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Full leg cast - what we learned - Vendors have ideas?
Hi all,
Looking for ideas of things to do while in Aruba in a cast with an active 14 yo boy.
Anyone reading who is coming in a cast may say - Ugh. We are just making the best of a tough situation...
We are here this week and our 14 yo guy has a waterproof cast from toes to mid-thigh. Ideally we would have rescheduled but with my husband's work travel schedule this was our only opportunity. For anyone else making the journey, here's what we've learned, and for whomever reads this and can help us with activity ideas - we would be very thankful. If there are tour or activity vendors who would work with us more personally, we'd like to talk with you.
Things we've figured out:
- Your vacation is not going to be what you planned. Focus on making memories and spending time together you aren't going to be at the beach. Sorry. Yes it is heartbreaking. Mourn, be angry, then either find a new perspective or the trip will be horrible. Remember that periodically they casted person is going to hit something they yearn to do and not be able to do it. They will need to be angry, mourn, and figure out how to get past the moment. Everyone's vacation is different. Not necessarily bad, just different.
- Rent a scooter!!! Get a van so you can lift it into the back and take it with you. Essential Health Supplies has been great. The scooter is a favorite activity, quite honestly many people at the Marriott Surf Club know our son, the large neon pink cast and he has lots of conversations. When he got distracted and ran into a light a bunch of funny adults requested his drivers license and got him laughing.
- Waterproof casts are super heavy when they are wet. He is very athletic, broke it playing soccer, but when that giant thing is wet, hopping to the next water activity is exhausting. Good thing his 18 year old brother can piggy back him to the water slide and such.
- Plan time to get the cast dried out - yes it is supposed to drain and wick away moisture, but his is huge and goes over two joints with bends. We have to help it for him to lighten the load and not have a wet sensation. The pressurized air hose at the resort is great to push out extra water, then we brought our high powered hair dryer with nozzle to finish the rest.
- Bring plenty of saran or cling wrap and a big roll of duct tape. At the grocery store in Aruba it is called "Vershoudfolie" if you need an extra roll. Wrap the cast in several layers, duct tape the ends (this will take several attempts to get good at it) and then one loop around the saran wrap and skin. Then a tiny leak is just a damp cast and not lots of hair dryer time if you have a larger cast. It takes 5-10 minutes to wrap well (his big cast) and way less time to switch gears afterward.
- Yes we have spent lots of time in the lazy river and will try to the water slide soon - it was closed when the boys went to go on it.
- When we get this system perfected (we are close), we are going to go snorkeling. No medical people want him in the ocean - no studies on how that goes and too variable. NO ONE wants sand inside his cast. This makes absolute sense - thus the need for sealing his cast. He gets a new cast a few days after we get home so we are working on perfecting the saran/cling wrap thing and putting in some fabric to act as a filter so we can go snorkeling one day or maybe give him some gentle ocean time (no big waves, that would be very painful on top of too much potential for sand inside the cast. If it goes badly he just has a few days until we get it changed.
- He is still in pain and on Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, and an occasional Percocet to manage all that. He is only two weeks since the break. A crazy ATV ride is out of the question.
- One artist was super kind, saw his cast and grabbed her acrylics to decorate it! Yay for the lovely people here!!!
- Everyone in the family has to aim for a good attitude. Making special memories and being together is the real point of the vacation. Be understanding of the wounded soul. If they are still in pain and managing disappointment - well that is just hard.
We are on day three of the trip and that is our "What we've learned so far..."
Activities we are aiming for:
One kiddo is going horseback riding, another is renting a dirt bike and going out (it is his special trip for graduating), no idea what cast boy will do that is special. We all want to go snorkeling and will make it happen somehow. We heard that the Pirate snorkel trip requires climbing to get into the boat so we will snorkel with a different group even though we have heard good things about the Pirate trip. I'm trying to get everyone to the Peacock Farm - its just different and he can scooter and enjoy it anyway.
Ideas? People who think they could cater to his needs and take us to do something???
He needs:
- Leg not to be slammed around - that bone is still in pieces - bone is starting to form.
- His leg is straight - it has to fit - the plane was torture, but flight attendants let him lay down on the floor by the main exit door and we held his foot up to get swelling down.
- He is strong and can lift and hop with the best of them - he can do a flight of stairs with no crutches. He could do a ladder if its not too long.
We are adventurous. If you have an idea - throw it out! We can vet the idea, we just need them. If we needed to give him a carry for a bit we could. This is all about us together making memories and experiencing Aruba.
Thanks to whoever reads this whole thing and can help us out or help the next poor soul that comes in a cast.
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Originally Posted by BranFamily
