my 9 year old has broken his hand

[gymboywalton]

the central bone running from your big knuckle to your wrist iyswim.
all the way from the top of the bone to the bottom in a diagonal line.
he is in a backslab and is at the fracture clinic on monday.

anyone got any idea about how long this kind of injury takes to heal? he is meant to be taking part in a special competition tomorrow , representing his school and his head has said he can still go and they will look after him but i still feel a little funny about it. it's his right hand so he is not going to be able to write and i don't want school to encourage him to try as it will really hurt his hand.

any thoughts please?

I did that, a few weeks ago. Poor boy - apart from being sore, it's incredibly frustrating.

I would keep his hand in a sling for a couple of days to get him used to not using it, and to get the message through to everyone else that he can't. After fracture clinic you may find he is in a cast which lets him move his fingers a bit more, but given that it is the middle one (how did he manage that - it's impressive - I broke the equivalent bone on the little finger side, which is much more common apparently) he isn't going to be able to do much.

As for how long - well I am old and heal slowly, but mine was in slab for a week, cast for 2 weeks, then they decided it was moving as one bone again and took the cast off and just told me to be careful with it. It is still a little sore 2 weeks later but it's getting better.

IIWY I would give him regular paracetamol / ibuprofen for a few days - it flipping hurts, IME.

What is the competition? Does it involve writing? If so, I would only be happy if the school find a way for him to have a scribe.

its a maths challenge
i am hoping it's just puzzles and things and his team members can do any writing for him. it's more being in school afterwards that i am concerned about iyswim

so you don't think i would be unreasonable if i were to say to school that he is NOT to be encouraged to write?

yes-it is impressive isn't it? grin
he was on the trampoline and fell bending his fingers backwards and i gues the pressure has caused the bone to break.

The primary maths challenge thing? DS did that. Great fun, and definitely teamwork, and his teammates can do the writing.

No YWNBU to ask the school to stop him if he tries to write. It will hurt and not do him any good at all - you could reassess / ask the consultant at fracture clinic, but I think sling is in order until then.

yes yes to sling as a visual reminder
he seems fine today and is obviously bored

he is still on painkillers-codeine and calpol so will keep that topped up

you don't really appreciate how much you use your dominant hand until you can't use it!! getting dressed, going to the loo, everything!

gymboy I would expect some tears IIWY. I was reduced to tears of frustration about all the things I couldn't do, and I am 43 .

Have you got one of the waterproof covers so that he can shower? I have one that I no longer need but it is adult-sized..

i have just ordered one from Limbo-tehy are very good at getting things out quickly and say it should be with us tomorrow, but thank you anyway!

Limbo protectors do indeed arrive next day - they're fab :) We've had a leg one and, most recently, an arm one.

If your DS feels up to the competition, I would let him go. DS1 (14) has been very upset at all the things he's had to miss over the last 6 weeks with his broken wrist that I think it's important for them to participate in whatever they can.

Thankfully (for everyone!) DS1 broke his left wrist so he could wipe his own bottom :o

well....mmmm.. that's an issue we haven't faced yet
ds is mr independent so am not looking forward to that!!

he has been struggling to try and dress himself etc and finally he allowed me to help

Yes - DS1 looked rather mournful when he had to ask me to do his buttons up, tie his tie and cut up his dinner :)

god it's horrid isn't it?

i HATE it when they are ill or injured

i was so shaken yesterday when he did it

he was very distressed and it was horrible seeing him in so much pain

am dreading the fracture clinic on monday, the thought of them removing the cast and fiddling with it again...

When DS1 did his ankle a few years ago, they x-rayed it again and then just removed the backslab and put on his choice of coloured lightweight cast on. It was absolutely fine.

They didn't take off the old fashioned full plaster he had on his wrist this time though, just xrayed him and sent him home for 6 weeks.

Thankfully I wasn't there when he did it so I only had the "admin" afterwards to deal with whereas his father had to do all the horrible A&E stuff.

I switch not coping mode whenever they have accidents and then deal my the emotional stuff when I know they are fine.

I doubt they'll fiddle with his hand as they won't want to disturb the position of the bone.

DD1 broke her 5th metacarpal (that's the bone which runs from the knuckle to the wrist) a few weeks ago. She was in backslab for 1 week then lightweight cast for 2 weeks.

Once the cast is on the pain is reduced, I found.