Arrgh, DD has broken femur

[2littleprincesses]

I am upset at the moment. Saturday night, DD was having a tantrum because she didn't want to go to bed, and somehow broke her femur. We think she either got twisted in the sheets, or got her leg stuck between the mattress and the wall and twisted her leg getting back out.

Looks like we're spending 6 weeks in hospital in traction. But there has been talk of putting her in a hip spike and she might be able to come home.

She's 2y9m. Has anyone else had a child in this situation, and what did you chose for the splint? If you did bring the child home, how did you cope? I also have a 1yo daughter. yes, it's her birthday today and we're spending it in hospital, poor little sausage.

Thanks for your answers. Just trying to weigh up pros and cons

[InSaneOne]

oh you poor things :hugs: .

it might be better to leave her in hospital for a few days til she gets used to things. then have plenty of games and toys and videos to watch and do when she comes home. if you have a skateboard you could let her sit on it and move around like that. otherwise shuffling on her bum will become like second nature for her. just don't let them take off the cast too early. one of the mothers in my playgroup had that happen and she even kept her son home for an extra week from daycare and the poor little guy ran into a chair and re-broke it so he had to spend another 8 weeks in a cast. i think they took it off the first time at 5 weeks, because the dr said kids heal really quick.

i hope she gets better soon and isn't to much of a grouch for you.

[the_queen]

Yeah I would keep her in the hospital for a little while; things like bathing will be much easier there. My daughter has had a few hospital stays and I always stay in there with her - but I've not had a younger child to care for as well. Do you have a good support system? Maybe your mum, or MIL, or sister etc, someone like that, could come and stay at your place for the 6 weeks? To either be at home with the little one, or at the hospital with the older one.

Hugs to you all, what a horrible situation.:hugs:

[FourAngelKisses]

*hugs* for you all. I haven't had a child with a broken leg, but DS1 has broken his arm.........twice in 14mths. My personal recommendation would be hospital. It takes forever to get them dressed (plus you tend to need to modify clothes or buy bigger sizes to fit over the casts, bathing or showering is hard because no matter how tigh you do the bag up or even if you put 2-3 bags on, they still leak and the cast gets wet. Then you're having to do everything for them, you just don't get a break.


I hope she has a speedy recovery, best wishes!!

[2littleprincesses]

Thank you, we've spoken to the senior registrar who says a hip spica could be a good idea, and one of the nurses thinks they're great, but the orthopaedic surgeon would prefer that she stay in traction. I spoke to another nurse this morning who has a son with cerebral palsy who often has a cast on and she says that it's really tough and maybe would be better in hospital. The Occupational Therapist still says it's our decision.

My mum and dad have my 1yo DD, so I don't have to worry about looking after her and dragging her back and forth.

DH doesn't think I'll be able to manage very well with her at home, either. THe hip spica would go from her ankle right up to the chest and from above the knee up on the other leg. She'll be way too heavy for me to lift I think. She won't be able to move at all without our help.

I've made my decision to keep her in hospital. I just hope I don't worry that I've made the wrong decision.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

Angel Kisses - I've just modified some pj pants so they do up at the side. Not nice to see a little girl laying with her nappy on, legs spread wide open. Hope this will look a lot nicer!

[FourAngelKisses]

*hugs* I hope she has a speedy recovery and you can have her home soon.

[2littleprincesses]

Well, it's been 3 weeks already. The dr says that it's nice and straight, and is looking good. More weight was added to the traction on Tuesday.

Here is a (ahem) funny story though. When we were in emergency, we were asked if we wanted to go public or private. I said private because we wanted the orthopaedic surgeon to do the operation. After this a registrar looked at the xrays and wanted to perform the operation in the emergency room. Another dr and some nurses tried to talk him out of it. Apparently at her age it's too risky to give her the anaesthetic without being closely monitored, and it's much safer to wait until the morning and do it in theatre. At the time I thought "oh no, that's 5 hours away, I want it fixed". Thankfully we waited until the next morning and the orthopaedic surgeon performed the operation.

Another boy came in a few days later with a broken femur and this registrar operated on this boy. Last Saturday his traction came competely off his leg and he was in so much pain. It wasn't until 8.15pm Sunday night that the registrar came back to redo it. HE KEPT LOOKING AT MY LITTLE GIRL'S TRACTION TO SEE HOW TO DO IT CORRECTLY! HE DIDN'T KNOW! He didn't put the weights on correctly, almost dropped a 2lb weight on the little boy. Now an xray shows that his leg isn't healing as straight as it should be.

I am just so glad that we waited and he didn't do it.

Anyway, better go, am off looking for a fridge this morning and then off to spend another day in hospital. zzzzzzzzzzz.

Take care everyone, and thanks for your kind words.

[FourAngelKisses]

I'm so pleased to hear that your daughter is doing well and that you waited until the following morning to have it set. I hope that the other little boy starts healing properly soon and can go home, he sounds like he has been through hell. :(

[Sheer Bliss]

I hope everything is going well for you! Being in Hospital sux!! I think you have made the right decision to stay, and not have the hip spica cast. DD was 9months when she broke her femur. It was only a greenstick fracture & she was in traction for a week (it was over christmas & there wasn't the staff to put the spica on sooner). It thought it was hard trying to keep her occupied (& breastfeed for that matter!), but getting home in the hip spicas was even harder. They probably explained it to you, that they are not allowed to bear weight with the cast on, so it would have been near impossible for you to keep your DD off her feet! We also had a fibreglass cast which was much easier than plaster.

Sorry this info is late - I only joined last week! Just wanting you to know that I hope your daughter is doing well & you are coping OK with all the hospital visits.:thumbsup:

[BiNdI86]

Hi 2littleprincesses

Just wondering how your DD is going? Hope everything is going well :fingerscrossed: :fingerscrossed:

:hugs: for you and your family

[2littleprincesses]

Thanks Bindi, yes DD's doing well, we've been told that maybe one more week and the traction can come off, but I expect she'll have an xray on Monday and will be told more then.

-2littleprincesses