DH broke his arm today

[Purron]

My DH took a bad fall this morning. He went out to get the paper in the pouring rain and slipped and fell when he came back into our garage. DH thought "no big deal" and headed off to work. About an hour later his arm swelled and started hurting like the dickens. He got it x-rayed and sure enough, broken arm bone. Good news is it's a clean break and no surgery is required. Bad news is he will have a cast on for 6 weeks.

I'm into momma bear overload tonight. I've already made plans to set up the bathroom so he can bathe safely. Non skid bath mat, grab bar, etc.

Any advise would be much appreciated.

[W2R]

Ouch! I am so sorry to hear this. I don't know anything about broken bones, not having ever broken anything but my toe before, so I can't really help you there. But I just wanted to convey my best wishes to you and your DH, and hopes for his swift recovery.

[freebird5825]

Did the doc tell him he needs to keep it elevated while in bed?
I'll share my post carpal tunnel surgery trick for keeping it elevated.
If Momma Bear owns a good sized teddy bear or two, use the bear(s) as a cradle for his arm.
Gently place DH's forearm between the 2 arms and also between the 2 legs and angle Mr. Teddy so DH's arm
is on a very slight upward slope. His fingers should be near the teddy's head, his elbow toward the teddy's butt. Or the reverse if that w*rks better.
It will help out immensely with residual swelling.

Hope he feels better soon.

[crazy connie]

Frozen bag of peas or cranberries are the best icepacks possible. Also, small trash bag (3 gal size) is great with a large rubberband to cover the cast for showering to keep it dry. Baby him a lot now and he can spoil you in August. Convince him that doing dishes is good therapy once the cast comes off.

[Moemg]

So sorry . Tell him to keep the arm elevated above the heart whenever he is home and have him exercise the fingers and ditto to Connie's suggestion about the plastic bag .

[Purron]

Thanks guys.

[Sue J]

If he's in the cast for 6 weeks you may want to invest in a proper waterproof cast cover. When my son broke his arm we bought one at a medical supply store. I can't find a link for the exact one but it was similar to this -

Waterproof Cast Protectors and Covers for Leg Casts, Arm Casts and Foot Casts at BrokenBeauties.com

If he needs to get his cast changed ask about getting a waterproof cast. The liner is a special fabric that dries super quickly instead of being cotton padding that can't get wet. You can wear this kind in the shower or tub and even run water down into it to rinse it out. I don't know why they don't offer these more often. It made a huge difference in caring for the cast and trying to keep it clean and dry. -

GORE PROCEL® Cast Liner: Waterproof Cast

I hope he's in a short cast. My son was in a cast over his elbow once and it was very awkward, heavy and difficult.

[Cattusbabe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purron My DH took a bad fall this morning. He went out to get the paper in the pouring rain and slipped and fell when he came back into our garage. DH thought "no big deal" and headed off to work. About an hour later his arm swelled and started hurting like the dickens. He got it x-rayed and sure enough, broken arm bone. Good news is it's a clean break and no surgery is required. Bad news is he will have a cast on for 6 weeks. I'm into momma bear overload tonight. I've already made plans to set up the bathroom so he can bathe safely. Non skid bath mat, grab bar, etc. Any advise would be much appreciated.

I feel your pain believe me. Glad it was not worse. Summer time is a really yucky time to have a cast...they itch like the dickens. I am sure the hospital warned him not to stick stuff down it to scratch. Hope he gets well soon poor guy.

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purron My DH took a bad fall this morning. He went out to get the paper in the pouring rain and slipped and fell when he came back into our garage. DH thought "no big deal" and headed off to work. About an hour later his arm swelled and started hurting like the dickens. He got it x-rayed and sure enough, broken arm bone. Good news is it's a clean break and no surgery is required. Bad news is he will have a cast on for 6 weeks. I'm into momma bear overload tonight. I've already made plans to set up the bathroom so he can bathe safely. Non skid bath mat, grab bar, etc. Any advise would be much appreciated.

Bummer. Looks like you will be mowing the grass for a while.

[bbbamI]

Gosh...I'm sorry Purron.

