ds (8yrs) broken arm - is plaster cast really awful? Any tips???

[BBBee]

Hi

DS has broken his arm.

Has temporary plaster on and is already a bit moany and tearful about it (not like him at all) says it is achy and itchy and he hates it. We are due to go back tomorrow for a permanant plaster - will this be easier for him to tolerate?

Any tips on cheering him up without dd getting too jealous?

Thanks all!

dont forget he is going to have pain and discomfort in these early days and until that has settled he will feel very sorry for himself.

he will get used to the cast and im not sure that they use plaster nowadays, think they use like a fibre glass type stuff which is light and breathable.
poor little chick...give him cuddles and kisses lots and lots.

The new, lighter cast will be much better. Ds 1 broke his wrist at about this age, and he got used to it very quickly. He can have a bath if you put a plastic bag over the cast with an elastic band round the top and he holds it up on the side of the bath (IYSWIM). Shower isn't a good idea.

All his friends will sign his cast and he will be very popular, and will be assigned a helper at school.

He will need painkillers as it will be sore for a while.

AWWWWWWwwwwwwwww poor littleBee! Hopefully he will get a 'cool' cast. I'm sure he just needs to get used to it.

Ds2 (7) broke his arm at school last year and he was given a blue pot so I drew a tardis on it which he loved He got lots of attention from everyone including ds1. I can't even remember him complaining?

Oh his teacher said he was putting it on when he said his arm hurt and I took one look and told her it looked broken. Never did get an apology from her. It was broken in 2 places.

Get a chopstick or similar for scratching under the cast when it gets itchy. I had a broken arm in the middle of a heat wave several years ago and it was miserable (this was with a plaster cast, though nit a fibreglass one).

DO NOT PUT ANYTHING DOWN INSIDE A CAST TO SCRATCH WITH.

The tiniest nick of the skin can cause a lovely infecion to start (perfect environment for bacteria to lurk...lovely and dark and moist).

P&L, just to explain my shouting, when I worked in one hospital in Oz the physio's had to apply the casts . We ALWAYS said "do not put anything down inside the cast to scratch with etc etc" and gave reasons why not.

Well there would always be a few bright sparks who would ignose the advice and set to with knitting needles and the like. They would over do it, they would nick the skin.....and then they would have to start treatment for cellulitis as well as having a new cast put on.

Bbeee
so so sorry about your ds

we've had two broken arms, same child, it is tough for them but they get used to it ..nothing practical but loads and loads of attention from family and especially friends helps a lot with the getting used to

the pain goes and it's the inconvenience more than that.. where is it broken ?

Sorry about your Ds BBBee

DD had a whole leg cast over Christmas last year. the temporary one was miserable - heavy, painful (she was dosed up on painkillers and still woke up every couple of hours during the night) The fibreglass one was fantastic, far more comfortable, pretty much pain free and she figured out how to walk on it within 2 hours. Once she got the hang of it we didn't really have to do anything different. Obviously we couldn't go off for long walks, but she soon worked out how to adapt most of the things she did normally.

Oh no Bee hope he feels more cheerful soon.

DD3 (20 months) currently has a purple fibreglass cast - very light, she can walk on it. They had loads of colours to choose from. Sleeping much better once she had this one rather than the temp one. We also have a 'Limbo' waterproof cover, allows her to bath, paddle etc. They offer an overnight service and in my view are pretty good value (ours was £12) if it allows her life to be more 'normal'. Main problem now is her standing on her sisters' toes !

thank you so much everyone - this has been brilliant.

I even showed the thread to ds and he read it all. He pronounced you 'very kind' but mostly he is delighted that the next one will be more comfortable.

xx

thank you - I cannot tell you what a relief all your stories have been.

MMJ - have ordered waterproof thing - looks good and one of his was about the shower.

I appreciate you taking the time to input.

xx