For all of my regular readers, you may want to just pass on this post. I’m diverting from my usual attempts at wit and humor to give a shout out to any other parents who might be madly tearing up Google in search of any insight on how to best handle a toddler in a hip spica cast. That first awful night, when my husband was in the ER and I was home with our newborn, I found enormous comfort and some really great tips from parents who also had wee ones in hip spica casts. So I just wanted to share our experience in case it could in any way be a help to others. Here is what we have learned:
1. Bean bag chairs are truly your best friends. Get them, borrow them, use them. We found them to be helpful in an array of sizes for different purposes (stacking them so we could position him in different ways, etc.), but it was really helpful to have the very large Lovesac I had bought off Craig’s List last year. This has been our central hub for TV watching, eating, etc. It was also nice that it is ours, so I’m not paranoid that we’ll ruin someone’s chair if he spills his juice 🙂
2. The bigger, the better…We can still pull size 2T shirts over his cast, and I thought I would be able to get away with 4T pants, but this size is even tough. We have had a lot better luck with size 5 and 6. The problem isn’t so much the pant legs fitting around the cast legs, but the waist band being able to stretch over the weird spread of the cast. My son’s break is high on his femur too, so his cast is actually way straighter than most kids in this situation. Since most of the pairs are too long, we just roll them up. Obviously, if it’s summer, I would go with shorts all around. It will probably be easier–and cooler! Some kids may be fine without pants, but it’s cool here in PA and my son seemed bothered by having his diaper hanging out…
3. As far as footwear…Some kids might not care, but my son is very weird about wearing socks (he gets it from his neurotic mother, of course), so I just hit the $1 aisle at Target and got cheap socks that wouldn’t matter if they got all stretched out. Since it was pre-Christmas season when his break happened, let’s just say my son was rocking out Santa socks very early this year (much to the chagrin of his father, who is VERY opposed to Christmas before Thanksgiving). One other note here: even though my son can’t walk, he seems to find it very important to put on his left shoe (the cast covers the right foot) whenever we go outside, so we do. Routine is so important to toddlers, and since it will be totally rocked in these weeks, anything you can do to promote consistency is a plus.
4. Battling the pain…At first we tried to be all purest about this and only gave Tylenol to our son when he seemed especial cranky or in pain. Then I had a chat with our pediatrician and got a little more realistic…we started dosing on a pretty regular schedule. Has this helped? Maybe he’s a little less cranky and maybe he sleeps a little better, but in this situation, you gotta cling to the “maybes” that are positive. We forewent the prescribed Tylenol with codeine b/c this has always made me very sick to my stomach and bought a six pack of generic children’s acetaminophen on www.walmart.com.
5. Diapering, diapering, diapering. In short, good luck. It’s a mess. The good news is, if you haven’t yet potty trained, this is the one time you can give yourself a pat on the back, b/c all that hard work would now go to waste (unless your child would be male and old enough or smart enough to figure out how to use one of those handheld urinals). See my previous post on this topic (A Sanitary Situation), but after 4 weeks of this, this we have developed this method as our best shot at preventing leak-throughs (you will still have them no matter what you do and this does NOT make you a bad parent): We put a size 1 with two sanitary napkins stuck horizontally across the inside top back of the diaper. You cover the whole thing up with a size 4 or 5 (obviously these sizes might be different, dependent on your child’s age/size. At night we use one of my daughter’s size 3 overnites in place of the size 1 and put it on backwards as since he primarily lies flat on his back, most of the urine collects in the back of his diaper. As I said, even with all these techniques in place, he most surely still leaks through at least once a day. We started putting a waterproof crib pad underneath him when he sleeps at night, so we aren’t changing his sheets every morning. We do try to change him frequently during the day and at least once during the night, but keeping urine from leaking out of this cast is a beast! As far as poop, good luck. Constipation is a battle b/c your child is not moving and (especially at first with us), will often eat very little. However, we have learned those hard occasional poops are far preferrable to their runny counterparts. Without getting into graphic details, let’s just say secondary to bean bags chair, wipes are your other new best friend…
6. Bathtime–not so fun any more. I think your particular technique will just depend on your particular child and his/her particular cast. For us, my husband holds his top half over the tub and I use a cup to wet his hair, I soap it up and then rinse it with the cup. I then soap up his top half and “rinse” it off with a wet washcloth. We then wrap a towel around his head/top half, and my husband sits down and holds my son’s top half in his lap. I hold his feet in my lap, creating a bridge of sorts, take off his diaper and repeat the soaping/rinsing on his bottom half. I then pull my son up so he is vertically standing in my lap while my husband stands and then takes him from me. Excuse any tedious detail, but it took us a while to figure this one out, and it works pretty well for us.
7. Eating is mess. Some children have more of a seat created in their casts, so they may actually be able to sit up better, but as I said, our son’s cast is very straight, so he largely eats laying down. We have occasionally propped him on our knee and tried to eat with him at the table this way. But in general, he is horizontal, and crumbs get everywhere–in and on his cast, on the couch, in his clothes, on the floor…THIS IS WHY YOU NEED A DUSTBUSTER (see previous post, Eureka!). We tried to do the first week without one, and it was just a no-go. Even my very money-conscious husband agreed, and crumbs have met their match. We also had some luck with those new fruit in veggie purees that come in the pouches with the spout. They are a little harder to spill and you get some of that fiber thrown in. My friend J did blessedly buy us one of those plastic activity desks, which we are able to get over his lap area some when he is propped up on pillows and he has used this sometimes for eating and playing with toys. This brings me to my next point…
8. Adaptive devices. The hospital should provide you with either an adaptive car seat if your child is able to sit, or as in our case, a harness device so he can ride secured lying down across the seat of our van. Do not get yourself into a frenzied panic pricing out adaptive car seats online and thinking you will have to purchase one at $1200 (not that this Mom of the Year would ever have done that…). While the harness keeps him safe, van rides are not a fun part of his cast situation, but our treks to the hospital for follow-up appointments have been greatly helped by the car DVD player my MIL lent us. Other things that have been very helpful have been sippy cups with bendy straws and the now-famous Gyrobowl. Both of these gadgets help with the whole needing-to-eat-lying-down scenario. We also got one of those breakfast-in-bed trays and lay him on his stomach on a footrest and set up the tray in front of him so he can play on his stomach.
9. Getting around. We are now 4 weeks in and he has only figured out how to crawl in the past few days. Sometimes he army crawls on his stomach and sometimes he scootches himself on his back using his arms to pull and his left leg to push (the cast only goes down to his knee on his leg). He also also figured out how to roll over. This does seem to have helped improve his mood somewhat. Which makes sense–he now has a little more control over his situation and has been able to spend more time down on the floor playing with toys. A friend also lent us some physical therapy scooters that he has been able to lie on and pull himself around the house on (see The Party House), which has been awesome.
10. Welcome to newborn sleeplessness…one of the best ways I can describe this is that it is like having the complete helplessness and sleeplessness of a newborn with the behaviors and demands of a toddler rolled into one child. The doctor says it’s possible the sleep problems are due to his leg spasming (almost like restless leg syndrome), but in any case, sleep is bad. And unlike the cries of a newborn, his cries are loud. And keeps the whole house up…and when a toddler doesn’t sleep…let’s just say I was unaware until a few weeks ago that it was literally possible to throw a 24 hr. temper tantrum. We have had some luck trying to position him on his side by propping him with pillows. We also committed a parenting sin and have allowed him to sleep with his sippy cup (of water, not juice) b/c it seems to give him great comfort.
11. Crime and punishment. One of the hardest things for us has been addressing his behaviors. They are generally truly atrocious. But how much of this is because the poor kid is immobilized in a ginormous cast and how much of this is because of bratty 2 year-old personality?? And how do you do a time out with someone that can’t move? We have basically settled on verbally reprimanding him and then if he doesn’t listen (i.e. throws his bowl a second time), he gets carried upstairs to his room until he can calm down. I’ll be honest, this has only worked marginally well at best. We are going to have our “regrouping” work cut out for us when this thing comes off…
12. What to do?? The first 3 weeks or so, it was A LOT of TV. The kid was in pain, he was super-cranky and we had to be extra-cautious about him moving around at first while the bone initially set, so it worked for us. Not brilliant parenting by any means, but…we also had a lot of friends lend us toys. I keep all these new toys in a crate and make a big deal of getting them out as “special toys”, which he thinks is pretty cool. The Indoor Sandbox was a fantastic idea, and we use lots and lots of stickers…I am also a big fan of getting outside daily. We lay him down in a wagon (supported by my repurposed U-shape pregnancy pillow–see pic at bottom of Threshold of Hell-ing It) and try to do a walk everyday. When I go it alone, I put the baby in the baby carrier and pull him in the wagon. My son also thinks checking the mail is very cool, so we walk out to the mailbox about 16 times a day. I also try to make a big deal of carrying him out to the driveway to greet people when they come to visit and to walk out with them to wave good-bye when they leave. Even just changing rooms with him in the house is helpful to break things up. When I go up to get dressed for the day, I lie him on the middle of our bed and that’s usually when he has his “iphone time” (see Free Skeeball!).
