DDs broken leg / surgery hit by car

[CiaraOSullivan]

My 12 year old daughter ran out in front of a car on Monday and has broken her femur, tibia and fibula. She had surgery are today we have just come home she has been stuck on the sofa ever since not wanting to move or do anything. She had 2 pins inserted into her thigh bone and has a cast from her toes to just below her hip. she is feeling miserable.

Is there any tips or tricks we can do to make her more comfortable at home! She is battered and bruised from everything and is hardly eating too even her favourites. My heart is breaking watching her so uncomfortable. The journey home for her too was so uncomfortable.

I also feel for the young driver that hit her. My husband watched the CCTV they are by no way at fault! (the ambulance and police wanted to see) We have been in contact with her too shes a neighbour's granddaughter. It's horrible to say but my daughter is completely at fault! She ran out our driveway after the football. My husband and I feel so guilty and so worried about her and sick with worry for our daughter.

[Mabelface]

Lots of comfy pillows etc on the sofa, which has become her place for a while, good pain control, enough fluids and let her eat what she fancies for a bit. She's going to be knackered for a while, both from the general anaesthetic and from her body healing.

Give her some marker pens to decorate her cast, let her have more screen time and just be led by her.

[SportyMumOf2]

Aww bless her she will be exhausted from the surgery and also from the trip home! Make her as comfortable as possible, favourite movies, as others have said when she is more in the mood to decorate her cast and wash her hair and pamper her only when she feels more up to it.

My DD broke her leg in a football game we she was 10 at the time to leave her decide when and what she wants food wise. Keep hydrated too. I hope you and her are both mentally okay while it takes awhile for the physical injury to heal x

[Octavia64]

I hope they've sent home pain relief it sounds unpleasant!

In similar circumstances I listened to a lot of podcasts. I didn't get my appetite back for a while so things that are easy to eat or drink and will tempt her.

Lots of easy no concentration activities - binge watching on Netflix, word searches, drawing, music, etc.

[Cointreacoffee]

Regular pain control (+ laxative if necessary), plenty of fluids and encourage her to mobilise as much as possible within her current abilities.
Keep the leg elevated to reduce swelling, including when in bed.
How about you giving her a manicure with nice polish? Encourage her friends to visit and keep her involved with them.

[bluecomputerscreen]

surgery is hard work for the body. so is healing.

yes to lots of pillows
try to shift position every hour or so

try to get her to physio asap.

all the best.

[CiaraOSullivan]

Thank you! We have said friends can visit on Sunday or Monday depending how she is feeling. She is on dihydrocodeine every 4 hours and they have also given us movicol for her which she currently hates. They did warn us she would become constiapted and moving to the loo is very unplesent for her. We are trying to come up with a way that sitting on the loo is a bit easier for her.

We have bing watched Frozen and Lion King today although she slept for most of the day. She has crutches but moving is not fun to watch. We have been trying to keep her moving her bum has been getting sore today but laying on her front for even an hour is worse than being on her back. It's so hard to manage when her hips back and other leg are so bruised. We gave her a bottle of juice about 4 o clock she has only had a few sips. I dread to think how in a few days we can wash her and her hair but I guess with everything it gets easier with time

[Octavia64]

You can hire a wheelchair usually from Red Cross. They have ones that will keep the leg up.

It makes moving around sixty million times more easier.

Hair - dry shampoo for the moment. You can also do a flannel wash if necessary.

With respect to the bruising - lots of pilliows. You can also get big V shaped pillows that help support her body.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=v%20shaped%20pillows&amp%3Badgrpid=52454818319&amp%3Bhvadid=593773072280&amp%3Bhvdev=m&amp%3Bhvlocphy=1006699&amp%3Bhvnetw=g&amp%3Bhvqmt=e&amp%3Bhvrand=12242821917257676797&amp%3Bhvtargid=kwd-300746782773&amp%3Bhydadcr=3002_2293068&amp%3Btag=hydrukspg-21&amp%3Bref=pd_sl_1n7d1gifv8_e&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 2293068&tag=hydrukspg-21&ref=pddsl1n7d1gifv88e

[Toddlerteaplease]

I'm a paediatric nurse on an orthopaedic ward. I'm astounded that your daughter has been discharged the same day as the op. Our kids usually need an opiate infusion to control pain for a day or so, before the physio even go near them!

