Argh, plaster casts going on next week and I know nothing

[elliejjtiny]

DS (age 9) toe walks and is meant to be having casts put on his legs next week. He also has learning difficulties and dyspraxia so he is very clumsy without casts and he likes to know what's happening in advance and be prepared (me too really if I'm honest). We've had one appointment with orthopaedics and the dr was very nice but clearly rushed off her feet. I was still reeling from the idea of him needing casts so I couldn't really think of any questions but now I have loads.

There is a support group on facebook which is good and some parents have posted videos of their children having casts put on and taken off which my ds loved. However most of the parents there are in the US so it's a completely different healthcare system. One person on there said that he would need the max dose of paracetamol and ibuprofen for several days after each cast change. Which made me worry about how much pain he would be in as he had similar doses of pain relief after major surgery a few years ago.

I am worrying about the practical side of things like how I can wash him with the casts on? is it safe for him/others for him to carry on going to softplay, the park etc in casts? How much more clumsy than usual is he going to be? (probably an impossible question). How can I entertain him during the long summer holidays when most of the things he loves like kayaking, swimming and the beach will be off limits and there are loads more I'm not sure about? Oh and to top it all we have to move in with PIL at the end of august which is not really relevent but it isn't helping my stress levels. DH is one of those annoyingly calm people who leaves everything to the last minute so I am on my own with my worries about whether or not I should buy a bathchair and whether DS will still be able to walk round a national trust property with casts on.

You can get waterproof covers for casts from LimbO
limboproducts.co.uk/shop/
think they also available throughAmazon

Maybe try posting on Contact A Family group on Facebook. www.facebook.com/groups/ContactFamiliesGroup/?ref=share

I second Limbo protectors. You could ask for an OT assessment and look at bath seats so you don’t have to lift him in and out. You can hire a wheelchair from Red Cross too.

For keeping DS occupied what are his interests normally? Would arts and crafts, slime, games console, remote control car, Lego, jigsaws, board games work? Sorry if some of them won’t work with his LD and dyspraxia.

Ensure drink and snack are within easy reach.

Thankyou. I will ask about OT and I have put in a request to join the contact a family group. Will have a look at the waterproof cast covers too. We still have his wheelchair for the occasional time when we need to get somewhere faster than "DS pace" as he is similar to a 2-3 year old with his walking ability. We don't often use it but we have it checked and adjusted every year or so just in case of times like this. Unfortunately his main interests are being very active, park, swimming, softplay and he loves doing watersports with the disability sports group. He will do things like lego, crafts etc for a short time though.

Do you have any wheelchair accessible parks locally e.g. with a nest or bucket swing, wheelchair accessible roundabout or one with a seat if DS is light enough to lift?

Do you have a body sock? You could look at a trailer for a bike so you can go on bike rides. Also a basketball hoop and archery can be done from a wheelchair.

If you have one nearby then parkrun and junior parkrun go throughout the summer. You’d be allowed to push him in his wheelchair or he might enjoy volunteering until he’s able to take part himself.

If you live near the coast a number of places now have beach wheelchairs available to hire. Or a cargo bike that he can ride in the front of might be fun if you can find one to hire.

A little girl at my school has just had this done.

She could walk on the casts no problem, no need for a wheelchair.
Chose different colours on each change.
Couldn't go out at break times if it was raining and no running!
She only had them for about a month, I was really surprised how quick it was!

My DS has also had casts for toe walking (and we're in the UK). We were really worried but he coped really well with it and the weeks flew by.

I'd second LimbO, but talk to them directly rather than buying off Amazon. I phoned up and gave the measurements of his thighs and leg length and they made custom fit waterproof covers that allowed us to shower DS while he sat on his old plastic step in the bath. LimbO really were amazingly helpful.

We also got waterproof socks from LimbO that DS wore over his casts on wet days, which allowed him to go out and play as normal. The casts never held him back and he climbed on the rope climbing frame as normal. In fact, he found it easier to walk in the casts with the cast shoes than he could with his normal shoes. It was amazing to see how quickly he adapted to them.

The fracture unit that did the casting were amazing and they are used to dealing with children. They talked DS through every step, and gave him extra padding bandages so he could wrap up his teddy's legs at home. He also got to choose different colours each week.

We got baggy legged shorts to wear with them so they were easy to get on and off, and he wore our trainer socks over the top to keep his toes warm on cooler days.

Nights were the hardest as it was hard for him to get comfortable at night, and that's when the Calpol was useful. He wasn't in pain, just uncomfortable, and the Calpol took the edge off that enough to help him sleep. He was still really restless though and woke a lot during the night.

The other thing to watch out for is muscle loss. DS struggled to walk the most when the casts came off and had inverted ankles for a while. Do you have orthotics ready for when the casts are removed to help provide ankle support?

I forgot to say that the stretch is gradual, so they don't go for the full 90 degree during the first week. That makes it easier and less painful for each cast change.

We also prepared DS in advance by explaining what would happen and searching for pictures online of children having their legs put in casts (although DS was upset that the NHS doesn't stock the same range of colours that the US appears to offer).

There are two layers of bandages put on underneath the cast, and then the cast is wet and warms up as it sets - worth preparing him for that too. Then once the cast is on, the physio holds the foot in position for the stretch as the cast sets.

When the casts were changed, I was allowed to wash down DS's legs with damp blue roll and then dry them before the next set of casts were put on.

Watching the Maddie Moate 'Do You Know' programme about plaster casts was also helpful as I think it showed how the casts were put on and how the saw is used to remove them.

You can also use a hair dryer on the cool setting if the legs get sweaty or hot. DS enjoyed that!

I echo the chorus of a limbo cover.

If he gets itchy, get a bag of frozen peas and place it over the itchy spot. It takes the sensation away.

We are looking at starting this with my 18 month old in the next few months - not toe walking but very turned out feet and she sort of walks on the ankle of one

Are there any facebook support groups anyone can recommend?

Thankyou so much @Rainbowlegs for a uk perspective. I was told (by several american mums) that he shouldn't do things like softplay or the park or any kind of active play like that in case he accidentally kicked another child with his casts on and hurt them. If that's not the case here then that gives us loads more options.

Both DTs have had casts for tiptoe walking - DT1 very recently. Get Limbo covers, no need for bath chairs etc. you may find that the casts are not kept on for as long as you/they think so it would be pointless to get a load of equipment you don’t end up using.
He should be able to do all of his normal activities but I would check with soft play in advance if they will let him in, it may be a safety/insurance issue.
Our most recent casting was horrendous with DT1 because he has ASD and was picking the casts and eating them. I had to hide all the knives and scissors in the house as well because he was trying to saw them off! Hopefully your DS manages better than mine.

Have a good look through the STEPS website www.stepsworldwide.org

Lots of families with experience of a child in casts, for a range of conditions. They also have a Facebook group for families to ask questions and get support.

Yes, get a Limbo cover made to measure.

Good luck!