13. Safety issues. Showering is a mess b/c I don’t feel comfortable getting in the shower, and leaving my son and newborn unattended unless there is another adult in the house. You aren’t supposed to leave kids in hip spica casts unattended in case they roll off of something or fall (esp. at first), but you do have to be realistic. If he seems secure and peacefully engaged with a toy or TV on the couch, I will wash my dishes in the kitchen. He also eventually figured out how to lower himself to the ground from his bean bag chair and he does it slowly enough that I’m comfortable with it. We took away all of his bed except for the mattress so he is very low to the floor. This would be an instance where not having converted your child out of the crib would be advantageous…
14. Oh the cost of things…It’s a mess. The diapers, the wipes, the copays, the medicine, bigger pants and socks, bean bags chairs, special cups and bowls, trays, even the cost of gas to trek down to the hospital…and praise God that I am a SAHM at this point in our lives b/c I’m not sure how it would work to take him to daycare right now and that would be a major FMLA hit. The only thing I can say here is, let people help you–they want to and you will need it. Borrow toys, pants, chairs, etc. so you don’t have to buy it. If people want to bring you a meal, let them. Going out to the grocery store is next to impossible–you obviously can’t take your child out during the day and put him in a grocery cart, and we have found that all hell breaks loose around bedtime here and afterwards, you are so drained from lack of sleep, you want to go to bed yourself, not be looping the aisles at Giant. Also, children in this situation are VERY demanding and needy and if you have other kids…cooking will not be high on your list.
So bottom line, this sucks. Rumor has it that it does end, and I’m a believer, but even though it’s rough you’re not alone! Other parents have gone through this and survived, and I’m told we’ll look back on this time and maybe even laugh about how crazy it was?? In my particular case, taking care of 2 children will seem like a breeze after we are on the other side–maybe then I can actually live up to being a Mom of the Year a little more 🙂
Addendum (added 1/5/12): Should have posted this sooner, but wanted to add this before I totally forgot about it: PRE-DOSE YOUR CHILD WITH TYLENOL PRIOR TO CAST-OFF APPOINTMENT AND TAKE IT ALONG WITH YOU TO YOUR APPOINTMENT!!! I so, so wish someone had told me this. Picture it: my husband and I, all giddy, happy and excited to see our little boy restored to his cast-less state after 6 weeks (actually, one day short of on-the-nose 6 wks.) and as soon as it’s removed, he starts screaming! And didn’t stop for a few days. The pain of moving his little joints after not being able to for so long was apparently excruciating, plus his muscles were just so, so atrophied and sore. It took him 65 days to take independent steps and we’re not fully there with the walking (4 weeks post-cast), but truly, it DOES get better every day–e-mail me: meredithspidel@hotmail.com or post a comment in the meantime for support. Hang in there!!
Latest posts by Meredith (see all)
- Here One Moment Book Club Discussion - November 8, 2024
- Create Fun Halloween Decor with a Decoupage Pumpkin Craft! - October 21, 2024
- Slow Dance Book Club Discussion - September 13, 2024
Jill fisher says
Thank you so much for your blog. It released some of my anxiety after first googling “spica cast” .You are to be commended for helping others. Again I appreciated your time & effort.
Meredith says
Aw, Jill. Thanks for the encouragement and I hope everything is working out okay for you!
Candace says
So we’re week two of six in with the spica cast. My son broke his left femur bone. He turns 5 in a few weeks. He keeps having blowouts in the cast, the lining is falling apart and some of the padding is tearing away each time this happens. I’m scared they’ll have to recast him, which means the OR and anesthesia again. This has been the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with. I also have a 6 month old daughter. This blog has helped tremendously. The next four weeks are going to be so long. 🙁
Meredith says
Candace, I am so genuinely sorry you are in these shoes, and I am so glad this post helped you a bit. I have been there, with the baby daughter too, and somehow I survived, and I know you will too. I promise. Hang in there, mama–you are stronger than you know. xo
Sidney Buongiono says
My little girl Harper had hip dasplshia this article was very useful so thank you
Meredith says
I’m so sorry Harper is dealing with this! Prayers she can get through as smoothly as possible <3
Jamie Saphow says
THANK YOU! The tip about giving him some OTC pain meds before the removal will be great.
Your situation sounds like mine. My newborn was two weeks old when my son fell and had a spiral fracture to his femur. Now he’s in a spica (to the armpits) for 6 weeks, we’re half way through.
I know it’s been a while, but any tips for keeping him calm during the removal?? My son is terrified of loud noises and doctors…..and b/c he’s so young they can’t give him anything as a sedative. He even cries during the xrays and when the doctor just comes in the room.
Meredith says
Oh Jamie, I’m sorry! I know this won’t be fun for you or him. Sorry nothing more solid to suggest than staying focused on the end goal–and maybe take an iPad and his favorite toy/lovey in with you. I know they had to “prep” him a bit and then we had to wait a bit until they actually cut it off, so anything to help distract and comfort will help a little. Praying for you and congrats on getting through so much of this ordeal already!
Heather Mills says
First off, thank you so much for your helpful information! My 26 month old just got a serious spiral femur fracture on August 2nd while simply playing in a bouncy house. After a quick run to the local ER and being transferred to a children’s hospital where we were admitted, I felt frantic. But it wasn’t until after he came out of surgery on Sunday afternoon and I saw a bright blue SPICA cast from chest to tip of toes with a bar between ankles that I really freaked. Then the Dr told us it would be on for at least 8 weeks 🙁 We are now almost one week into it and my little one is being a real trooper. One of his favorite things is an auto mechanics creeper that we pad with pillows and let him use his arms to get around the house (we have hard wood floors). It gives him great independence and allows us to get a moment of sanity! The bean bags of multiple sizes are a blessing as well and a wide stroller that we can recline with pillows to pad! I’m hoping that the next 7 weeks scurry by but until then … we survive and make the best of it! Again thanks so much!
~ Heather
Meredith says
Heather, I’m so sorry! What a mess, I know and so hard. The creeper is a brilliant idea, and you will keep thinking of more tricks to get you through. Prayers in the meantime and YOU CAN DO THIS!
Dawn M. says
Our daughter ( 2.5 ) broke her femur last week. So, we are still trying to figure it all out. We were looking around for info and tips so thank you so much for this Blog! I saw the question about keeping them calm during removal. Our hospital had an amazing women on staff and it was her job to distract. They had to “fix” a mistake to our daughter’s cast with the saw. They put huge sound proof ear phones/ muffs on her and we held up a towel so she couldn’t see and they played a game blowing bubbles and she had to pop them and they also had a bubble popping game on an iPad. These measures really helped what could have been a traumatic situation. GOOD LUCK AND PRAYERS TOO ALL !
Meredith says
Oh my goodness! The “fix” sounds so traumatic, but you handled it so well with the bubbles. Keep hanging in–I know it’s so rough. And yes, prayers, so many prayers, Dawn!
sabina says
thank you soooo much ,whole Google didn,t provide that much advices as your post did I am writting after I,ve just calmed my 2 year old screaming at night.. he is eight days wearing spica cast , 5 more weeks to go… if you have experience can yo tell me if me moving him and carrying around the house is causing him bone pain? can I happen, that I can cause bone movement by accident or spica cast is usually tough enough? Nowhere I can find an answer if I can move him around or he should just lie down calm on his back? how long after bone placements it can cause pain?
Meredith says
Sabina, so sorry, b/c I know this is such a tough time! From what I understand, the cast should protect from the bone moving, but I know my son was in significant pain for about 2 weeks. I would carry him from room to room, but he largely didn’t move around much on his own b/c I think he felt so slugglish and was in so much pain. Talk to your doctor, but I know it was a really painful thing for us. Praying for you, Sabina!
Anonymous says
Is it true? Will my baby get back to normal eventually?
Meredith says
Yes! Hang in there. It took us A LONG time, but we did once again land on our feet. So hard, I know, but really, it will be okay!
Jennifer masseyqq says
We are too experiencing the pain of a hip spica cast. It sure is tough on the parents and child. Our little boy (4) had his broken at daycare/pre-k. Ya, a spiral fracture. 🙁
Week 1 of 6 down and trying to figure out the eating challenge and the school work challenge. Too many emotions of having to send him back there.
Meredith says
Oh Jennifer, what a mess. I am so sorry and know this is so hard–emotionally and otherwise. You are strong and hanging in there! Go you for acing week one and praying you can keep sorting stuff out…
Mandie says
Another thank you for your story….I think the fact that so many of us keep finding it even after all this time says something about the amount of useful information that is out there!! I sent you an email as I’m struggling to find answers about what to expect after. I’ll post here too in case someone else can possibly help me. We are a week post cast (was on for 4 weeks after breaking his femur on his 2nd birthday…yay…happy birthday little man!) He is doing well, crawling, bum scooting, kneeling pulling up on the couch etc, but he will not put his foot flat. I don’t just mean won’t put weight on it, but he will only let his tip toes touch the floor. Is this normal in your experiences? I just want to make sure that it is and that there isn’t something else wrong that was missed.
Thanks so much everyone and good luck to us all!!
Meredith says
Mandie, we did chat over e-mail, but I am just copying my response in case it is helpful to others. Happy birthday indeed to your little guy! 😉
“I think that’s awesome that he is already moving around so much! My son didn’t do this for at least a month! My major regret is that I didn’t immediately pursue PT. Our doctor told us he wouldn’t need it and I listened–I should not have. He did need it and just finished 2.5 yrs. of it (and is now totally fine). We went through our county’s intermediate unit, so they came to our house and we never paid a dime.
It sounds like your son is doing far better than mine (maybe it’s just a little hesitation or need to build that muscle back up?), but YOU are his mom and you know your son–if you have any concerns, I don’t think it hurts to at least explore PT options?
Let me know how you make out–and again, it REALLY sounds like you guys are doing well. Go you for getting through the worst part!!”
Melissa Evans says
Hi
Just thought I would share our post cast story. Our son Tom (2 yrs) had his cast off on 30 September. He has just started walking unaided yesterday 13th October….13 days after cast came off. Proud mummy right here. But I wanted to let you know that he also wouldn’t flatten out his foot. When he would stand he would stand on tippy toes. He only flattened it out like 2 days ago so your son walking on tippy toes is perfectly normal as far as I can tell. We did no physical therapy at all. We just let him work it our on his own. Tom is not back to full on running yet but he is walking unaided if a little wobbly but he is getting better by the minute.
