Our Spica Cast Experience

September 2008

I check my blog stats now and then, and in doing so - I can't help but notice that I get a substantial amount of hits from those people who are googling the words, spica cast.

I remember how our experience turned our lives upside down for a bit, and how we learned more thru our internet searches and from those who've gone thru it themselves, then we did from the doctors or the hospitals.  So, in hopes of making things that much easier for someone else - I'm consolidating all of my spica cast posts onto this one page.  If anyone has any questions - please feel free to email me at [email protected].  Hang in there.

Our journey began in March of 2008. Our just turned three year old had been jumping off the back of the couch and onto his sister when we heard the snap. Here are the ongoing posts that followed:

The day of - the break
In the hospital - presurgery and feeling guilt
Post surgery - Brian still sleeping
hospital stay extended
home again and a parody of mishaps
The first night (nightmares/pain/after haps of the anesthesia)
Easter

also - just wanted to insert, as the photo in that last post shows - we let him do a lot on his mattress.  We found that simply laying a towel down as a mat, or a large cookie sheet when playing with play-doh, markers or coloring, gave him lots of freedom to play and be a part of things. 

Also - something I wish I had done right from the get go, and what I recommend for those going thru this with someone in diapers (this tip came from my friend, Lisa) every time you change - get as high up into and down into that cast as you possibly can with those wipes - and use a blow dryer (set on cool or warm) at least once a day to keep things fresh and dry.  I also used a lot of baking soda.

The nights suck
Random thoughts and a photo of his cast
A custom made chair 
Getting out (wheelchair) 
adjusting - learning to move/crawl 
Our frustrating hospital stay and the start of a rash 
A funny in the middle of it all 
Drying out the cast

Also - another note here, it was at this time I realized that a tub would be impossible, so I lay him on the floor and gave him a buzz cut.  He's a boy, and three, so this was ideal.  I had given him the choice of being held over the sink to get his hair washed, or getting the buzz.  Washcloth scrubs were so much easier

Just a photo - his favorite sleeping position
Surgery follow-up visit
Our $250 seat belt
His fort
Another shot of his fort

For us, we needed this fort as the picture plainly shows.  We have a smaller home, and we had a 15 month old.  By creating the fort, he had his own space but was still a part of our family and could see everything we were doing.  By flipping the small couch to face into the fort - one of us could sit there with him, hold him, read to him and be with him.  It wasn't until the sixth week that the baby learned how to get over the fence and we took it down. 

It was sometime during the third week that Brian began regularly pulling himself up on the fence, the window sill, the couch.

He also slept here, on his mattress.  His nights were often uncomfortable, and it seemed routine to do a little adjusting or to hold him for awhile at 3am. One of us slept on the other couch so as to hear him.

The book shelves in front of him were loaded with the gifts that he received in the mail, his changing supplies, his sippy cup and all those things that made his daily living easier.

Hospital bills and debt-proof living
the wheelchair
becoming more needy
and during this time, we all had strep
his plans to jump again (plus standing w/ cast photo)
window delivery
ballet moves and cast removal day
Removal
cast off

Recovery took a little bit longer than I had expected, but we let him just take it at his own speed....

Two days post removal - still crawling, but so happy
Ten days after - his first unassisted steps

Some of the things we had done to help aid his recovery - got him a tricycle (it was about time, anyway) and brought him to the local pool to work those legs. Lots of tubs. Let him go at his own pace.

Post removal follow-up appointment
Therapy

After several weeks - I was noticing that he was still limping, and I was eager to get him into therapy.  We went for four weeks/once a week - and it was all he needed to get him back on track.  He completed his last theraphy session the very end of July and now, the beginning of September, you would never know he broke his femur.

Therapy involved a lot of steps, a lot of ball kicking, crouching and picking things up, rocking on planks and see-saws, balancing, and running.  He loved it and will sometimes ask to go see those ball playing doctors again.

To end - I'll share another great resource.  I remember bumping into this blog when Brian was still in his cast, and feeling a sort of companionship on our trial in that someone else was going thru the same thing at almost the same time. In looking for her blog to link to this morning, I see that she, like I did, created a consolidation page - she also links to several other blogs that shared the same experience.  Again - I hope that this makes the journey just that much easier for somebody else.

Edited to add:  I've started an FAQ post, because while I try to answer every email, I'm not always available right away, and then I feel badly.   I'll add to this post as I remember more frequently asked questions:   FAQ Post

 

 

Comments

[tania]

you, my dear, are such a lovely soul. i'm sure that those searching for answers and panicing in the midst of their own child experiencing this---they will surely get a blessing from this consolidation.

[barbara]

Sharyn, I have been meaning to write you a note all week. Like you, my regular blog was a bit about this 'n that before our son broke his leg.

That pretty much took over my life during that time though, so all my posts ended up being about the same thing.

Finally, the day his cast was coming off and I was taking pictures (I'm a Canon girl...just for the fun of it though...XSi most recently) and happened to mention to the doctor about my blog.

One thing led to another, and like you, I realized I had a gazillion hits to my blog searching on info about spica casts. I did do a page to summarize the posts in one place. Then I did one other thing.

I set up a separate blog (a free one at WordPress) for all the posts. That's the one I have referenced above - http://spicacast.wordpress.com/ .

That really made it easy for people to find the posts specific to what they were looking for. It's really nothing more than a copy/paste from my regular blog, but it has a definite start and finish to it and it pretty specific to either the broken leg/spica cast, or how it impacted our lives as a family during that time.

[Rick]

We would like to introduce to you the CastCooler, our new, patented orthopedic product technology which promises to substantially improve the spica cast wearing experience. The CastCooler is used by mom or dad at home to remove moisture from the cast lining without touching the patient. The CastCooler provides much need relief from odor, itch and heat by immediately freshening the cast, providing instant relief. This is especially welcome for spica cast patients. Here's one dad's report:

I recently purchased your Cast Cooler for my 3 year old son Jack, who is in a Spica cast. I am here to tell you that your product absolutely works and has made a very difficult situation much more manageable. I have attached a couple of photos of Jack using his beloved Cast Cooler and his 2 "assistants" (twin sister and older sister) helping him. Jack still has a long road ahead of him until he gets his cast off, but with the benefits of the Cast Cooler, the next 3 weeks will be a snap!

In fact, this father also reports that he has used the CastCooler to remove urine from the cast lining and to immediately dry the lining from accidental wetting.

Please feel free to provide your patients the link to our website www.castcooler.

Sincerely,
Rick Dunagan-Owner
888-422-7882
www.castcooler.com

[Jenny]

after the removal of the cast did your son have 1 leg longer than othe other? My son just got his cast off MOnday and his leg is VERY noticiably longer than the other. I am scared.

[Luann E.]

Thank you so much for posting these. I can't tell you what a relief it's been to read about your ordeal. Our 3-yr old son was in an accident at his daycare center in May 2010, broke his left femur when another child fell on him, and has been in a spica cast for (almost) 5 weeks. We're due for cast removal in two days and, despite countless internet searches, this is the first time I've stumbled on the little gem you have left for us here. I no longer feel like our situation is unique because our son had horrible nightmares. I no longer feel like a bad mother because, despite a box of baking soda, a hair dryer, and frequent sponge baths, my blonde-headed little man is the cruddiest kid on the block right now. Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making us no longer feel alone.