Last Thursday I was wrestling and broke a metacarpal. Since then I have gotten a cast, covering my forearm and left hand. In my fifteen-and-half-year-long existence, this is my first experience with a cast. I like to think I’m lucky. Now that I have a cast I thought I would tell the world about having a cast.
Having a cast really stinks, for those of you who haven’t had one. They’re hot, sweaty, and downright smelly. They itch a lot, too. So, if one of your kids ever has a cast, don’t harass them for complaining. Don’t let them whine incessantly, but there’s no point in harassment for a little complaint. Casts aren’t fun.
Try to help your child out. Since I only have one hand and a thumb to work with currently, daily tasks are a pain in the rump. It takes me two minutes to put on jeans. Typing this article took twice as long. I still cannot cut and butter a bagel. So, help your child out a little. If you don’t, they might end up dropping plates everywhere. At the same time, don’t baby them. I don’t mind a little help, but being treated like I can’t use either hand is kind of insulting.
If your child plays high school sports, be ready to accommodate for them still playing. Currently, I am still practicing, I just cannot use my upper left extremity. I can still run, stretch, do abdominal workouts, and do jumping jacks with the team. When the team is wrestling, I ride a stationery bicycle with a teammate who is also injured. In a week I will be returning to the doctor’s for an x-ray. If all goes well, he will clear me to wrestle for the remainder of the season. I will simply have to wrap the cast in foam padding to prevent injury to myself or others. So, if your child is wearing a cast as a high school athlete, don’t expect them to drop the sport.
Here’s my part for the kids:
- Wake up 5 minutes earlier in the morning. It will make your routine a heck of a lot easier.
- Ask your parents to buy the shower bag. Your life will get a lot easier.
- Take a sweatshirt that you really don’t like, and cut a sleeve off of it. If you have any sweatshirts that don’t have elastics in the wrists, you can wear these without a problem. If you wear a sweatshirt that you like that has elastics in the wrists, it will stretch the wrist and ruin it. (I have no clue about broken legs; do a Google search.)
- When you are carrying a lunch tray, ask a friend to help. You don’t want to end up spilling it and looking like a fool.
- When you are going to bed at night, try to keep the broken limb pointed somewhat away from the rest of the body. Otherwise you might roll over on it and hurt it.
- The doctor might tell you that tapping on your cast will make the itching go away; it doesn’t really work.
Having a cast really stinks.