Thanks for this blog and good luck!!
Meredith says
Melissa, congrats on getting that cast off, and thanks so much for sharing your experience! So helpful!
Bekah says
Hi there. Just another momma stopping by to say thank you for your words of wisdom and experience. My four year old son broke his femur on sept 11, then spent a very traumatic week in skeletal traction. He was then casted, and at his 2 week follow up the ortho found that his femur had shifted, so he had to go in for surgery to be reset and recanted. We are now going on six weeks, and we have been told his cast would be on for anywhere from 8-12 weeks. This has been hard, but I can honestly say that it has gotten easier as the days pass. The first week or so I was just sure that there was no way I could competently care for someone in a spica cast – but…I was wrong again. Our next appointment is 11/12, I’m pretty nervous, but hoping that it will go smoothly, and hey! Maybe that big ol’ cast will be gone by thanksgiving! I do have a question for you, about removal. From reading I see that it took your son a while to begin walking, which I am expecting. But was he able to bend his leg immediately? It’s weird – I am a planner – and I am trying to figure out if he will be comfortable sitting in his normal car seat, or if I should count on using the harness a little longer.
Meredith says
Hey Bekah, wow! You have been through so much. I’m not sure about the car seat, but my son DEFINITELY could not bend his leg post-surgery. His muscles had completely atrophied and his pain was immense. Talk to your doctor, but I really wish I had thought to pre-dose him with Advil before cast removal–he began crying in pain as soon as they took it off. I’m sure every situation is very different, but this was ours…I love your perspective and yes, prayers for booting that thing by Turkey Day!
Caitlin says
I remember my son was only two at the time but he couldn’t sit by himself for like 3 days. He had to be propped up against the couch. I couldn’t sit him in the bath tub, it hurt him too much. And I kept him in the car seat we borrowed from the hospital for another week just because his leg rested at the wide-spread angle. But, he just had to regain his confidence.
Meredith says
Caitlin, thanks for sharing your experience! Yes, it definitely felt like at first after the cast came off, there was no real difference…
Bekah says
Thank you both for your insight. We are in the process of moving about an hour away (cause life wasn’t crazy enough right now…), so I was thinking of bringing his normal car seat to his appointment since our travel time is increased, but I think I will just use the harness even if they do decide the cast can come off. Thanks again!!
Meredith says
It can’t hurt anything, right? Praying for you and keep us posted, Bekah!
Kerri W says
Thank you so much for posting all of this info! My son broke his femur this past Sunday (5 days ago). Do you remember how long the pain lasted? I’m wondering how long to expect before we can move him around more to make him more comfortable. He doesn’t want to be moved much yet and I’m worried about getting him off his back to clean him better and give his back a break! Thanks for any info you can recall!
Meredith says
Oh Kerri! So hard, I know. I would say the bulk of his pain was for the first 2 weeks–he didn’t move around much at all and I could tell he felt terrible. We did necessary stuff like bathing and changing him. I would also try to shift him around in a different position (on his side, propped up with pillows, etc.), but I let him basically just chill and watch DVDs the first couple of weeks. He felt so miserable, didn’t want to do anything else and we were told not to move him around too much because any falls or jolting movements at first wouldn’t be good. Does this help at all? Praying for you guys…
Samantha says
Thank you so much for your post! Such a relief to know I’m not the only mom completely clueless…. As a PEDIATRIC NURSE for 3 years and NURSE for a large Family Practice, I thought “oh I got this. We’ll figure it out.” Yeah Right! Boy was I ever wrong!!! COMPLETE SHOCK! I didn’t even know where to start. Jace, my 3 yo son, fractured his right femur completely in half on Monday Oct. 27 and surgery was done to put in 2 rods to hold it in place for the next 6-8 months. He is also has the dreaded Spica cast for 6-8 weeks. The worst of all is the urine in the cast. My son developed a “diaper rash” with open lesions just 2 weeks in. This has been the worst. And the SLEEPLESS NIGHTS!!!! Ugh!! When does this end???? He’s driving me nuts!!! It is just like you said…. like a newborn but so so much louder!!! Thankfully I am on FMLA until all this is over, so sleep isn’t so huge right now. Just wondering when you finally started getting some rest?!?!?
Meredith says
Oh Samantha! I’m so sorry and know this is so very hard. Hopefully this is some encouragement because while the journey was far from over for us at 2 wks., things really did start to turn at that point–namely his pain and the sleeping got better. And I am sure you have tried all these tricks, but we used a warm hair dryer often to try and dry stuff out b/c I know, it is impossible to keep the urine away from the cast. Also, I’m sure you read my post, but we made an art form of shifting sanitary pads and diapers all around for weeks before found the best combo–and then we still used waterless bathing wipes and Febreeze. It’s terrible, I know. Praying for you and hope he can start sleeping more so you can!
maggie says
You can use alcahol to wipe on and around the cast to cover up the urine smell it works wonders
Meredith says
Great tip! Thanks for sharing, Maggie.
maggie says
My son has just gotting his spica cast off he was very confortable in it for some reson he learned how to walk run stand roll sleep n he was so determined but now that its off im having a hard time figureing out what to put on his dry skin n how to help him move his leg anyone know what i can do for him
Meredith says
Wonderful you had such a great experience with it, Maggie! Thanks for sharing! I am not sure what is best for dry skin, but I love Aquaphor for my kids. And we had to go the PT route to get him up and moving, but I know this isn’t necessary for everyone? My son did start to walk on his own, but it took a few weeks. Let us know what you figure out!
sonia says
Hi my 11month old boy broke his right femur after falling off the bed 🙁 he has the cast on we are on day three now and he is getting so frustrated not being able to join his twin brother playing sitting up. We are still deeply traumatised by what happened his pain was awful to witness and the spasams after the fix were terrible his screams have tore my heart to pieces. I would appreciate any tips from anyone to deal with this and make him comfortable and entertained over the next six weeks
Meredith says
Sonia, I am so sorry for this! So incredibly tough! 🙁 You are in prayers and I hope some of the tips in my post are helpful. The pain part really did ease up after the first couple weeks, so hang in ther, Sonia…praying things get better soon!
Candice says
Your post is so helpful. My 22-month old son broke his femur today and we’re in the same spica as yours except we have a pole holding his legs apart (pants will be an impossibility as far as I can tell). He has a twin sister & a 4-month old little sister… And a mom who works out of the home. I’m so overwhelmed & am prepared (maybe I should say “expecting”, not prepared) for the hurricane of rage tomorrow when he realizes he still can’t move.
Did your son have to do rehab?
Meredith says
Candice, We did do PT with my son, but I know this isn’t necessary for everybody. Your plate is so full and I’m so sorry! I am praying for you, Candice–keep us posted, okay? Hugs.
amanda says
Hi! First off,i would just like to say thank you so much for writing something on this topic! My son is 23 months,just 2 weeks shy of his second birthday,and he was just placed in a hip spica cast 3 days ago. It has been the longest 3 days of my life! In addition to him,i also have an 8 year old and a 9 month old. So with that being said,im sure because you understand this whole experience you can understand the current stress i am under. It has been terrible and i feel so horrible for him. His cast is also not very straight,so with his leg being kind of positioned out to the right,he is tok wide to fit several places. The diapering has been a nightmare! As of now,he still has pooped yet,which the doctors are assuring me is normal,but i am so worried fornwhen he finally does. The hospital of course told me all the horrors of bad diaper keeping before we left and now i am completely paranoid about it! I keep thinking if it leaks thru am i going to need to take him back and have them change the cast? I wonder that because that is what they basically told me! Its been like i said,a terrible couple of days,and i have no idea how im going to get thru the next 4-6 weeks with this huge thing on my baby. Knowing that there are other people out there who made it thru this situation with their sanity makes me feel a lil better about the whole thing. Right now we are trying to figure out some sort of activity that will help occupy him. Currently,if im not sitting with him and holding him,he’s crying. He’s not comfortable no matter what we do,even the bean bag chair he wants nothing to do with. Before this whole thing he was a very active,happy little boy,and this has definetly put a damper on his normal happy personality. Im just praying that as time goes on he will adjust to all the new changes and get thru this horrible time. Thanks again for writing on this topic! I have literally been googling for days looking for ideas or input on this whole spica cast thing! Oh..and also just on a funny note,we are also from PA! My son had his cast put on at children’s hospital in pittsburgh(which is about a 2 hour drive for us!)
Meredith says
Amanda, hugs! I know this is so, so hard right now. I promise it WILL get better, really. My son was very clingy and whiny in the beginning too. The first several days were VERY tough, but he somehow got more used to it, or I did, and the pain lessened. The next several weeks are still hard, but the first was brutal. Hang in there. I worried so much about pee in the cast too. We did not end up having to get his changed, but I was crazy about it (as you can read above when I get into the intricacies of pad placement, two diapers, etc. We also used dry soap, the hair dryer and febreeze. Crazy to keep up with it, but just do the best you can–that’s all you can ever do any way. Praying, Amanda, praying! (And I have heard Pittsburgh’s hospital is fantastic!)
amanda says
Thanks again for writing this piece! It’s been almost a week now,and things have become slightly better. Although we are being told not to allow it,our son has figured out his own way or crawling while in this spica cast. It’s pretty intresting to watch! Lol i figure even though we are being told not to let him do it,i’m not going to stop him,at least not right now,because it’s one of the only things that is actually making him happy. Pre cast he was a very very active kid,and loves to play outside, so being he cant do any of that right now,i’m going to allow this to go on,as long as it doesnt damage the cast,just so he can play somewhat instead of just sitting around. He’s never been one for sitting quietly and playing,or watching t.v. but it is very nice to hear your story and know that is possible to get through this super tough time,and know i’m not the only mom out there dealing with it feeling terrible all the while. The first look i got of that cast,seeing how big and bulky it was,and all the special instructions that came along with it, i was putting it nicely,very very overwhelmed! But if other families and young kids have gone thru it and came out on top,ibhave confidence maybe we can too! Thanks again!