I wish I knew something to tell you that might help your DH. Quite frankly I'm worried about you getting clobbered with that cast when he rolls over in bed.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purron Any advise would be much appreciated.

The fiberglas casts are great for getting wet. Hope he didn't get old-school plaster.

Buy a squirt/spray bottle of sunburn treatment containing aloe with (this is the important part) lidocaine.

When the cast starts to itch, he can stick the nozzle down there and spray until the cooling lidocaine numbs the skin.

Or he can get a coat hanger and... eh, never mind. Better hide the coat hangers, forks, and knives for a month or two.

[Purron]

Thanks for the comments about the casts. His arm is wrapped and in a sling but no cast yet. The doc wants the swelling to go down before they put the the hard cast on next week. I'll ask about the figerglass ones for sure.

Nords, the sunburn treatment sounds like a good idea. I'm hitting Wal-Mart today and will pick some up. I'll look for some with lidocaine in it. I know anything with "caine" in the name is good for pain and the "itchies".

Dawg54, you got that right. I'll be learning the fine art of the riding lawnmower. Our house has a large yard plus we have a recently vacated rental on two acres! **Thinks to self - there's got to be a high school kid around here looking for work**

[vicente solano]

I hope it wasn´t his "good" arm that was injured and that the break doesn´t hamper him too much with his hobbies. And if your husband is as querulous as me, arm yourself with lots of patience!

[Purron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sue J If he's in the cast for 6 weeks you may want to invest in a proper waterproof cast cover. When my son broke his arm we bought one at a medical supply store. I can't find a link for the exact one but it was similar to this - Waterproof Cast Protectors and Covers for Leg Casts, Arm Casts and Foot Casts at BrokenBeauties.com If he needs to get his cast changed ask about getting a waterproof cast. The liner is a special fabric that dries super quickly instead of being cotton padding that can't get wet. You can wear this kind in the shower or tub and even run water down into it to rinse it out. I don't know why they don't offer these more often. It made a huge difference in caring for the cast and trying to keep it clean and dry. - GORE PROCEL® Cast Liner: Waterproof Cast I hope he's in a short cast. My son was in a cast over his elbow once and it was very awkward, heavy and difficult.

Great suggestions from someone who clearly has much more experience with casts than me. Thanks!!

[Purron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vicente solano I hope it wasn´t his "good" arm that was injured and that the break doesn´t hamper him too much with his hobbies. And if your husband is as querulous as me, arm yourself with lots of patience!

Naturally, it is his "good arm". DH is a lefty and is pretty good with his right arm. Like many lefties, living in a right handed world forced him to be somewhat ambidextrous. I will arm myself with patience and make sure we have plenty of good wine on hand

[LOL!]

Thank goodness he didn't go to the emergency room or he would still be there.

A few years ago, I had a Gore-Tex liner and fiberglass cast on my arm. In theory one could go swimming with it, but the reality is somewhat different. It breathes better, but if it gets wet, it is still annoying and takes a little while to dry. You want to spend the extra $20 for this type of cast though even if this modern technology is not covered by your insurance.

[ScooterGuy]

Back when I was poor/broke, I broke my arm. Slipped on a patch of mud ... in New Mexico, in the summer. Probably the only patch of mud within a 100-mile radius. Being alone at the time, I found ...

Showering was difficult. I had to put my arm-cast in a plastic bag.

I couldn't tie my shoes. FootSmart has a line of comfortable tennies that 'tie' with Velcro. I still prefer this kind of footwear.

I broke several fragile things, when I turned quickly and 'brushed' the cast against the things. Take waist-level breakables and put them somewhere safe.

I could steer a car and operate the turn signals, but not shift from 'park' into any other gear without a lot of contortions.

If the cast is on DH's dominant hand/arm, he's gonna spray when he sneezes (can't cover a cough or a sneeze).

He can easily type on a computer, but will have a lot of trouble shifting from a mouse to keyboard and back.

Basta ('enough').

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purron I will arm myself with patience

Pun intended?

[Purron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggy29 Pun intended?

It wasn't, but now that I think about it, it's pretty funny

[Bestwifeever]

That sounds like it will be a painful six months--maybe a little nightcap in the evening before bed will help (and some painkillers for your DH ).