of a tight fit here and at home it's in the bath and I think too difficult. We'll have to make do with flannel washes. We'll try to do his hair later today.
Onwards and sort of upwards!
OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page