Meredith says
You’ve so got this, Amanda! And our son did the same thing with figuring out to move–I was just so relieved he found things to occupy himself and keep him happy. Will continue to pray that things keep getting better and thanks for the update. You WILL get through this!
amanda says
How in the world did you get the dry soap to work? Lol i bought some after we talked the last time..and needless to say,its not doing what i thought it would! My son is super active,as i have said before,and now he has discoveres his own way of pulling all the cotton lining out of the top part of the cast..and some how even with 2 diapers inside the cast and 2 diapers on the outside we are still getting pee somehow? But not where you would expect,it coming outnin the leg part..the leg that the cast only goes to his knee..its suler frustrating and confusing figuring out how its happening and why. I change him at least every 2 hours,even through the night now..maybe hes just meant to be rough on the cast? Lol it certainly seems that way!
Meredith says
Ah! Sorry it isn’t working for you. We would use it around the openings of his cast to help clean his up and beat the stench a bit. We did not have the problem with him pulling out the lining, but yes, it is SUCH a beast to keep them dry. Have you played around with adding sanitary napkins at all? We bought the cheap, poofy oldschool ones and tried all different kinds of placements/pairings with the diapers, etc. I’m sorry this is such a difficult mess, Amanda!
Lindsey says
Fabulous tips! my 2.5 yr old just got her spica on yesterday after a femur break that is most of the length of her femur 🙁 She also has Leukemia, so i have no idea how long it is going to take to heal. she is already bored and miserable. thank you for taking the time for these helpful tips!!
Meredith says
Oh Lindsey! What a mess! I am so sorry you are going through all this. Will definitely be keeping your and your sweet little girl in my prayers!
Kristy Omelianuk says
Thank you for the post. We are going through this right now with my 33 month old. As I was reading your post I kept thinking yes, yes, and yes. The extra costs, the sleepless nights, disciplining, diapering, agghhh!!! And I have an 11 week old too. Thanks for the cast off tip and hope that we will get through this too!
Meredith says
Oh goodness, Kristy, sending you virtual hugs! I know this is so hard. Promise to sneak in one crazy moment to care for YOU–read a few pages of magazine or even just go to the bathroom with the door closed 😉 Hang in there!
yurani says
First of all I just want to thank you for your post i really did find it helpful. My daughter 17 month old also has a spica cast she’s had it already for 2 months 1 week it’s been a long journey and hopefully it comes off 7/21/15. But I have a question they will be taking it off at the hospital did anyone else child have it taken off there I thought it would be @ orthopedics office? It’s been so hard and stressing to see your child not being able to play and run around like other kids their age do it breaks your heart. It just seems like she’s gotten used to having it but she does have her moments when she wants to be running around like the other kids.
Meredith says
It’s so hard, I know, Yurani. Praying it does come off on 7/21 and you can all get back to normal soon! I can’t speak for others, but my son did have his cast removed at the hospital. Hope this helps a bit–take care of you in the midst of all this crazy!
yurani says
Thank you so much meredith for your comforting words I feel more at ease. I will keep you updated.
Meredith says
Please do, Yurani! You’re in my prayers!
Stephanie says
Thank you for your post. We are about 2.5 weeks in on our 34 month old boy’s hip spica cast. Was hoping for just a 6 week total time, but found out yesterday at his 2 week checkup he won’t have another check for another 6 weeks when he’s at 8 weeks of having it on:( This is so overwhelming, I didn’t even know this kind of cast existed before this happened, plus we have a 5 week old newborn and a 5 year old also, so this is just a crazy time, but from reading other’s comments, it is comforting that I’m not the only one who has had to do this with a newborn also. We’re also really lucky because his cast doesn’t come up very high on his chest and the dr. left it more open around his waist, so I can actually fasten a diaper completely underneath his cast, so we haven’t had any of the diaper issues it sounds like others have. The main challenge at this point is just keeping him occupied and entertained!! We’ve gotten mostly past the night time waking and the leg spasms others have mentioned. I’m more apprehensive about his recovery period now also. I knew it wouldn’t be instant, but I’m hoping he won’t need therapy, but at least now I know a little more of what to expect.
Meredith says
Stephanie, I know it’s so hard, but no, you are NOT ALONE! And you will all survive this. I remember sobbing when the cast wasn’t able to come off as soon as I’d hoped. It’s so discouraging, but keep trying to focus on one day at a time. You are acing this and it WILL get easier! Keeping you in my prayers!
ashley says
this hits so close to home!
my son has been in casts since he was 5 days old, two braces, 3 major surgeries and 1 minor. his spica was bilateral(meaning both sides) plus that awful bar on his knees. he had a lot of problems with his knees also so they’re bent at 90 degrees in the casts. he was in the spica casts a total of 14 weeks and just got the last one removed 2 days ago. he now is in a hip brace. the soreness is so bad and pains me as his mother to see him this way. this article made me feel like someone else gets it which means soooo much to me. its just me and him, so this journey has been hard on us both. thank you for sharing and letting us other moms know that we’re not alone!
Meredith says
Oh Ashley! You have SO been through it! So sorry to hear about your journey and praying that the two of you can find easier days to come…love and prayers.
Melissa says
My son fell 3 weeks ago playing football with his brother now in hospital still on traction been told he should go in spica cast for 6-8 weeks once bones have glued together.. I have 2 other children to look after and both me and my husband have been back and forth to hospital we are hoping we can go home soon but it has been a tough. I am hoping he will make a full recovery as starts reception in September. All comments I have read not one has been in traction.
Meredith says
Oh goodness, Melissa, what a mess. I’m so sorry. No, I don’t have any experience with traction and that must be so hard, especially with all the extra time at the hospital and having to care for your other kids. Praying you can get him home and recovery can be a quick process!
Jennifer says
Wow THANK YOU for this, we just found out yesterday that my daughter will be having surgery and I am so overwhelmed with what is next so this has been a HUGE help to know what to do and get started with what I need. My daughter is 17months and my worry was how do I keep her happy with toys and this was a huge relief! I know its a long road ahead and that is super scary but so glad the end result will be over in 10 weeks or so lol.
Meredith says
Aw, Jennifer! So glad this could offer some help & please check in and let us know how it goes. Will be praying you and your little sweetie!
Tasha says
Thank you so much my son is 2 years old and has been in this cast for 4 weeks. He was set to get his cast off this Wednesday but the appointment got moved to today. I know this is last minute but I am so nervous that four weeks just isn’t enough time. I pray it is because we are both ready for him to be out of that stinky thing. I have been looking for days to see if it is common for a 2 year old to only be in a spica cast for 4 weeks and I cant seem to get any clear answer on this but I guess it just depends on how well his bone has healed. At his two week follow up appointment the dr said the x ray looked like it was healing great and that we should still be fine getting the cast off at 4 weeks. The x ray to me didn’t look any better then the first one that was taken when he broke his femur. In fact to me it looked worse. I am so nervous these past 4 weeks weren’t that bad we seemed to get the hang of things pretty fast and my son did great I just pray this night mare is over as my husband has just deployed so everything is falling all on me and I have 2 other kids as well. Please help if this sounds normal to anyone for him getting his cast off this early. I know by the time I see anything I will already know the answer to if he gets it off or he doesn’t but I just needed to write this. Please someone set my mind at ease and I will let you know what happens today PLEASE PRAY my son gets this cast off today.
Carrie says
My daughter broke her femur at 2 as well. Our orthopedic surgeon said the rule is 2 weeks per every year plus 2. So 6 weeks. He would take it off any earlier.
Carrie says
Wouldn’t
Tasha says
Okay so my son was healed and got his cast off I read most of the comments about their child being scared to work or do anything at first but my son is the COMPLETE opposite!! He wants to go!! He doesn’t have balance to walk but can sit up and get on his knees and roll around he hasn’t stopped since we got home. I am however trying to keep from having a panic attack right now I’m so scared he is going to hurt his self someone please help me!!! What can I do and how long until he gets his balance I’m freaking out over here!!!! HELP!!
Carrie says
Tasha – I can completely relate. When my daighter got her cast removed, they told us she would have to learn to crawl, and then lean learn to walk again. That same night that her cast was removed, she pulled herself up at our coffee table and took two steps.l, then fell and was in pain. I was CONVINCED she broke her femur again. I told my husband I was taking her to the ER and was in full hysterics. He calmed me down, we put her to bed and by the morning she wasn’t in any pain. She was wobbly for a bit, and walked with a slight limp for over a month. All of this is totally normal – and so are your worries. They haven’t used this muscles in so long, they have to build up their strengths and re-train those muscles. Just know that he wouldn’t try and do more than he can. We are mommies, and I almost think we end up being more traumatized than our littles ones after this ordeal. We are overly cautious that it will happen again. But, again, his activity is normal and so are your feelings. 🙂 I’m happy for your little boy that he is free of his “special pants” and am sending prayers your way. Xoxo
Meredith says
Carrie, this is so sweet and thanks for sharing your experience with your daughter to add encouragement! So glad that your little gal is okay now!
