A Tisket, A Tasket, My Son Looks Like an Easter Basket

Oye.  We are just shy of a week into this spica cast on Dryden and it has been quite an interesting time already.

Diapering, which is what we thought would be our most complicated issue, has actually been the easiest.

I'm going to explain how this works, in hopes that it may make someone elses' life a little less hectic if and when they find themselves in a similar situation.  The way that the cast is placed, it goes around the waist - up to the chest and mid back.  The butt and a small portion of the crotch area is left open so that you can put a diaper on.  Now, that being said, you still have to find a way to NOT get anything inside of the cast.  What we have found works great is a pad.  Now, I spent a good 20 minutes looking at all of the options and finally found the perfect one.  It was NOT in the feminine area, but rather the adult incontinence area.  It is a Walgreens brand called Certainty.  I bought the ultimate absorbency, long length and it works WONDERFULLY!!!  It fits right inside of the cast, all tucked in so that it catches everything and doesn't allow it to leak into the cast.  Another plus?  A 27 pk only costs about $11.00 or so.  And they are so absorbent that we barely have to change the actual diaper!!

We really have no good way to transport him either.  He doesn't fit into a car seat, and holding him makes me so nervous.  But we have appointments and such that we have to go to so it has become something we are working on.  We have used the bean bag in the car, and it works well, but obviously not as safe as we could get.  The doctor is supposed to be ordering a vest for us to use in the car, but we don't have it yet.  Something to definitely check into before you get the cast put on!!

The biggest issue we have run into has really just been keeping him comfortable.  Our biggest recommendation, which even the hospital seemed impressed with, has been a bean bag chair.  Now, I must say, while it has be GREAT as far as shaping itself around his body... unfortunately, with it being leather, it does NOT breathe at all.  This leads to him sweating like CRAZY  if he is in it for any length of time.  But it really works for everything during the day!! It can form to fit inside of a wagon, it can form to fit inside of the playpin, it really is an awesome tool.  My advice, if you know ahead of time, look for one that is NOT leather and it could be absolutely perfect!

Other than that the use of two boppy pillows has been pretty good as well.  We have one under his head and one holding his feet up.  With the way the cast comes up and the weight of the cast on his leg, it works like a lever and as the legs pull down, it pushes up on his back.  Which, as you can imagine, is extremely uncomfortable.  Having the extra boppy really works to hold those legs up, and it doesn't wind up settling after a while like a regular pillow.

I gotta say - we thought this was going to be excruciating for him, not as far as pain, but more in the not being able to move aspect of things.  He doesn't seem to mind all that much.  He gets annoyed when he tries to sit up and can't.  He is always grabbing the stability bar and trying to pull up. Thankfully he is not arm spoiled, but even so, when he wants to be held, that is an obstacle in and of itself!  It's so awkward to try and hold him!  Between the angle of the cast itself and the big stability bar, there is almost no way to hold him.  But we have figured out a few ways and made it work.

As you can see, he is in good spirits and taking everything rather well so far.  We are really hoping this method works and that the socket will form and hold his hip in place.

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I'm sure we will come up with some other crazy methods in the next six weeks, but that's pretty much it for now.  Hopefully this will help someone!!