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Children's health

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Original poster

Broken leg - how to support ds

47 replies

prettybird · 23/02/2009 09:03

8 days skiing: not a problem. First day back at school (last Thursday) and ds (8) plays football at lunch time and breaks his leg!

He has a spiral fracture of his tibia and is in a plaster from his foot to his thigh

So far he has just been spending his time on the sofa and has only really used his crutches (wth lots of persuasion) to get to the loo and back - and last night when we went to Mum & Dad's for dinner, to get around there (from the dining table to/from the bedroom where the computer was).

He is really not confident using the crutches and demands that one of us is beside/behind him all the time. He is terrified of putting any wieght on the broken leg.

How do we help enourage him? He can't really go back to school until he is more confident on the crutches.

Fortunately the school is really supportive and will provide whatever help we need. It's all on one level as well, which will make things easier. (However, he wn't be able to go to out-of-school club as it is quite a walk away up a hill and also has lots of steps )

OP posts:

Blu · 24/02/2009 10:28

It can be very hard sourcing wheelchairs, but you may be able to borrow one via your local Red Cross. They are v expensive to hire through the commercial sites, and scarce and reserved for permanent disability within the NHS (as far as i can make out) but hopefully the physios can help with a frame...and he really should have a plaster shoe, which seem to be standard stock oin the plaster room. Or you mau be able to use a too-big sock with a non-slip sole.

Hopefully he will sowly gain confidence with putting his foot down as the soreness decreases - and also the trauma of the pain of the break.

Original poster

prettybird · 24/02/2009 10:42

We are using a "too big" sock at the moment. His fear of putting the foot down is more to do with the fact that he has been told not to weight bear on it, which he is taking literally.

Not sure if he got instruction on how to use the crtutches - I don't get the impression that he did. However, he does seem to be getting better. Porbably going back to school will be the best thing for him - as he will be keen to "keep up" with his friends. And they won't stand for any nonsense from him!

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MarmadukeScarlet · 24/02/2009 11:03

Does he not have a plaster shoe or are there hard bits on the bottom of plaster?

Most plaster casts aren't designed to weight bear without extra protection.

Have a go with the crutches yourself (set at tallest setting) and see if you can give him practical advice on the movement needed.

When I had them I used to stand on my good leg, sing them both forwards at the same time, put them on the ground and then hop forwards on my good leg and then swing/place crutches forwards again. Later on when leg better/more confident I put it down more. It was ages ago, I had to mime the crutch action to describe it!

feetheart · 24/02/2009 11:20

Fair point on the bath-time battles, you've got enough stress without adding to it!

Marmaduke - eek at 3 year old with both legs in plaster, one is definitely enough for me
DS saw a boy with one of those walkers last week and was fascinated. He's getting there with his 'forward' one but still not keen - bum-shuffling is much quicker ATM!

Original poster

prettybird · 24/02/2009 11:28

No plaster shoe or hard bits at the bottom of the plaster. Mybe we should ring the fracture clinci and ask for advice.

But at the moment, the risk of the plaster cast getting damaged is minimal as ds freaks out if it so much as brushes the floor!

Even at the tallest setting, we wouldn't be able to expriment with his crutches - they really are kiddy sized. However, he does seem to be using them in the way that you describe. it's just a case of him building confidence.

OP posts:

Original poster

prettybird · 24/02/2009 11:28

No plaster shoe or hard bits at the bottom of the plaster. Mybe we should ring the fracture clinci and ask for advice.

But at the moment, the risk of the plaster cast getting damaged is minimal as ds freaks out if it so much as brushes the floor!

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MarmadukeScarlet · 24/02/2009 11:34

feetheart my Ds was an abslotue speed freak on his, I could barely keep up! We went to Colchester zoo for the day and there are some really steep hills there, I took my belt off in the end and looped it through the back as it was hair raising!

fwiw, my DS hated the way the limbos made his legs 'floaty' his balance is poor and muscle tone low (due to SN) so bathtime was a challenge too far for us too.

Blu · 24/02/2009 11:35

I think the plaster shoe is to give a non-slip surface - the new fibre-glass type bandage casts are SO slippery on the floor.

Does you GP surgery have a physio attached?

feetheart · 24/02/2009 12:06

I can understand not liking the floaty feeling with the Limbo, especially with both legs. I used to be a diver (in another life) and remember very clearly my earliest experiences in a dry suit. If you weren't careful the air could cause your legs to float upwards and I felt very out of control. Will need to keep a close rein on DS in the pool on Saturday.