Tasha says
He got it off but is all over the place and has no balance to walk but can sit up and get on his knees I’m very close to having a panic attack and my husband has just deployed so it’s all on me and I’m so scared he is going to hurt his self again I called the dr because I’m literally about to have a panic attack he hasn’t stayed still the whole time we have been home I’m crying in fear he is going to get hurt
Stephanie says
My son was in his cast for 8 weeks and was super weak the first day, but he was so happy to be able to get around that we let him explore even though he was shaky. He regained strength pretty quickly, although it was almost 3 weeks before he wanted to or could walk. For now, just use baby gates or whatever you have to to avoid stairs, etc, and maybe even move his mattress to the floor for a little while. Hang in there, he’ll get stronger everyday!
Meredith says
Stephanie, so kind of you to share this experience and add hope! Thank you!
Meredith says
Tasha, I am so sorry that you are in this situation! I get this–I would be concerned about the length of time too. It is so hard to trust the doctors and trust that they know what they are doing. Don’t be afraid to keep asking questions until you get answers–or maybe seek a second opinion? And maybe for yourself as well. I know when going through really tough stuff with my kids, I have had to get help for myself too for sanity’s sake. I do know the doctor told me that when my son felt able to move around, he could. He said children pace themselves for what they can handle, if this helps set your mind at ease at all? Above all, please know how much you are in my prayers. I know this is a such a crazy hard time, Tasha. So many prayers…
Tasha says
It is so hard I don’t feel like he is pacing himself. He is all over the place lol. I called the office back and the on call dr said she got to look at the x Ray at the office when his dr was looking at it and it was completely healed and looked fantastic. I’m so scared though that he will turn just the wrong way and it will snap again he was standing up on his own last night for a few seconds. The dr said he should be completely back to normal in a week. I just don’t know if I trust this. With Tricare (military insurance) I have to wait a week to get a referral for a second opinion which by then could be to late. I’m very nervous.
Meredith says
Praying so much for your peace about all of this, Tasha. I know that it’s so tough! Keep us posted as you go. xo
Tasha says
Well we are starting day four without the cast, my son is now walking by himself sometimes very slowly but he is doing it. I am in good spirits just knowing everyday he does something more and more. He didn’t cry about the pain from the muscles last night as he did the night before. He is always wanting to walk and has since we got the cast off. When I try to make him rest he gets upset with me he went into his PCM yesterday morning and the dr said he should be back to normal in a week or two after getting his cast off. So basically as soon as his muscles stop aching. I am very blessed that he is wanting to do all these things and isn’t letting anything stop him. We played outside for a while yesterday but all he wanted to do is walk so that’s mostly what we did. He however does still get scared to go by himself some so he wants to hold my finger. His balance is almost back to normal though. I will continue to keep everyone updated I hope whoever reads this while in the cast holds on to hope that it seems like forever and we do have sleepless nights. But also remember it’s not over once the cast comes off. You have to work with your baby everyday and things seem a bit harder once the cast is actually off because the fear of them getting hurt again is very real. I won’t even go to another room without him next to me. Every baby is different so everyone well experience different things some will want to go some will not. Work with your child and don’t push them they will go when they are ready.
Meredith says
Tasha, sounds like he is making such progress! So glad to hear this and so wonderful to hear that you are feeling better too! Prayers continue and here’s to loads more progress to come!
Anonymous says
My 2.5 year old son broke his femur 5 weeks ago and has about 3 weeks left of his cast. I also have a 15 month old and a six week old. It has been pretty crazy!! The 1st two weeks flew by due to lack of sleep, stress/anxiety and busyness. Now time is ticking and the next 3 weeks can’t come fast enough! It is safe to say that these have been the hardest days of my life! I feel for anyone who has gone through it or may have to in the future! It’s a full time job and tests your patience to the max!! I scratch my son’s back about 20 times a day, try to keep him entertained and distracted. All I can say is try to take it a day at a time but it’s so hard not to worry about him. For the first while he was more constipated but now it is more runny and I worry that it ran down into his cast causing his skin to break down. I wonder if I should be bringing him in for a new cast or do we just hope he’ll be fine sitting in possible feces for 3 more weeks?!
What helps us tremendously is a chair that was hand made and passed onto us from other femur breaks. It reminds me of a kids high chair. It allows him to sit upright in his reclined position. Meal time is a lot easier, also he can play his cars on the tray. Another thing we do is drape a bath towel over the front of him to prevent crumbs or spills. For bath time we lay him on the counter near the kitchen sink. I have found this is a easy way to wash his hair and sponge bathe the rest of him 🙂
Thank you for this blog, it is so nice to see that other people have had similar experiences and I appreciate the heads up for the cast removal.
Meredith says
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It sounds like you are handling it all beautifully–REALLY. Even in the discouraging moments, know that you have figured so much out–especially with 2 other kids. I would ask the doc about the cast concern. I know I was so worried about this too, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had envisioned when the cast came off. We had to clean and moisturize his skin well for a bit after, but it wasn’t awful. And that chair sounds FANTASTIC!! Do you have a link or a picture you could share? Sounds like such a help! Thanks again for sharing your story here 🙂
Anonymous says
https://www.dropbox.com/s/38chpv5a9bbhdk6/2017-11-20%2012.27.22.jpg?dl=0
Meredith says
Thank you so much for sharing this!
Sarah says
Hi Meredith
I’m just wondering what, if any, double buggy you used? My 19month old has just gotten his spica cast (for ddh). He’ll be in it for 18weeks at least and we also have a 1 month old!!!
Do you have any advice regarding buggies??
Much appreciated
Sarah
Meredith says
Oh good night! I am so sorry you are in this situation. I don’t have good recommendations for this, as my son’s cast was almost entirely straight and he was unable to be in any sort of seated position. So for walks, I would lay him down in a wagon padded up with blankets and I would wear my daughter in a baby carrier. You could try to find a double stroller that was super adjustable so it would work for both your kids, or maybe just use a single that works and put your baby in a carrier? Sorry I am not more help–and here’s hoping those weeks go really quickly, Sara!
shivi says
My 3 yr old son just got his spica cast off last week. He is on bed since them complaining of pain and crying throughout night. Although he had fractured his right leg but now he complaining about pain in left leg also. Anyone else had same experience? please suggest of any ways to make him more comfortable at night.Any advice or help much appreciated
Regards
S
Meredith says
Shivi, I am so sorry you and your little guy are in this situation! I am not a doctor, but my son had the same experience, and to me, it seems like all his muscles hurt after being so immobilized–the pain of trying to move around at first was excruciating! This did pass as they loosened up, but I remember being shocked at first–and we definitely still had to keep dosing him with pain medication. Hope he feels so much better soon.
Milly says
Hi there. Your post made a huge difference on how I took things when my son had his spica cast. Now that it is off (It has been a week since the removal) I noticed that there is leg length discrepancy and I was told by the orthopedic surgeon that it will catch up. I am very concern still. How is your experience with your son? Is the other leg catching up? Did you use any special shoes? Thanks!
Meredith says
Milly, glad this could help! And yes, he is now 4 years post-cast and his legs are completely even! We’ve never had to do special shoes or anything–he is fine. I know this feels so alarming, but is truly amazing how little one’s bodies heal and repair. Definitely keep checking in with doc if you are concerned, but in our experience, this sorted itself out. Take care, Milly!
sonia says
Hi we are 10 months after cast off and have noticed he is a lot clumsier than his twin walking and a bit of a length discrepancy he is now 22months. We are also worried about it but orthopedics seem happy enough
Meredith says
That’s tough, Sonia. Is his pediatrician concerned at all? And we got heavily involved with PT after my son’s situation, even though the orthopedic doctor said he didn’t need it. Not that your son does–he may be completely fine, but something to consider?
Kassy says
I’m in tears after reading this. My we are on day 3 and the muscle spasms are so bad that I find myself crying hysterically because I don’t know how to help him. He is 34 months. His doctor prescribed him 3 mL hydrocodone-acetaminophen (hycet) every 4 hours and 7 mL ibuprofen every 8 hours. We are trying to wean him off the hycet because I don’t like the idea of my son being on a narcotic pain killer, but he needs it to help with his pain when the muscle spasms occur. He complains about his back and butt hurting a lot, so we started putting him on one of us (mom and dad) on his tummy and that’s working. We need to figure out how we are going to replicate that comforting feeling on his bed. I’m hoping that his pain subsides soon. Did your son have muscle spasms? And if so, how long? I feel like I’m losing my mind every time he screams in pain. I can’t stand knowing that my baby is in so much pain.
Meredith says
Oh Kassy, first of all believe me (really!) when I said–THIS DOES GET BETTER. I promise. Hang in there. My son’s muscle pain was bad, very bad, at first too. I’m not sure if it was spasm-like because he wasn’t really able to vocalize that. And it lasted for a while–10 days-ish if I remember correctly. We did around the clock meds for at least a full week–and then he did slowly start to get better. The rest of his time in this cast WILL NOT be this bad. Know that I am praying for you so much and please update when you can.
BreAnna says
Thank you so much for this blog post! My 16 month old daughter is in a hip spica for the next few months. She needed surgery to relocate a dislocated hip. It’s only day 4 and I feel a big hot mess. She had a leak yesterday and I’m super paranoid about the cast getting damp. What happened when your son had leaks? We tried blow drying which helped some, but I don’t want this to be a constant. Also, did you find a nice wagon by chance, we’ve heard they’re great, but all seem to come with seats or the walls aren’t high enough. Thank you again. I feel a bit panicked after all of this and it’s nice to read other stories.
