Advice needed re; ds's broken leg

[colette]

Ds ( 14mnths)broke ( or to be precise fractured)his leg 3 weeks ago. He has coped very well with it , he had a full lenghth heavy plaster on and was actually hobbling around on it in the last 10 days or so.
Meanwhile I had been counting the days down until we could have it taken off. He missed having a bath so much he has tried to climb in with dd whimpering sadly. Also we live in a flat and carrying him up the 66 steps is hurting my back!
Yesterday when they took the plaster off and x rayed it they said the fracture was still visable but healing and if he seemed to be in any pain putting weight on it to bring him back. I was a bit gob smacked and when we got home he cried when he tried to stand . Today he can walk a bit and sometimes whimpers but seems to be improving. Does anyone know if this is usual ? I am a bit concerned as to why they thought it would heal in 3 weeks and it has not. Dh thinks I am overeacting as I was very stressed about it( also had pmt). They want to see him next week as well .. Any comments welcome , thanks

Colette, SO sorry you have had to deal with this, it's horrible isn't it?
DS had his leg in plaster at about the same age, and also coped really well when the plaster was on. What took me completely by surprise was how upset he was when it came off. he had got used to it, and had actually started to use it as a source of stability, so it confused and disorientated him for 2 or 3 days when it came off. If you are anxious, and he seems to be ion pain, I think you should have no hesitation in calling the hospital, but if he just seems 'upset' watch him, as you are doing, for improvement, and help him play games that he enjoys to regain his physical confidence.

Good luck.

colette, I broke my leg 20 months ago. I was unable to put weight on it for 3 months. When at last I was allowed to try and stand on it it took me days to actually do so. The sole of my foot just touching the floor hurt, it had become hypersensitive. It was weeks before I could put my whole weight on that foot and walk normally. I used crutches and gradually put more and more weight on it. Even now, after 20 months, I find that some evenings it hurts so much I can hardly walk.

I'm sure your son will recover fully, after all he is 14 months old and I am in my 40s and my break was very bad. But it is surprising how quickly the muscles in the leg waste away and I would definitely expect it to take at least a few days to gradually build them up again.

Thanks blu and anorak ,it is good to hear that it takes a while . Yesterday I hah to take dd straight to the dentist after and I hated leaving him , also I hardly ever drive and was getting stressed about it .
Anorak I hope your leg keeps on improving ,it must be really frustrating .

Ds2 broke his leg when he was 17 months old. His plaster was on for 5 weeks. I am surprised they took your ds's plaster off so soon. When my ds's plaster came off he had no difficulty standing on the leg but he did walk funny for a couple of days (his plaster was full length and so he took time to get round to bending his knee). Also, I have to say it took me 24 hours to even take my ds to the doctors when he first broke his leg because, although he cried on walking, it was not obvious he was in that much pain IYKWIM. What I am trying to say is that a child may not scream in agony as you might expect, but their leg could still be hurting them a lot. Ds1 broke his arm last spring VERY badly (needed an operation to repair) but he didn't cry at all after the initial fall. If I were you, and ds is still unhappy, I would take him back as they suggested.

colette, don't worry, your ds will be fine. 3 weeks is plenty long enough for a toddler's fracture to heal- it is normal for the fracture to be visible on an Xray for several weeks or even months after the bone has "knitted". It is also normal for the leg to feel a bit different for a while after the cast comes off- it doesn't mean that the fracture hasn't healed, or that it is painful, just that it feels unusual. Your ds will probably limp for a few weeks as well, even after he gets back to full speed. Quite normal.

It is routine (though not always necessary) to check up on someone a week or so after the cast has come off- it doesn't mean that they are expecting to find anything wrong. I doubt if they will Xray him.

Just let your ds get on with things at his own pace-he's already improving, he will carry on doing so.

Thanks Lonelymum and docincognito for your replies.
Docingonito thanks for the info , I was in a hurry to get dd from school and it was only afterwards that I started to worry it is great to hear that it is 2normal" to see the fracture on the x ray and that has made me feel better.

Yes a fracture can be seen for ages after it happens.Ds1 broke his leg at 13mths and had 4 full length plasters on in the space of 10 days as he kept getting them offafter the fourth plaster came off he was walking round the waiting room waiting to see the doc so the decided just to put tubigrip on his leg and let him be as he was so happy without the plaster and was walking fine.So i would say 3 weeks would see it healed as children heal SOOOOOO quickly.!!

thanks Loobie
Ds had the full lenghth heavy plaster of paris job and I am so pleased it is off

How is he today, Colette?