Spica Cast Must Knows

This post is for all you googling parents out there who just found out your kid has to wear one of these contraptions for a few weeks. Chris started googling in the ER the second we found out and a lot of the stuff eased our worries and prepared us for our future weeks. I thought I would add a simple post to my blog in case it happens to come up in a search. There are a few things we have found out along the way that may help some of you concerned mamas and papas. There is so much back and forth and who did whats, that I hope this helps.

The first couple of days~

• If you are crafty or know someone who is, administer help for you will need a trip to Walmart and a sewing machine. Buy a pack of brief underwear and some cheap basketball type shorts. My son is four and I bought a boys size medium, I believe a 10-12. Cut the crotch, sew some velcro in. Cut down the outside side of the shorts, sew velcro and you are set. We put the boy (scratchy) side out, away from the body. The last thing you need is more complaints about discomfort.
• Second, if you are in the hospital right now remember to take the pillows. They will just throw them out and they are great for propping. This should have been first!
• The first number two is a little intimidating. At least it was for Jack. His break was high, pretty much a hip fracture, so I think it was still a tad sore. Prepare to talk them through it. You can poop! You can do it!
• And lastly, sleep. I feel we were lucky that we only had about three nights where he was up a few times. By day five or so, he was back to sleeping through the night.

Tidbits for the weeks to come~

• Think of the little things. For instance, we didn't put a towel down on the toilet when he went. I didn't want him to slide! It is scratched from hell to breakfast. Good thing we were already planning on getting a new one. I would use the grip drawer inserts or something soft that won't slip. He also scratched up the sideboards on his bed. Bubble wrap and duck tape!
• Always make sure to have them go to the bathroom before bed. Even if they just did it before you bathed them.
• Changing the moleskin was difficult for some reason with Jack. He was terrified. I don't know if the skin is sensitive or just the fact that he couldn't control the situation. I tried to get my hand underneath the cast first, then slip the moleskin in. It's hard in some areas, so anticipate that. Oh, and duct taping the moleskin on the back (and other areas too!) works great.
• Libraries and dollar stores are awesome and cheap places to find new forms of entertainment.
• Bathing S-U-C-Ks. Anything to help that process go fast and more comfortable the better. Above all else Jack counted down how many more baths he had.We propped him over the edge of the tub with a footstool, pillows and beach towels. My dad attached a handle shower for the tub so it can reach the edge where we bathed him.
• Network. Use Facebook or texting and ask for help. We have a little chair and table Jack used, but a bean bag or a banana chair would have been awesome too. Luckily we had people constantly asking and suggesting ideas to help. Ask your neighbors if they have a LeapFrog or any games they aren't currently using. We toy swap with our neighbors regularly, but we did a few more puzzle swaps than normal. And they lent us their wagon so I could walk with both kids in the mornings. You are running around the house a lot, so don't be afraid to find things (especially that first week when they pretty much lay) that they can do themselves. Like your doc says, soon they will be more interested in things, crawl, and maybe eventually walk. Jack did that last week. He was swinging on the glider and we even maneuvered him to do the slide!

Getting the cast off~

This was much easier than anticipated. The doc had warned us that these types of casts are very different to remove than say, one on the wrist or foot. Being in pretty much a body cast for weeks leaves your little one with a strange sense of protection. Getting it off is very intimidating, like a piece of them is now gone.

My hubby showed Jack a few videos on removal of the cast. I was iffy about it, but Jack is the kind that responds better to new things when he has been VERY prepared. He checked out the cast saw and the fact that it looks like a shop vac helped. The scariest part for him was the nutcracker they use to crack open the cast after they saw it. Once she let him hold it and see that it looked like one of dad's wrenches he felt more at ease.

We made it through without any tears. He totally wanted too when she was cracking his shell, but he was strong and actually thought it was pretty cool. This process has been a small blessing in the fact that it helped our timid boy be stronger than he ever imagined. It gave him a boost that Chris and I have noticed more now than ever.

Life after the cast~

We are two weeks out at this point. We were amazed first off that he wanted to go to Target and get a new Cars 2 car immediately after getting his cast off. Then we were shocked that he came home and played with his new cars on his city rug for 5 HOURS. All the while rolling around, bending and scooting across the floor.

Jack started walking about three days after removal. Not for long distances, but enough to get to the bathroom. I think with him being four, the clean break, and short five week cast helped in this. We were told it could be a week or two. He walked like a total cowboy straight off a ten hour ride. One foot forward and his left foot at a complete 90 degree angle.

It was serendipitous that we had swim lessons scheduled for the week after the removal. No matter the time of year I would check around to see if any rec centers are offering swim lessons. I believe they helped Jack recover much faster than he would have otherwise. We also camped a week and a half after and going up and over rocks and logs helped with his balance.

Today I am applying lotion like I did two months ago, not throwing back Tums every time he wrestles with his sister, and actually forgetting that he just broke his leg whenever he climbs on his bike. (Which he just started doing the other day). He still has a little limp, but for the most part the spica is a distant memory, and it will be for you too. Hopefully faster than you think!