Meredith says
Hey BreAnna, congrats on getting through the first several days–they are the hardest! First of all, give yourself grace. It is impossible to keep them completely dry. Your goal is to do it the best that you can. Don’t be afraid to play around with any number of pad and diaper combinations to find the one that works best to keep your daughter dry. The one we came up with was elaborate and beast to keep up with, especially as we tried to change every 2 hrs. when he was awake, but it largely worked. Blow drying is a good solution if you have a leak, and I also relied on those dry soap wipes a lot to clean up my son. Hope this helps a bit?
As for the wagon, I wouldn’t waste your money searching for the perfect one. I would, however, spend some time playing around with towels and blankets to make a basic one (or one you already have) fit your daughter’s specific positioning needs. Does this make sense? See my Threshold of Hell-ing post for a pic of my son in the wagon. We would just stuff a bunch of towels in around him to make it work.
Praying for you as you continue to press through and sort things out!
BreAnna says
Thank you for your response! It’s calming to know it’s kind of a beast for many. We’ve been doing better at getting her dry, but she’s already smelly at the end of week two. Only 10 more to go. She’s also developing some heat rash it appears that we’re trying to solve with aquaphor. But we did order an ivy rose spica chair to give her independent play time again. It arrived Saturday and we all love it! She can be upright without us holding her and she can play with things around her tabletop. This whole situation feels messy and horrible, but we have lots of help with family that is such a blessing. Thanks again for the words of encouragement!
Meredith says
Yay that you found a chair that works so well for you! What a difference that will make! And I love that you have family support 🙂 As for the smell and the rash–keeping it as dry as possible is key. Blow drying and those dry soap wipes helped us, but it’s such a mess, I know. Do what you can. And I love Aquafor–fantastic healing product! Thanks for the update and keep hanging in, BreAnna! YOU’VE GOT THIS!
Jennifer says
Those spica chairs are a life-saver!!! My son would literally beg me to let him sit in it all day so he could play with play-doh and build with Legos.
Meredith says
Go you for finding such a genius fix!
Shannon says
I’m day 2 with my 3 year old daughter in a spica hip cast and I don’t believe any of you! There’s no way we’re all making it out of this alive! This is impossible! 😫😢
Meredith says
Shannon, I have high hopes you will because you have one VERY important thing going for you in this situation–your sense of humor! 😉 Keep on keepin’ it real and we are praying you through so much! You’ve got this, mama!
Tracy says
Our 3 yr old boy broke his right femur and is just ending day 2 in the spica cast. Life was def. easier with the hospital bed. Did you just use pillows to position your son in bed? Thanks!
Meredith Spidel says
Yes! Lots and lots of pillows, Tracy. I know it’s such a pain, but as his pain reduces and he gets more comfortable in the cast, he will start to move around more and this won’t be such an issue. Bean bags of all shapes and sizes are great too. Hang in there! I promise this will get better, really. 🙁
Jennifer says
My son is due to have his spica cast off this Thursday (YAY!). I just watched a video of a little girl in Europe having her cast off and the doctor left the back half on and bandaged her back in saying that she would be stiff and in a lot of pain if he took the whole thing off at once. Does anyone know what’s common practice in the States? Our doctor said nothing (that I can remember) about leaving half of it on… I just want to be prepared…
Meredith says
Oh goodness, Jennifer–I’ve never heard of this. My son had his taken off all at once. And he definitely was in EXCRUCIATING pain for which I was unprepared(see my note about this above in post). I would definitely recommend pre-dosing him with Advil before the appointment. The pain did fade rather quickly, though, so it won’t be problem for too long. And go you for getting through this journey, mama!!
Jennifer says
Pre-dosed, check! (Thank you!) Cast removed, CHECK!
One thing a friend suggested (and the tech that removed the cast loved and said I need to pass on) is to give children ear muffs that muffle sound. I was able to use a set of ear muffs rated for gun ranges. My son was able to hear me talk to him through them, but it muffled the volume of the saw. In fact, one time he started to pull them off and then realized how loud it was and smashed them back down on his ears! He ended up watching TV on my phone pretty contently while the cast was being cut off.
Meredith says
Wa-hoo, Jennifer! Congrats on cast off and AWESOME tip! Thank you for sharing! To happy healing!
Carey Yost says
Over 20 years ago our nephew have hip dysplasia surgery & THAT CAST!
I modified a childs’ activity ExcerSaucer by redoing the sling seat with a bottom telco fastener, much like a onesie velcro bottom. We could then put him into the seat through the bottom sling, fasten the velcro & he could then turn around in the seat & play with the activities & watch/interact with things all around the room.
Meredith says
What a smart, brilliant idea, Carey! You’re such a super aunt!
Katie says
Thank you for your posts. There really isn’t much information on the internet about these things. My little 2 year old boy broke his left femur on 2/08/2016, and ended up having to celebrate his 3rd birthday with the spica cast on. It has been a rough 4 weeks, but we are going in this afternoon to get an x-ray to see if we can get the cast off today! We have had many issues with pressure sores on his back and bottom, so we have been seen by the ortho every week. He did mention that he might put a splint on him after the cast comes off to be safe, and I am thinking that is because it has only been 4 weeks. He has been healing wonderfully, but I think that because of the pressure sores we are getting it off early. Thank God, because this cast smells awful! I don’t know how we made it to 4 weeks, but I am happy the end is near!
Meredith says
Tell me it came off yesterday, Katie?! Congrats on making it through and thanks for taking the time to stop in here and and share your survival tale! Wa-hoo!!! 🙂
Katie says
Yes! It came off that day! It was an hour and a half process, as our little man did not want to cooperate. The ortho wanted to put on a splint to make sure he doesn’t put any weight on it for 2 weeks, but he was not having any of it. They want to see us back on the 22nd, so until then no walking or anything. We are just happy that cast is gone! I am a bit worried, because if the bone does move he will need surgery and another cast. It is definitely difficult to keep a 3 year old off his feet.
Meredith says
Yay that it came off!! But I know–keeping them still is a ridiculous challenge. Praying that these 2 weeks can fly and then he can be off an running soon. Thanks for updating us, Katie!
Kendra Benesch says
Thank you for sharing your story. Our daughter has a pretty impressive medical resume for a 23 month old. We will be adding to it next week as she undergoes surgery for DDH and bone restructuring of the right hip (she was treated for DDH of the left hip as an infant). Her surgeon is estimating at least 3 months in a SPICA. Because of your blog I have found great information, much needed reassurance (of that whole survival part), and a good laugh.
I’m wondering, how your little has recovered (physically, emotionally, behaviorally). I am a child therapist with a specialization in the first three years of development. I am having a very hard time wearing “just my mom hat” as our daughter’s surgery date draws near..
Meredith says
Oh goodness, Kendra, I can imagine how tricky juggling your two hats in this situation is! But truth: my son now is TOTALLY fine. He is almost 7, and this is now just a blip in his history. His leg is completely healed, he was young enough to largely not remember what happened, and is a happy, healthy, little dude. It’s a beast to get through, but you CAN get through it and someday she will be almost 7 and FINE too 🙂 xo
Marcella says
my 23 month old broke his femur 4 weeks ago we are in ireland and seems the spica cast is the way its done where ye are but we had a thomas splint my god talk about a torture device there no car seat or anything that you can use with it so we were basically house bound for a month i must say though conor was a great patient he entertained himself with tractors and his toys the last week was tough it was mainly the i pad and tv. hes bum shuffling around the place at the moment hope it wont talk too long before he walks again.
Meredith says
Marcella, go you for making it through it this long! Sounds like you are on the right track to booting this beastly thing and moving on. Thanks for checking in here and keeping hanging in!
Marcella says
how long was it before your before your son was able to bear weight on his leg? conor is keeping the leg he broke very straight and dragging it along. hes not making any attempt to walk really.
Meredith says
He didn’t walk for a full month afterwards–true story! And then when it was still taking him a bit to really move around well, we pursued PT, despite the doctor telling us he wouldn’t need it. I don’t think this is needed for everyone, but with my son’s hesitant personality, I’m glad we did. Sounds like it’s still really early days for you, though?
Marcella says
yea like you they told us he wouldnt need any physio but they really gave they us no indication of how long it should take. just impatient i guess would love to see him running around again but the dreaded cast is off thats the main thing and hes in good form. i’ve been off work for 5 weeks though and need to get back to some stage!!!
Meredith says
Marcella, I so hope you see some progress soon! This is a beast, I know! And yes, cheers that the darn thing is off at least 😉 Take care of you.
Tasha says
So my son has been out of his cast now for almost a year and he started wanting to walk the day he got out of his cast it was the scariest thing in the world I thought he was going to rebreak his bone all over again. I worked with him everyday like he was learning to walk all over again taking baby steps and within a week he was walking like nothing ever happened. I think it’s all about when you child is ready and try to take baby steps with them hold their hand every step of the way and tell them good things when they are trying. I remember the feeling that your going through like it was yesterday this is the worst feeling anyone can go through but remember this isn’t forever and your baby will be up and running before you know it
Meredith says
Super advice, Tasha! So glad your little one is doing so well now 🙂
Tricia says
Just got home at 4 in the morning with my almost two year old in a spica cast and lost at where to begin. Thank you soooo much for this post! I needed the info badly… They don’t tell you these things in the hospital.
Meredith says
Oh Tricia, I’m glad this helps some! And make sure to take care of YOU and get rest too. You can do this!
Nichole B says
This blog has been such a comfort for me. I found it 4 weeks ago when my 21 month old broke his femur in the back yard. Our next follow up is May 13 and we are hoping the cast comes off then. I will say I may not have survived without finding this blog or reading the comments. So many great tips between advice on play (other than tv) and finding out about a Cast Cooler. Thank you for keeping up with this article even after these years of your son being out of his cast.
