We have our first broken bone in a family with five kids that include three boys; I guess we are fortunate.

We had stopped to buy produce at our neighborhood farm stand, and my sons raced out back to play with their friend whose parents work there. In a matter of five minutes, my son, C., fell off his friend’s razor scooter. At first, it only appeared bruised but by the time we got home my son was in extreme pain. My husband grabbed our medical kit and pulled out the Sam splint to stabilize the arm on the way to the ER.
My son fractured both the bones in his lower right arm (radius and ulna) right above the growth plate. He will be in a long cast for six weeks. There was an option of a waterproof cast, but the orthopedist explained that is was only the interior of the cast that was waterproof which means the exterior gets soggy and less stable. We opted for the permanent cast which restricts his summer activities a bit (no swimming), unfortunately.

He was sedated to set the bone. They were very kind and supportive and also cast his stuffed squirrel, Jumpy.

We had our first follow up with the orthopedist. They are willing to reset the cast with the waterproof cast for the last two weeks at no additional cost so my son can have more summer.

I was concerned about limitations with his cast, but it seems not to have stopped him. He is away at Scout camp this week (with Dad). According to all reports, he is having a fantastic time!

How have you dealt with orthopedic injuries in your family?