When a Cast Finally Comes Off...

Updated on September 13, 2011
R.D. asks from Richmond, VA
9 answers

Do they usually re-xray? I can not remember, I've broken so many bones, had so many casts... and I can't remember.

Roman gets his cast off tmrw, and I'm just trying to give my hubs a heads up as to how long we'll be, but like I said, I can't remember if they re-xray or not.

Also, I know when I had my arm cast taken off, my arm literally looked like an overcooked chicken wing, EW! It looked pruney like you've been in the bath too long, but was kind of red and flaky... I don't remember about my leg casts though... first thing I'm doing is giving this child a BATH for as long as he'd like... but then what can I put on his leg to help it get back to normal? A little lotion? Your skin's pretty gross after being in a cast while sweating from the heat, not to mention any dirt that's probably down there...

So what did you use?? Am I forgetting any other after care?? Think I should give him a little tylenol beforehand? I do remember being really sore bearing wear on my ankles when the casts came off...

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So What Happened?

LOL Michelle, yes, I do remember that pungent smell... my son's is going to STINK, he already has sweaty baby feet! Gross! And my husband wants me to KEEP THE CAST! WHYYY?! Anyway, there's no doubt he'll be terrified of the saw... but I'M not, so I'll be confident for him :)

@B, I remember that too... I had a walking cast on my right ankle for 8 weeks (broke my foot/ankle, in 6 places... so graceful, I am)... and that calf was like 1/2 the size as the other one! I looked so weird, LOL!! After a few weeks of wearing high heels, I got my calf back ;)

Featured Answers

B.F.

answers from Toledo on

When my DD's cast was cut off 2 years ago, they did xray again. She only had a couple of spots from the cast that bothered her so I just used Neosporin.
I do remember the smell and that she was very sore..I had to give her Tylenol with codeine for a few days

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J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

I don't remember it being xrayed. Oatmeal bath helped.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.Z.

answers from Boston on

My daughter got her cast off her arm last week and apparently she was very afraid of the saw, which I predicted (I didn't take her). She is 4. Her arm looked a little weird, almost thinner than the other one for the first few days, and there was almost a bruise looking spot where the wrist was broken, but it wasn't a real bruise... weird! It has since gone away. At first she was holding her arm like the cast was still on, and she had to exercise the wrist and practice using it again. They do xray; for my daughter, it was before the cast came off, and they saw it was all healed. She has to go back next week for a final xray before they will clear her to get back to gymnastics, which we all want her to do! Good luck tomorrow!!

1 mom found this helpful

C.W.

answers from Lynchburg on

Hi R.-

My last cast was a L O N G time ago...but I remember 2 things in particular...

One, being petrified of the saw used to cut it off...

And two...the overwhelming SMELL when it was opened...

Maybe a blindfold and febreeze? lol

I cannot remember if there was an x ray after...but then I was overcome by fumes!!

Best Luck!
michele/cat

1 mom found this helpful

N.B.

answers from Minneapolis on

When my beloved niece was a pre-teen (and me her "big auntie" a whole 7 years older than she), she broke her arm. That thing was putrid when they pulled it off. The darn kid had stuck things in it to attempt to scratch the itch she could not get to! When they cut it open there were pieces of straight spaghetti noodles and pencils, pipe cleaners and even a thick stick. OMG the smell was horrid. She needed antibiotics to heal the open wounds she created! GROSS!

Hope things go well for your little man!

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J.W.

answers from Lexington on

One daughter's arm was a nice clean break and no, they did not re-xray that. But, my older daughter's broken leg was a twist type of fracture, and yes, they re-xrayed that one.

Yes, a nice bath or shower afterwards is a good thing to schedule in.

Neither of them had any pain or complications afterwards needing anything more than a bath and some regular lotion on their skin - then they were good to go!

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

I don't remember if they xray again when it comes off.
It might depend on how complicated the break was in the first place.
If it was something like a hairline fracture it might be too trivial to xray again.
His cast was only on for a few weeks, so it shouldn't be as bad as if it were on 8 weeks.
The muscles atrophy a little bit, and the skin will need a washing, but he should bounce back fairly quickly and very soon it'll be like he was never in a cast at all.

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A.G.

answers from Boston on

How old is your son? When my at the time 6yr old got his cast off he had to have 3 months of physical therapy because he was walking with his foot to the side. His cast was toe to hip for 8 weeks so thats how his leg would rest. When my at the time 11 month old son got his cast of after 3 weeks it was all good.

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D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

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