Meredith says
Oh Nicole! I can’t tell you how much this sweet comment means. So glad it helped and please know I’m praying for you and your little guy–you are getting so close! Hang in there! xo
Jessica says
My son is in the same cast its only been a week and I can not keep his cast dry for the life of me 😭 on top of that he had TERRIBLE skin to begin with and he’s starting to get a bad rash under his cast. I need really good ideas?!? I read a couple. Thank you
Meredith says
It is so hard to keep them dry! Keep fussing around with all the different combos of pads and diapers–it took us forever to sort it. As for drying them out if they are wet, ugh. Did you try a hairdryer on a low setting or the dry shampoo wipes? That’s what worked best for us. So sorry you are in these shoes! Praying for you, Jessica.
Jessica says
Thank you! Just now saw this but on the plus note tomorrow he is getting his cast off! Thank goodness. I am so excited to get him in the bath. How long did it take your child to start walking again?!
Meredith says
CONGRATS!!! Happy cast-off day and enjoy that bath 😉 My son took a month to walk, but it is very different for all kids, I know. Keep us posted and hope today goes so well!
Debra R says
I wish I’d found your blog from day one of our ordeal but better late than never. Appreciate all the tips and was comforted to know others have been through this too and survived. So my toddler got his cast off a week ago after 8 long weeks. He’s walking pretty well but still has a bad limb which they said can last up to 9 months. He normally attends a family daycare with only 4 other toddlers but hasn’t attended obviously since he broke his leg. Any suggestions on when’s a good time to return? The orthopedist’s only suggestion was to wait until he’s walking again but I think it’s too soon.
Meredith says
Oh gosh, that’s tough, Debra. Wish I had an answer for you. I’d guess that he’ll just continue to move around more and more easily as time passes. How does your childcare provider feel about it? As long as everything is determined to be safe, I’d go with your gut on this one–I know it’s hard to know what to do! I’m glad you checked in here and congrats for being done with the cast!!
Jenny says
We have surgery coming up in September for my ( will then be 23 month old). She will be in a cast for 12 weeks then a brace afterwards! Just trying to wrap my mind around this craziness! Thank you so much for this!! And thank you everyone for all the comments, they are a huge help too!
Meredith says
So glad this is a help! Praying for your and your upcoming surgery/brace. Sounds like you are prepared on the ball 🙂
Maddie says
Hello, my 2 yr old is in a spica cast due to a femur fracture, we are having trouble keep her propped up. She keeps sliding down any one have any suggestions? She wants to sit up by herself but can’t yet and is getting very frustrated, also has been sweating a lot! Any hints or ways to keep her propped at night would be great thanks!
Meredith says
Oh gosh, Maddie. I know this is such a mess. We used so many different pillows and cushions, it was ridiculous. Just had to keep experimenting with combos until we found what worked. Bean bags were definitely helpful–in all shapes and sizes. And summer is such a brutal time of year to be in this cast. Fans and A/C if you have them. I’m sorry this is so hard.
Mony says
I am happy to reach here to your page, Meredith, and get benefits from your experiment with your son.
My son, 2 years and 10 months old, wore a Spica cast 1 month ago, because of his broken femur. Unfortunately it was through our journey of potty training. We have just ended this difficult journey, and his femur was broken.
His doctor told us that he can’t sit on potty and he should wear a diaper. The first 5 days, my son wasn’t eager to toilet in a diaper, but after this he understood that it is the easiest method to toilet. 3 days ago, his doctor removed the part of Spica cast that was covering his waist, and so I decided to retrain him again on potty. But it is so difficult process and I can’t deal with this situation wisely, as he always refuses to go to toilet when I tell him, he doesn’t tell me if he need to go to toilet to pee or pee, as well. And I am sure he completely understands these desires.
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks.
Meredith says
Oh, Mony. What a mess. I’m so sorry. It’s weird because just last night I was thinking about how relieved I was that my son wasn’t potty trained when this happened. I’m not a professional or a doctor, but my mom advice would be to just table the whole potty thing (and I KNOW how painful this is to willingly allow regression and have to restart later). I think your little guy just has too much going. Get fully on the other side of this cast and then regroup. I know how sucky that is and I’m sorry :(. Prayers and promising there is another side to all of this. xoxo
Christina Roberge says
This is amazing to read through, today is our Day 1 at home and am feeling overwhelmed and dreadful of this long, scary road ahead. I really appreciate your tips for getting my wild two year old comfortable and also tips for cast off day. Thank u!
Meredith says
So glad it was helpful, Christina! You can do this, I promise! Hang in there and Godspeed. xo
Mia says
Christina, my daughter also broke her left femur around the same time! July 1st. We have a full week at home today, 5 more to go. Hang in there, we will do it!
Meredith, can you tell us how the walking is after these years? I’m so concerned about a potential limp or longer leg. Thank you!
Meredith says
I am glad you gals can support each other in this! And he is 100% fine today! He is not an athletic child and still does PT for core strength, but I think these are largely unrelated to his cast. The doctor checks closely every year and his legs are even and well balanced. Godspeed gals, you can do this!
Claire Sneddon says
I have read all the posts and comments Meredith,my 20 month old boy has a hip Spica due to femur break.it’s due to come off in 10 days .I have experienced a messy situation tonight.somehow he has managed to get his pooped nappy off and now has poop down one leg of his cast(on the outside).I have used a damp cloth with a tad of soap to clean the best I could ,I am now thinking it is going to start smelling pretty bad by the morning .do you have any recommendations on a scented spray or anything I could use ?I would be so happy to hear back from you 🙂
Meredith says
Hey Claire! Congrats on making it this long! So we used dry soap wipes and Febreeze to cut dirt and odor–worked for us, so maybe worth a try? I can’t speak to Febreeze being safe for skin contact, but we tried to keep it on the cast (not skin) area only. Hang in there–you are so close!
Mom of 5 says
Wow does this bring back memories! I wish the Internet was around 23 years ago when my 5 year old son had a spiral fracture of his femur. He was in traction for a month followed by 2 months in the body cast with the bar across near his knees. We had to get a special pediatric reclining wheel chair. He was my second of then 4 children, the youngest was only a year and a half.
For those wondering the long term affects… My son is now a very healthy happy 28 year old. I attribute his wonderful sense of humor to having coped with that experience! He did have about 3 months of PT immediately after getting the cast off in order to learn to walk again! Unfortunately the doctor did not recommend following up long-term. When my son was in high school, he started having some back pain and the pediatrician at first suspected scoliosis, but thankfully he had a good memory and remembered the femur. When he checked the leg lengths, he found the one that had been broken to be a little longer than the other. As he was 15 at the time, his growth plates were almost closed. A pediatric ortho surgeon drilled out the growth plate on that leg to stop it from growing anymore, hoping the other one would catch up. We were very lucky, and in the end they were very close in length. He does have a small orthotic that he can put in his shoe if it bothers him, but it did take care of the back pain!
My suggestion to all of you…continue to monitor the lengths of the legs until the child stops growing…if you catch it later the only option is to break the leg and reset it shorter. No one wants to do that! We were very lucky to have caught it just in time!
My heart and prayers go out to any family going through this, especially if you have other children! That month in the hospital was a scheduling nightmare! Know that with God’s help you will survive this and one day it will be a distant memory! I know that my son is none the worse for that experience; I really do believe he came out stronger, more patient, and developed a wonderful sense of humor which helped him through the ordeal and continues to amuse all of us and his wife!
Holly Ruffle says
Hi Meredith
great read for me this morning, especially as we r just a few days away from our six week hopefully cast off appointment. My son is 5 though and he was potty trained so my husband and I have been carrying him to the potty for bowel movements. He is fine to pee in a diaper which is okay with us, since he weighs over 70lbs with his cast! I had to laugh at a few of your points because I now share my poise pads with my 5 yr old son! Ha!…huge save for us, they wrap under the rims of his cast near diaper area, and actually stay much better than the waterproof tape!. Then ee just change those out. Especially, as you said, at night. My son decided he wanted to sleep on his stomach after 4 weeks and started rolling that way in his bed. We learned the hard way that the urine collected then in the front, soaked his bed andmthe cotton inside his cast. There we sat, at 2am with the soap to clean up the smell on his skin and a blow dryer set on cool, to try to dry out the cast! Our experience so far has been beyond explanation, and you being able to write it all out is awesome. I appreciated all of your sharing, and related to all of it. Mostly, I hadnt thought about the “after” care, and how we also probably think we are walking away from appt. With our old son back, not thinking ahead about the dry skin and lack of mobility or the pain that may be there after. I will give him tylenol before appt, like you said, whatever helps! I try to e all natural with my kids, (i have 4), and use essential oils. Itnall went out the window when itnczme to pain management in the beginning. Now that he is past the real pain, I am back to using some lavender for relaxing his good leg and hebp loves me to rub his feet. He had a hip surgery to help with the process of having Legg Calve Perthes disease…but sounds like the cast and healing process is the same as what you went through. Again, thank you! I learned from your sharing.
Meredith says
Holly, sounds like you guys have figured so much out! And thank you for sharing your experience with an older child–I know that will be helpful to others who check in here. Praying for you as you cast-off and beyond. Update us as you can and thanks for checking in here!
Stacy says
This bike has been a lifesaver for us! My 2.5 year old broke her femur and stayed pretty still for the first two weeks then she got antsy with having to stay in the stroller all the time so we found this bike at a local toy store and it has helped her to be mobile and independent! She can also turn it backwards and use it as a walker when she gets the cast off THIS THURSDAY! Seriously though. You need it! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9_46usCkFzc
Meredith says
So cool! Thanks for sharing this–if the shape of your kid’s cast allows her to use this, what a lifesaver! Wonderful, Stacy–and congrats on cast-offing tomorrow!
