Se7en + 1 is Two and Three-Quarters and the Truth About Broken Legs…

Today is exactly three months since our previous post in the well-documented life of Hood #7 + 1… Where we mentioned that he had taken up flying… off the jungle gym that is…

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And ended up with his little leg in a plaster cast from his toes to the top. It was our first broken bone ever and I can say they whole experience was somewhat daunting – for all of us!!! Keeping a 2. yr old, free-range character still-ish has been an achievement!!! We couldn’t have done it without his team of siblings!!!

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  1. Broken Legs Actually Hurt:
  2. Folks will say – “Your kid will be running about in no time…” We found this not to be true!!! He was sore and in pain and keeping him immobilized was pretty easy for the first two weeks, he really didn’t want to move. And the only way he could possibly get around anywhere was in a parents arms. Siblings are not always to be trusted not to have a piggy back fight or a race up and down the yard while holding a toddler in the fireman’s grip.

    Wobbly Pig has Ten Balloons is getting us through the day... Think you  Mick Inkpen!!!

  3. Movies are not the answer:
  4. We are not a tv family and my kids are just not used to hours of movies… I had this vision of sitting my little guy in front of a couple of movies and he would idle his days away… this was not the case!!! A TV free child is unfortunately not trained to sit for hours in front of a screen and will generally become mind numbingly bored very quickly and if the remote is in reach will toss it at the screen with alarming accuracy.

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  5. A Full-time buddy:
  6. Luckily this was an adventure taken on by the youngest kidlet… and so there were lots of older siblings to provide endless entertainment. Older sisters are fantastic, will read stories and bake endless pretend cookies and generally entertain quietly for hours. Older brothers – not so much… they don’t have the quietness factor and will have bouncing competitions on the couch to see who can bounce higher and will eventually teach your 2 yr old how to lob balls, books and any other items around the house using the plaster cast as a baton.

    Last bath in the sink!!! Counting the hours till..,

  7. A Warm Bath:
  8. I believe in warm baths, they are my “mend-all” answer to any illness, well when you have a plaster cast from your toes to your hip a bath is out of the question. Every other child hood illness/event in our house has been cured by hours languishing in the bath… I do have a brilliant friend who dashed off a cast cover… thank-you so much!!! A letter is on its way to you!!! – but we could only use it further down the line when the pain dissipated, He really didn’t want anything near his leg and the thought of even sliding a cover over it was … well unachievable. Plenty of baths were had in the kitchen sink and he enjoyed them!!!

    Three weeks to go and yes we are counting!!!

  9. Getting outdoors:
  10. Was not an option, this is my “love the outdoors” can’t stop digging guy… Well there was no ways he could take that cast near sand or mud or sticks or even leaves, because boys must do what boys must do and that involves jamming things into small spaces and down casts… quickly learnt that he needed to wear trousers over his cast rather than shorts… and we had to stay away from LEGO too.

    When a man smashes their cast once too often they get a new one with reinforcements!!!! And it's below the knee, will make a huge difference!!!

  11. Plaster casts are not indestructible:
  12. This little guy has always hated having anything covering his feet… from birth those little feet stick out of the bedding – still do. I knew we were in trouble when twenty-four hours into the adventure he tried to rip this “ibitating-sock” (irritating-sock) off with his bare hands. He discovered trousers for the first – only ever worn shorts before!!! – and we kept his cast covered as much as we could. But by three weeks in he had systematically sat in kicked at the heel over and over again until he had split it… a man must do what a man must do… and back we went for a new cast. This time a half cast and he was instantly much more able to move about.

    Off it comes!!!

  13. There is no such thing as a quick fix:
  14. He/we survived the six weeks and there was much jubilation at the removing of the cast… only to discover, and no one tells you this… that your child will still be in heaps of pain and no-where near being able to walk and run about. I think maybe folks forget!!! Here we are at three months down the line and he is still waking up nights in pain and he is still hobbling about and unwilling to run about and play. We have taken him back to the doctor and this is to be expected – then he showed me the x-rays and I am so glad I didn’t see them before I would have died!!! So while our little guy he thrilled to be back in the mud and able to languish in a warm bath with his animal friends, he isn’t really ready to take on the world or the jungle gym yet… though he doesn’t think twice about trying!!!

