OT OT - he's got a "real" cast

That is super news. And the black cast will hide dirt. Deb

Yes, and requires something gold to sign it! C

You get fashionable casts now? Suddenly I feel really old...

Yup, all the designer colors - neon pink, chartrueuse, and black!

Great news Cheryl!

Linda

I had the choice of purple, white, pink or blue when I broke my ankle three months ago! I chose purple, but had to have it taken off again a couple of days later anyway! That was even scarier!!! THEN they told me (and demonstrated) that the buzz saw they cut it with won`t cut skin anyway - I wish they`d told me that before they started!

Pat

Oh the choices were amazing. White, flesh, bright pink, neon yellow, bright blue, black, glow in the dark. And google tells there are more

And here is Canada, there is no choice; there is only public health with no possibility of any private medical treatment.

No - the choices are all on the NHS. They`re not plaster any more - I`m pretty sure it`s fibtre-glass. Nice and light, anyway.

Pat

I must confess that I am out of touch as the last time I had a plaster cast was about 50 years ago when I broke my arm.

That sounds like me. Last cast I had was 23 years ago. I slipped in oatmeal that DD spilled. I slid across the kitchen and put my foot through a cabinet door. The navy medic put a "jones' cast on (newest in soft splints) and told me to stay off my feet. I had 3 kids under age 6. I put up my foot and DD wanted to play horsey. I went back to the clinic and said "Cast it and put a walker on it!!!!"

Bobbie V.

Let`s hope you don`t update yourself the hard way, VBruce! ;-)

Pat

If nothing else, I wouldn't wish that on your dear wife...

Cheryl

For years now - even in the UK! The plaster comes in a bunch of colors - generally seen for pediatric uses. My last one - the doc made me use the white - there was some reason - having to do with how long the cast would be on or something.

ellice

They've been using fibreglass for about 20 years now. It's water resistant (not proof) and much lighter than the plaster, as well as tougher, less brittle. If it gets damp, you can dry with a blow dryer (not if it's soaked through). When I had my tendon reconstruction done the first time, the original cast was a humongous >60# plaster thing - extremely awkward. But, for the first 10 days that was what the doc wanted. Then they changed it to a fibreglass one, which was much lighter, and only to the knee. IIRC, did the same thing when that was re-done a few years ago. The plaster ones were always chipping up. Didn't help that when I had my achilles tendon lengthened at age 10 I also would go out and play kickball with the cast - IIRC when DM caught me she took away about a month of riding lessons....

I still remember when I broke both my arms (serially, not concurrently) at age 11 - my brother pushed me in the pool - towards the shallow end. I was so busy holding the cast up over my head (not easy, as it went to my shoulder, with bend at elbow) that I ended up breaking 3 toes. Boy, was he in trouble. Plus the plaster cast got splashed, and we had to go meet the doc at the ER, to replace it, and tape my poor toes.

In the ER we also have some air-activated wraps. For some simple fratures and for sprains - we wrap with understuff, then wrap what looks like an ace bandage but is really air-activated casting resin bandage - form it - then cover with more ace bandages. In a few minutes it's hard. Voila. What fun. I love doing that -the bandages are in lightprotected, sealed mylar bags. Wonders of modern science.

Ellice

You're my former neighbor?! Actually, she broke three arms serially. With the second, the cast had been off under an hour, and back to the doctor to get the other arm casted again.

If you'd have been placing bets, you would've guessed me for the one who'd have casts all the time; I was the daredevil. She broke arms losing her balance on the lawn, I got away with two broken fingers, neither of them caused by daredevil activity.

Then as an adult I fractured three vertebrae doing nothing more daring than walking to a library meeting. ???

That sounds like the stuff I had and thought was probably fibreglass!

Pat

Not so great. I actually broke the 2nd one the weekend after getting out of the final splint post cast for the 1st one. Riding accident.

I did lots of stuff, and honestly no serious injuries - beyond the torn ligaments, etc. but, when I was playing ball in college - D1 - can be brutal, I did have to play quite taped up. Prior to the season starting, I actually tore some ligaments in my bad leg while rock climbing/hiking/ on some Outward Bound weekend of whitewater, etc. When I came home for winter break, I was on crutches. DM & DD took me right to the orthopedist. I think that during visit 2 she tried to convince him to tell me that I should stop doing all these things (not happy about the Outward Bound stuff). But, OTOH, as long as the coach wasn't too mad.... My then orthopedist was the team doc for the Dolphins - so he wasn't going to tell a jock to quit - even a girl. Mom not happy. The best part of the injury/crutches thing - security would give me a ride to classes instead of the long, long walk over hill and dale from where the girls housing was then.

I know people that have severely broken their ankles stepping off a curb. Weird stuff happens.

ellice