DS is scary enough on his scooter, luckily there are no wheels on his frame!!

Original poster

prettybird · 24/02/2009 12:07

No it doesn't. There are drop in physio clincis in various places in the city: I could ring the surgery and get details though.

OP posts:

feetheart · 24/02/2009 12:08

Just to lower the tone a little - DS's cast is trashing our toilet seat, it's so hard it's filing away the wooden seat Just something else to be aware of!

BennyAndSwoon · 24/02/2009 12:18

Prettybird - my DS has been in plaster a few times (talipes or club foot) and once they get over the initial lack of confidence it really is quite frightening how quick they can go.

We weren't allowed to leave the hospital without a session with the phisios to check he was OK, check the crutches were the right height, (they even checked him going up and down stairs!) so it would be worth asking if he can see them.

If he is not meant to weight-bear then that may be why then haven't given him a shoe. That did mean that he pretty much broke his plaster once we were over the first couple of weeks and he was allowed to put it down.

Good luck!

(oh and I second getting some mates round - they will all want a go with the crutches, and will encourage him to give it more of a go)

Original poster

prettybird · 24/02/2009 12:32

Our toilet seat is trashed anyway! We need to get a new bathroom - but I need to be confirmed in a job first (currently I am due to be made redundant on 31 March - albeit with a healthy payout)

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controlfreakythecontrolfreak · 24/02/2009 12:41

poor ds. it's v early days though and he will still be in considerable pain i would have thought. my ds2 had the same break when he was 5. the first week was v v hard for him..... before long though he was whizzing around.

Original poster

prettybird · 24/02/2009 12:50

Thank's for the warning controlfreak. Ds is already skinny slim, so go know what his leg will look like after a few weeks in plaster.

However, he'll never manage to be totally lily white as he has dh's olive skin. Await with interest the hairiness!

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MarmadukeScarlet · 24/02/2009 13:17

Oh, and the wizened, hairy, scaly limb will be aromatic.

DD's plasters were changed weekly (snap Beenyandswoon, same reason) and wow they wiffed! I used to take soap and a towel and give them a quick wash between changes, goodness knows what they would have been like after so many weeks!

Original poster

prettybird · 24/02/2009 13:26

Lovely

And ds was already well over due a bath, not having had one the last couple of days skiing (dh is not very good at supportung me in pressing the issue..."he's on holiday") and then driving back up from France over a couple of days.

He was supposed to have one when he got home, the night before he started back at school. I can disclaim all responsibility as I had been dropped off in Reading on the way north, so actually didn't get home until two days later anyway.

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BennyAndSwoon · 24/02/2009 13:34

Oh god yes the smell (think of sweaty feet that aren't cleaned for weeks mixed with parmesan - sorry)

His last plaster was on for (I think) 8-10 weeks. When they took it off it was

stinky
pale and VERY hairy and scaly
v v sensitive
Had lots of strange bits of stuff attached to it (blades of grass, little bits of feather and unidentifiable things )

Original poster

prettybird · 24/02/2009 14:06

(and I don't mean envy! )

Less than a week in and it is still looking nice an clean!

I will stick my head in the sand and tell myself that ds has always been a very clean kid (excpet when paying rugby and/or football, both of which are out of bounds for the moment) so he won't be tooooo bad

And anyway, it'll be dh taking him to the hosptial appointmenet!

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feetheart · 24/02/2009 17:09

Oh yuck at smelly, scaly hairy leg - surely a 3 yr old won't be that hairy (clutches at straws and tries to ignore smells!)
Good tip about flannel and soap for the cast change though, thanks.

I just know DS's will be stuffed full of all sorts of everything, he IS that kind of child

BennyAndSwoon · 24/02/2009 22:36

3 year old will be hairy (dependent on time in cast)

Be careful with washing plans for cast changes though - when he had his 6 week change they said "DON'T TOUCH" because it would wake up the nerve endings and it was better to "let it lie" as a new cast was going on. And touching them straight away could be quite sensitive.

Original poster

prettybird · 03/03/2009 16:07

Update: ds is now proficient with his crutches and started back at school yesterday (would have been Friday but that was a day where the class does a lot of moving around the school). He seems comfortable enough. There is a rota of volunteers to keep him company at playtime and dh is collecting him at lunchtime for a "home lunch".

Dh is not keen on teaching ds to go up and down the stairs on his bum - so he is continuing to lift him upstairs.

Only 2 and a hlaf weeks to go!

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