Madhulika says
Hi Meredith
Read all the blogs .It was very helpful to handle the situation .My 3 and half year old boy had broken his femur bone and was treated with hip spica brace (not the cast) for six weeks and its now 2 weeks after removing the cast .Totally eights weeks from the date of injury.He has a acceptable angulation(5 degree) and shorting(less than 2 cm) . After removing the cast I could see that the injured leg seems to be shorter than the normal leg .He has not yet started trying walking but moving the leg all around in sitting position .May be he is very afraid to walk .
My worry is will the leg length will become normal ?
Will he walk normally without limbing ….I understand that he may limb initially but will it go normal as he grows.How long wil it take ? .
All these questions are going around my head very badly .
Congratulation that your kid has recovered good and doing very good .My prayers for him to keep him safe and happy always .
Meredith says
Madhulika, I am so sorry for your worrying mama’s heart! I know that is hard place to be. Definitely discuss all of this with a doctor, as I am in no way a medical professional, but if I understand correctly, often the injured leg bones end up growing a bit longer than the non-injured leg, so often they will intentionally set it a bit shorter. Also, if it helps provide comfort, my son didn’t take an independent step until ONE MONTH after his cast came off and it was aged before he walked normally. Consider pursuing physical therapy? I know this helped us a ton. Praying for you very much and thank you for your prayers also! Some day this will feel so much more normal, Madhulika!
Madhulika says
Thanks Meredith
manish batra says
Hey, very nice site. I came across this on Google, and I am stoked that I did. I will definitely be coming back here more often. Wish I could add to the conversation and bring a bit more to the table, but am just taking in as much info as I can at the moment. Thanks for sharing.
Arm Cast Cover
Keep Posting:)
Meredith says
Glad it has been helpful to you, Manish! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Courtney says
My daughter fractured her left femur 2 days before her 2nd birthday. Yesterday she received her lovely pink hip spica cast that goes from the middle of her chest down to both ankles. She is in the cast for 6 weeks and while I want to wish this time away, I have an 8 week old son and don’t want to wish his next 6 weeks away. Any advice on a wagon? Her legs are pretty far apart stop I am not even sure where to start.
Meredith says
This was my situation almost exactly! Except my son was the one with the broken leg and my daughter was 3 mo. old! I feel for you so very much, Courtney and will be praying for you! I think you can make almost any wagon work by playing around with different pillows and cushions, but if you don’t have one and are looking to buy, the old-school Radio Flyer wooden one is nice because you can remove the sides, so may be easier to put her in/out? Let me know how you make out and you WILL get through this time, I promise!
Ashlynn McNeal says
Currently dealing with the spica cast and my son is 17 months old & we are about 2 1/2 weeks in & going back in a few days for recasting. How do you keep it dry? Hes hot natured its hot outside and oklahoma has crazy humidity & weather
Meredith says
That’s tough! My son got his cast in the fall, so the heat wasn’t an issue, but a few times we tried using a blow dryer on a cool setting to dry things out. Would this work? Also, to keep things clean, we tried the dry soap wipes, which tend to be drying–have you tried those? http://amzn.to/2ntfNqR Godspeed, mama–I know this whole thing is so hard and praying it all ends as quickly as possible!
Christie says
Thank you so much Meredith! My 25 month old son just had the hippa cast put on this morning and im frantic not knowing what to do or expect. So your post really helps a lot, I’ve already ordered a bean bag from amazon to be delivered in 2 days, I’m searching toys he might enjoy and feel just a little bit relieved. He’s such an active happy baby and i just can’t wait to see him smile again.
Meredith says
Oh super, Christie–so glad it helped a bit and sounds like you are so on top of it. I wrote some other posts too about his time in the cast that might help. Search for “hip spica” and see what comes up. A friend told us about the “sandbox” play idea and it was brilliant for my dude. You will get through this, I promise!
Christina - UK says
HI there,
My 5 year old boy has had traction for 3 weeks, and we’re now day 3 of 4-6 weeks in a spica cast following breaking his femur in 3.
Your post has given great tips for when the end of the cast nears, thank you!
So far, things we have found useful (for in case any readers are others of 5 yr olds ) is:
– create school like activities. we’ve been in great contact with school about what they are learning, so we can follow suit. e.g simple maths, independent writing, learning about endangered animals using internet and creating posters, learning how to tell time, get reading books from school and swap them weekly…might seem harsh, but at this age he’s used to learning, and not stimulating the mind is almost worse than being bed ridden all this time.
– have school/old nursery friends visit. it’s amazing the power of support from friends. And yes to accepting help! Something i never did before, but have had no choice here. Amongst the chaos, sometimes friends know what you need better than you know yourself.
– you may find contradicting info from various nurses/consultants/junior doctors. Much as they mean well, they are at best of times not actually helping. Learn to take their advice with a pinch of salt, and just listen to the head person;your consultant. The one with authority to say what the treatment is. It’s been ridiculously frustrating being told one thing one minute, then something different the next.
– you are your childs advocate if they can’t express themselves, but if they can, involve them in the discussions that take place. Frequently, we had nurses ask us (me as mum in particular, like daddy wasn’t even in the room) for his name, date of birth, any allergies. Questions my 5 year old is perfectly capable of answering. Empower them by getting them involved. They will be more understanding of the situ, and therefore able to tolerate it better.
– make yourself clear to the nurses about the night time expectations. At first, we had so many disturbances, first obs, then came again for giving meds, repeat process x2, then they washed their hands in the sink that’s literally 50cm from my head, with a child sleeping that’s fully potty trained (so no nappy) but running water whilst sleeping is not sensible (!). lay it clear how you’d like it to run during the night.
so we’re onto stage 2 – just waiting for a Chunc Wheelchair so we can be discharged within next 5 days, and know that the next 4-6 weeks will be tough at home. (also, bubba no.2 due in 4 weeks).
but knowing others have come out the other end just fine and dandy is a light of hope!
keep going folks! 🙂
Meredith says
I love this! Thanks so very much for sharing what works/helps with a child who is a bit older in these shoes. Sounds like you have such a super handle on all of this! Keep us posted as you go and prayers for the transition home. Go get ’em, mama!
Junie R says
Where to begin? My daughter had a spica cast when she was 4 and again when she was seven. She is 21 now.
During her first experience, her younger brother was 2 and her younger sister was 4 months and still nursing. The experience was very painful and exhausting for her and each of us caring for her.
The cast and post-op pain (she had bilateral distal osteotomies-corrective surgery in each femur) was overwhelming and caused her to panic multiple times over several weeks.
The nurses were making noble attempts to equip me in caring for her and calming her but then they would just proceed with invasive and additional painful procedures. I’m certain she felt as if she was being tortured and that I was party to the chaos and allowing it to continue.
At home, my daughter was eventually calm as long as a movie was playing literally around the clock. Never been so grateful for TV.
The nights were hot, itchy, uncomfortable and long. My husband and I traded back and forth sitting with her schedule permitting. I am a stay home mom so I was with her while my husband worked and slept in order to be able to work.
It was a dark time for me as a mom because my best wasn’t nearly good enough. It hurt so bad to reach the end of my skills over and over again. It was horrible to see my child so upset, uncomfortable and in pain.
Her second experience was better because there were fewer unknowns and I was an older, more seasoned mom with greater resources.
There is hope that when I wasn’t enough, God brought us through.
Our daughter just revealed tonight that I broke trust with her when she was a child of 4 by allowing her to have surgery and essentially not rescuing her from the trapped feeling of being confined in the body cast. It was a sad but healing moment to hear her share and absorb that pain and distrust that she had felt.
I recommend quality counselors and therapists for children and parents who have required spica casts. My sincere hope is that our experience isn’t anything like anyone else’s but counselors and therapists have helped us to remain a loving and real, healthy family in spite of circumstances.
Meredith says
Junie, you have had such an experience with this! I am so sorry it was so painful and challenging all around, and I love the recommendation for counseling as needed for emotional support. Thank you so much for sharing your story!
Sabrina says
this is information is amazing, I have a 9 month old that will soon have to have a spica cast here in February 2018 . I am so nervous about the whole thing. I am just hoping that he will adapt to it ok, when i know they say its painful
Andrea says
I know that this is an old post, but thank you so much for writing all of this. My daughter broke her femur in December and just got her spica cast off a week ago, and her cast was in a very flat position too. I did manage to pre-dose her with pain meds before cast removal but she shrieked through the whole thing regardless. She is crawling now but not comfortable standing yet. I see a lot of posts where the child is walking the next day or within 10 days of the cast removal, so it helps to see that it can take longer for other kids and that my daughter is not alone in taking some time to get up and walking.
Meredith says
I am so glad you found encouragement from the post, and GO YOU, Andrea! You have gotten through the worst part–when the cast is on! In comparison, the recovery is far easier and wonderful you are giving your daughter the space to get there in her own time 🙂
Carolina says
My 2 1/2 year old boy just broke his femur yesterday! My husband and I haven’t stopped crying thinking that we may have ruined his legs forever. He was jumping on a trampoline with way older kids and one fell on his tiny leg… we could have prevented it by not allowing my kid to get on top… Thank you so much for posting this! It’s like a silver lining knowing that this will end and a horrible memory soon! How are your son’s leg lengths now? Could you please let me know? Thank you!!!
Meredith says
Your son will be fine! My son has some other physical issues, but has fully regained use of his leg–he is now 8 and fine! Also, please don’t beat yourselves up–this is just life and part of the parenting gig. We live life and stuff happens. This is a rough one for sure, but no one’s fault and you will absolutely get through this. All WILL be okay, hang in there!