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At the beach with a broken arm


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We just got back from the urgent care clinic. One of my 10-year-olds broke his arm - the radius - a fracture from the impact when he tripped and fell.

 

Tonight it's just slinted, and we are icing it for swelling. Tomorrow he is supposed to get a cast on it.

 

We are also supposed to go to the beach for a week tomorrow, though I am fine delaying that a day or two. Even more critically from his point of view, he and his twin are supposed to go with their best friend to the beach in early August.

 

Does anyone have experience with casts at the beach. Is there any way to tape things up so the child can be on the beach? Is sand in the cast a major hazard?

 

Has anyone managed to get a waterproof cast? Can you take them in the ocean?

 

I need to call around and find an orthopedist tomorrow, so I want to know if there is any kind of cast I should specially request and anything I can do to salvage his summer for him.

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When ds6 broke his arm at 18 months they used a special undercoating wrap so I could bathe him and he could put his arm in the water without any issues. It's been so long, I forgot what it was. It wasn't covered by insurance, so I had to buy the roll of stuff directly from the ortho, but it was less than $20 (I'm thinking less than $10).

 

Good luck, I'm sorry, and I hope they are able to help you and your ds!

 

This looks like the stuff they used.

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Once you get the cast on, will you have another appt., say in 2 weeks or so, to get it checked?

 

My ds, now 17, broke two bones in his arm and had a big cast put on, two days before we left to go to Maryland to visit family and friends. One of the planned events was a week at the beach!

 

They have covers you can get to put over casts, which are probably better now than they were then. We didn't know about them though, and just put plastic bags (thick ones like Hefty trash bags) over it and tying it off. The first day we were out there, though, a lady came up to me and told me about the things you can get to put over the casts. Then she said that's my son over there and pointed. he was about the same age as my ds, and had a cast on his arm! She said they were leaving that same day and wouldn't need the cover they had gotten for him, so gave it to us! I thought that was so nice!

 

We used it and it was sooo much better! We tried to keep his arm out of the water as much as possible, but it got wet sometimes. It wasn't bothering ds or anything, but when we went to get it checked (we knew they were going to change his cast the day after we got back), the doctor was upset that we had let him go in the water. He said pieces of sand can get in and cause irritation and infection. I think if he hadn't had an appointment the day after we got back, we would've tried to be a bit more careful.

 

So I'd look at a drugstore or ask your doctor about plastic cast covers and see if you can find them. That was 10 years ago, so I don't remember the name of the one we had.

 

Hope it works out!

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When ds6 broke his arm at 18 months they used a special undercoating wrap so I could bathe him and he could put his arm in the water without any issues. It's been so long, I forgot what it was. It wasn't covered by insurance, so I had to buy the roll of stuff directly from the ortho, but it was less than $20 (I'm thinking less than $10).

 

Good luck, I'm sorry, and I hope they are able to help you and your ds!

 

This looks like the stuff they used.

That looks great! I didn't know they had that stuff!

 

I would still put a protector over the cast at the beach though. As the doctor let us know, the sand could be an irritant and cause problems.

 

But how neat that they have that now and kids can still go in swimming pools!

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That looks great! I didn't know they had that stuff!

 

I would still put a protector over the cast at the beach though. As the doctor let us know, the sand could be an irritant and cause problems.

 

But how neat that they have that now and kids can still go in swimming pools!

 

Yeah, I'd be worried about the sand, too. But to not have to worry about water is wonderful!

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He was just a regular orthopedic, but my pediatrician recommended him. I would ask when you call for appointment if they at least offer the GORE instead of cotton. The receptionist should be able to answer that.

 

I really hope you're able to find a solution. The poor guy! It sounds like he doesn't even have a "good" story (ie I was riding my bike and attempted a triple flip) to go with the break.

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