[Caspianberg]

For hair, easiest thing would be to go to a hairdresser tbh. That way she can sit comfortably in chair and they can wash and dry for her. You could call in advance and explain.

[Toddlerteaplease]

@Toddlerteaplease

I'm a paediatric nurse on an orthopaedic ward. I'm astounded that your daughter has been discharged the same day as the op. Our kids usually need an opiate infusion to control pain for a day or so, before the physio even go near them!

She'd also go home with a wheelchair!

[Toddlerteaplease]

And oramorph. We don't use dihydrocodine ever.

[colouredball]

Shampoo caps might be helpful?

It's early days, she will perk up and start to feel better and find her mobility soon

[autumnleavesandrugby]

Once she’s up to mobilising you can get a limbo cast protector so she can have a shower (if you have a level one- not sure if she’d be able to get into a bath though). I’ve had mine in full length casts twice (rugby!) and once the pain settles down it’s amazing how mobile they can actually get despite the rigid leg.
I’m also surprised about same day d/c given the severity of her injuries though. If her pain isn’t settled over weekend I’d call the ward or out of hours GP for advice about alternatives. Don’t forget to give paracetamol regularly as well as the stronger painkillers (and ibuprofen if they are ok with her taking it).
We basically set ours up with PlayStation etc downstairs so he only had to use stairs twice a day- initially on bum with one of us holding the leg then he moved on to hopping up
and down. An extra pillow under the bad leg helped at night.
Going back to school was difficult though as he usually walked to school so we had to do quite a lot of work juggling so one of us could take him in and pick him up each day.
Hopefully once the shock and bruising settles down she’ll feel much better. Hope you do too!

[TrishTrix]

Is she having Paracetamol and Ibuprofen regularly (assuming no allergies)?

If not start them. Paracetamol 4 x /day, Ibuprofen 3 or 4 x depending on dosing regimen (follow the bottle if you don't have one from the hospital).

These simple analgesics are known to reduce the amount of strong pain killer used and therefore the side effects.

Would a hot water bottle/ ice help her other bruises?

I'd advocate for a bit of tough love - moving as able will be good for her.
Also encourage her to drink enough (and this will mean she needs to get up to go to the loo too!)

Don't push food too aggressively but I'd have her favourites available. She will be in a catabolic state after surgery while her body heals itself so where possible I'd try to offer a "good" diet with lots of protein. Veg etc. will help with any potential constipation too. But some treat type food is probably better than no healthy food.

[Marcellius]

The pain should settle down fairly soon I would think based on experience. Poor thing, what a shock.
I would massively recommend getting her some hand protectors to use on the crutches - you can get them on Amazon, with velcro on - really worth getting them BEFORE her hands get sore when she starts to use them more. As well as the waterproof cast protector as others have said.

[CiaraOSullivan]

Sorry I may have said it wrong surgery was Monday not today!!! Discharged at 2pm today they have only set us home with crutches. She had physio today and yesterday she was able to move with them. @Toddlerteaplease she had a drip for the first two days after surgery they have since been giving her tablets. She can get up but she is so uncomfortable doing so. She just wants to be left alone.

Thanks all

@TrishTrix we give her paracetamol and ibuprofen every 4 and 6 hours too. I didnt think a hot water bottle would help but we will try that for her!

[Octavia64]

Frankly I found it easier to crawl than to use crutches. Bloody nightmare to use especially on stairs.

Agree though that if she's using them she'll need gloves or her hands will be a mess.

I used weight lifting gloves.

[HunterHearstHelmsley]

Use one of the toddler steps for the toilet. I had a full brace last year and resting my leg on there helped.

I didn't eat much for a bit either, I think it's part of feeling sorry for yourself. Definitely keep up with the Movicol though. I became constipated and that was awful on top of everything else.

