Have you ever been in a cast? The kind you have to wear if you broke your arm or leg?

[Paco]

I'm 50 yrs. old and have never had a cast. I've broken fingers and toes and my hand a few times, but no casts.

 

[Padipro]

When I was about 16 or 17 I was rock climbing with some friends when I slipped on the way up to the cliff we were going to climb that day. When I slippped I severly bent my ankel and fractured one of the bones, can't remember which one though. I didn't realize it at the time though and after "walking it off" I climbed on it the rest of the day without any trouble. On the 2 hour ride home that afternoon it stiffened up so bad that when I got out of the car I fell flat on my face because it wouldn't even support my weight. After the Doc looked at the xray he told me that I had fractured it and put me in a cast from my knee to my toes for 6 weeks. It drove me crazy having that thing on my leg but at least it was a walking cast and I could still get around without crutches.

Hope he heals fast,

Scott

 

[jiveturkey]

My story isn't very glamerous. I had returned from shopping during spring break. I was in the back seat of a 2 door car and had 4 grocery bags in each hand. I stepped over a bag of potatoes and had one foot on the ground when the other one got caught in the front seat passenger's seatbelt. You know how it just dangles there in a 2 door. It set me off balance and i plowed my knee into the curb. I should have dropped the bags but it happend so fast I didn't really think. My knee blew up to the size of a volleyball. I ended up with a split patilla and had a full leg cast on for almost 3 months. After spring break was over, the 15 minute walk I had to classes more than doubled during our cold Canadian winter. Profs took pity on me when I was late for class but it really sucked. You do get used to it though and you feel on top of the world when that thing comes off.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Both stories are kinda funny.

The first was I was 7 and accustomed to bouncing on a tramploline in a divers harness. I was on a free tramp (no harness) and bounced off the side. Caught myself with my left arm and heard it break just above the elbow. Went to the beach, Oacracoke Is. NC, a couple weeks later. Sand and salt makes for super itchies under a cast.

The second was I was jumping off an elevated beach house porch. In Gulf Shores Al I got hung up on a nail that was sticking up a little and it flipped me over. Broke both the radius and the ulna. I learned to really dislike X-ray techs on that one. I ended up getting a nice dose of pain killer to finish the x-rays.

All my other breaks didn't require a cast.

TwoBit

 

[raxafarian]

I haven't broke anything (knock on wood) except my head (concusions) a couple of times:bonk:


But.... my brother was playing on some moguls and managed to put both arms out to break a fall. Yep, he broke 'em both (his arms, that is).

I was in the navy at the time, so I didn't see how he managed "day-to-day" activities with both arms in casts. Probably not too much fun. Maybe he had to back up to a leafy bush after using the rest room

 

[O-ring]

I broke my hand once, my ankle once, my nose, and a few toes here and there. The hand was the best since I could crush beer cans with it once I got used to it and it wasn't sore anymore. The ankle was the worst for reasons others have mentioned - feet sweat a lot and it itched like a roll in fiberglass insulation. Keep pencils, coathangers, letter openers, whatever handy for scratching..

 

[chickdiver]

watchout using things to scratch inside the cst if he has stitches or staples. I had ankle surgery 3 years ago and was in a cast post surgery, the stitches pull, which hurts, but you REALLY dont want to run the risk of pulling them out accidentally. Bonus- I broke my arm as a kid and was in a cast for 6 weeks, the new fiberglass casts are a HUGE improvement over the old plater ones- much lighter weight!!

Good luck!

 

[nitroxbabe]

I've had quite a few breaks, all of them at the same time from a car accident.

Here goes:
broken right wrist
fractured sternum
broke all the ribs on the left side of my body (punctured lung, too)
fractured pelvis in 4 places
assorted other injuries - a long list

Amazingly, the only cast I came away with was on my right wrist. They can't do a heck of a lot to brace the other bones I trashed, especially when the fractures are not displaced. They give you a band to wear around your ribs and tell you to do what you can (including hobbling!). Not too much fun.

Your son has my sympathy. Hope he feels better soon.

PS - chickdiver is right - careful with the scratching inside the cast - you can cause problems that way!

 

[Spectre]

Let's see...
- finger - touch football in middle school
- kneecap - full sprint into a telephone pole barrier
- 5th metacarpal - <drunken stupidity>
- nose - stick sword-fighting.
- hairline in wrist - pulling electrical staples [backhanded a 2x8]


the hand was the closest to a cast, and that was basically like a plaster cuff that wrapped around the knife edge of my hand, and then was held in place with an ace bandage.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

I agree with chickdiver.

I started out in a plaster cast that first time. Wrapping the arm in cotton gauze, then the warm plaster goo.

I did get some neat signatures on my arm though.

Fiberglass are great. Waterproof and all.

TwoBit