This time, however, the orthopedist decided to sideline Sk8terdude for the duration of the cast, which made no sense to my very concrete child. ("But he let me skate LAST YEAR...and it's exactly the same type of cast only this broken pinky isn't as bad as last time. It's not FAIR!)
Well, it may not have been "fair" but it was the right choice. To his credit, Sk8terdude tried advocating for himself, calling the orthopedist's office and asking for a return phone call from the doctor so he could discuss the decision, asking questions, and - more or less - accepting the response, eventually. Many thanks to Dr. C for taking the time to phone, to have the conversation (with me, first, and then, with my permission, directly with Sk8terdude). But, of course, Dr. C didn't have to live in our house for the weeks of no physical activity, which left us with one very cranky, bored, inventive child looking for ways to circumvent the restrictions.
Thankfully, we all survived. The cast came off at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon and Sk8terdude made it to S.P.I.R.I.T. in time to make up one of his missed lessons later that day.
This morning the skies were overcast and the ground was wet, so we packed up and headed out to Peekskill for a day at Second Nature, where Sk8terdude is skating AND collecting on his belated (by a week) birthday present: a new skateboard, trucks, wheels, etc. The old set up will go to camp as his back-up board. With seven weeks at sleepaway camp this summer, he's bound to need it sooner or later (hopefully later).
Happy Birthday, Sk8terdude!
Sk8termom- I saw in a previous post you had experience with the Gore Procel. I would love the input/feedback from a mother who seems to have a lot of knowledge about fractures. We have developed a replacement for the Gore Procel.
ReplyDeleteEven if the doctor keeps your son from skating, he can't prevent your son from sweating or from needing a shower.
I don't want a cheap plug. I am just looking for some thoughts on how we can help skaters and their families deal with being wrapped in a cast for six weeks.
Chris
ckaquacast@gamil.com
Chris,
DeleteYou wrote, "Even if the doctor keeps your son from skating, he can't prevent your son from sweating or from needing a shower."
That's certainly true. And those are two of the reasons we used the waterproof casting material again this time. (Actually the ability to throw him in the shower without worrying about the cast was enough of a good reason!)
We are, unfortunately, quite well-versed in the advantages of a waterproof cast. Sk8terdude and his brother have used the Gore Pro-Cel more times than I want to admit... not only has the casting material held up through multiple weeks of showers, it's also gone with us to Disney (on and off water rides and in and out of the pool), to Southern Florida to visit grandparents (including a snorkeling trip in the ocean), and to summer camp. This past year, when we had an unexpected week off from school due to the freak October snowstorm, the cast even took a three day trip to Great Wolf Lodge (although after three days at a waterpark we did need it recast).
So I'm a big fan of the waterproof cast concept!
We still have a few boxes of Pro-Cel left in the house, just in case. (When Gore announced they were shutting down, we ordered a case!) And, honestly, I would love to never need them...in which case I will never get to try your replacement product (we should be so lucky).
As for how to help skaters and families deal with being in a cast for six weeks...I wish I had helpful ideas. Mostly we just suffered through Sk8terdude's very grumpy mood!
Sk8termom- Thanks for your feedback. Stories like yours are why we decided to start AquaCast. We loved the Gore Procel and knew there had to be a replacement. As parents, it is tough enough seeing your child break a bone. It is even tougher trying to have them sit idle for six weeks.
ReplyDeleteHopefully you won't need any casts soon and/or exhaust your supply of Gore Procel. However, I would like to send you a few rolls of AquaCast to see what you think. We can do all the testing in the world, but what really matters is the opinion of the patients and families who have the practical and extreme experience with water proof casts.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Chris
ckaquacast@gmail.com