I preferred being in bed to the sofa. Get a decent pillow with support. If she doesn't have a TV in her bedroom, a tablet could work.

For showering, you can get seats that go over the bath. It's not easy and she'll need help but wrap bin bags around the leg and at least she'll feel a bit cleaner.

With crutches, I'd recommend weight training gloves. They don't feel as restrictive as other gloves but protect the hands a little bit. Once you've got the hang of walking with them, you wonder how you couldn't do it to begin with.

Pillow under the leg when sleeping, I found the V shaped ones to be better than a standard one.

[Okokokokokplease]

Apart from the physical injuries I should imagine your poor girlie must be in deep shock . Get her friends over asap and binge watch TV ,manicures meat what she likes…basically spoil her.

[feelingalittlehorse]

OP, I had a very similar injury at a similar age to your daughter- although I was a couple of years older. The GA itself actually hit me a lot harder than was expected, and I felt exhausted and out of sorts. Plus the gravity of the situation hit when I got home. Before then, I thought I was invincible (like all young people!). I felt very depressed, isolated and like the recovery would never happen and I was missing out on lots of stuff. Seeing my friends lots, and going out when I was able, were god sends. I appreciate the latter is not possible immediately, but she will become more mobile and less uncomfortable with time. May be worth exploring the wheelchair option mentioned above.

Seconding what someone said above re showering- not sure what your bathroom set up is like but mum got a showering seat, I think from a mobility assistance shop. Put a hole in a bin bag a tie it round the top of the cast and prop the leg up gently. Honestly, I needed a lot of help with that but again, it got easier as the pain reduced.

I’m sorry I don’t have more practical advice, but hang on in there. I promise it gets better with time, she’s very early days in this. Lots of chocolate, shit films, friends and sleeping will see her through.

I wish your daughter the speediest and smoothest recovery possible, and sending sympathetic hugs your way. Only as an adult do I realise how much it affected my mum at the time- it was such a stressful time for her. 💐

[Ponderingwindow]

When dd had a severe arm break we found cast covers online that helped immensely with bathing. We weren’t allowed to get a single drop of water on her specialized cast so it was absolutely nerve wracking. Even though she was a small child, we needed the adult covers because of the large cast. There was some trial and error.

deep hair washing is easier at a nearby salon once healed enough that it doesn’t hurt to get in the car. Just a cheap chain place is perfect for this.

Homemade smoothies are good for nutrition because they are easy to sip through a bendy straw.

[EasterFox]

I know we are all used to showering daily but I’m sure she will have been washed in hospital so can wait at least 5 days. Hopefully she will be less bruised by then. You can use a flannel but a quick wash each day.

[CiaraOSullivan]

Thanks all she loves a bath every night. At the moment I dont think she has released she cant have this when she stats to feel a bit better! I mean I dont think she can the cast comes right up to her hip almost I dont see her having a bath for a few months! She did have a wash yesterday in hospital they did her hair and I helped to but their facilities are nothing compare to being at home. Our shower is a wet room. I am waiting for amazon to deliver leg covers to keep the cast dry. She normally sits and soaks in the bath for a good 30 minutes at night.

She really is battered and I could never image how her live could be turned upside down in an instance. She deffo has the attitude nothing will happen to me! We warned her so much about the road

[Pieceofpurplesky]

Aw poor girl - what a horrible thing. Also to the woman who was driving - and you too!

I second a wheelchair with a raised leg - even just getting in the garden for ten minutes. My mum had one when she broke her leg and it was a real help.

[SeaToSki]

Push the fluids hard. She needs liquids moving through her liver and kidneys to process all the pains meds properly. Try ice pops, juicy fruit, fizzy drinks, ice chips, anything that will get fluids into her. Lack of liquid and lots of pain meds could damage her organs

try getting her a thick memory foam mattress topper as it will disperse the pressure somewhat

its going to be hellish for the first week, then its going to suck big time for ages, buckle up and make sure you have a way to decompress as well as her

if she likes art, then when she is feeling up to it, she if she wants to draw her feelings/what happened to help process it a bit