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    And the se7en + 1th thing…

  15. It is all in the mind:
  16. As soon as he became immobilized he started learning things like never before and a whole lot of baby-ness flew out of the window (sob)… he now has all his colors, even obscure ones; counts like a legend; conquered pronouns (always the funny mistakes I like to hang on too); his love of books has become an obsession… My first child to love and adore puzzles; he talks and talks all sorts of great big words and all sorts of favorite topics. His favorite playthings… definitely cooking and trains; favorite books are mostly cook books – he adores “caikes” and we may well have a pastry chef on our hands!!! And of course his love for dogs, animal books and pirates… go on as background music to all his new experiences… and adventures…

13 Replies to “Se7en + 1 is Two and Three-Quarters and the Truth About Broken Legs…”

  1. My oldest broke her leg when she was 3. I was nodding my head at everything you said… that and wishing she had the siblings to keep her entertained at the time. It was winter when she broke her leg and since she couldn’t get it wet, we had to carry her everywhere (there were several inches of snow on the ground at the time). Boy was I glad when that cast came off!!

  2. So glad that cast is off, but I can also relate to how slow recovery actually is! I totally understand about the cast cover. We didn’t use it until after the 4th surgery in 3 months….then it became a sanity saver! We are now 15 months post accident and still recovering!! Last year he had his accident on the first day of spring training for football, the only sport he loves to play. I thought for sure this year he would be able to play, but alas that is not the case. We are now being told 3 years… Here’s hoping your little guy heals quickly!!

  3. Hay Terri, This is so good to know!!! Thank you for your comment, I so appreciate it!!! Boy when a kid this age breaks a leg, you suddenly feel like you are carrying a baby elephant EVERYWHERE… just from the couch to the kitchen and back again… every time you leave the room!!! I think folks quickly forget about it – so many folks said… Oh he will be up and running in no time… not at all!!! Anyway we live and learn and life experience is good experience!!! Hope you have a great weekend!!!

  4. Dana, Thank you so so much for the cast cover – no we have nothing like that over here!!! It did take ages before we could use it… he was just not having any of it!!! I am so glad to hear how long your recovery has been, not because I want your kiddo to be in pain, but just to get a realistic picture of the road we are traveling!!! Twice we have been to the ER because he is just in such pain and they keep saying he is fine… FINE? If they would just tell us what to expect then we could put “fine” into perspective!!! So it is good to know that the pain lingers on and on and hopefully he won’t hobble about for ever!!! Thank you so much for all the support and encouragement, it is just wonderful!!! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

  5. It is true, broken bones really are no fun. No, none of it. Love and prayers for complete healing, and for encouragement during the recovery! Love from us all!

  6. Thanks Corli, It is good to know the reality of things!!! My word… definitely not just six weeks in plaster and then they bounce back!!! Thanks so much for the encouragement, you are such a great supporter!!!

  7. I am glad to hear he is on the path to recovery. I broke my leg at 17, tib & fib and 2 months after the accident they x-rays and realised it was mending in the wrong position and had to re-break it – with NO meds. It was hell, I also had to have my cast fixed twice (although going abseiling in a full leg cast maybe wasn’t the cleverest of ideas!).
    I was on crutches for a year and going to rehab for months, they said I would have a permanent limp, I don’t! He is young, he will heal and eventually it will become a distant memory. But knowing how awful it was for me as a young adult, I can’t imagine how awful it is for a 2 year old!

  8. When I read your first post on how he broke his leg I thought ‘So glad that hasn’t happened to our 2 year old…’ A few days later he fell off our climbing frame and fractured his arm! He had 4 weeks in plaster but they put a fiber glass cast over the plaster cast after the first week. So much tougher! Arms are much easier to deal with than legs. I think the bouncing back depends on how bad the break was and how easily it has healed up. Sounds like your little guy had a bad break, poor kid!

  9. Hi Jojebi… What a hassle you went through!!! My word and a year on crutches… It is good to know that years down the line you are pain free and walk like a regular person… I would hate to tell folks – he broke his leg when he was two so that is why he wake inside-out!!! I must say – when I saw the X-rays last week I was amazed he had actually survived!!! Huge jagged crack right across it, and a perfect vertical split all the way up – ewww it must have been so very saw – well it was!!! Anyway once again I am encouraged by my blog friends that he will recover completely – it just takes time!!! Hope you all have a great week!!!

  10. Thanks Jacqui, yup it was quite an epic break!!! And I am so sorry about your little one’s arm!!! I think the whole getting around on it makes legs a little tougher to recover from – oh please no more breaks for anything for the longest time!!! Hope your little guy is totally mended really soon!!! Have a good week!!!

  11. having a child that has broke an arm and a leg…I have to agree…broken legs are a pain and for a LONG time! The arm was soooo much easier. So here’s praying there isn’t a next time but if…go for the arm 🙂

  12. Thank-you Jocelyn… Too be sure!!! Next time we will hopefully go for an arm… though from what I’ve heard, that’s no walk in the park either!!! Hope you have a fun day!!!

  13. Thank-you Jocelyn… Too be sure!!! Next time we will hopefully go for an arm… though from what I’ve heard, that’s no walk in the park either!!! Hope you have a fun day and keep all your limbs in tact!!!

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