Cast

We had our appointment with the orthopedist this morning. He assured me Clayton's break is a very minor thing. He said kids do this all the time, and that he'll need to wear a cast for 4 weeks. Then he'll be as good as new. He had been made aware of Clayton's cardiology issues, and I was a little taken aback by how compassionate he seemed about that. He wanted to know about Clayton's surgeries, how he was doing, and what we expect on the horizon. Over and over he assured me the arm was definitely no big deal in the grand scheme of Clayton's medical history. I could tell he was the slightest bit shaken up about Clayton's heart.

I have to say it was a slightly refreshing appointment.

1. A doctor with excellent kid bedside manner, and he's not even a peds specialist.

2. A doctor with compassion for Clayton's condition- the arm and the heart.

3. An orthopedist that knew what HLHS was. Not all doctors remember the chapter on congenital heart defects.

Clayton sat super still and didn't care at all as the tech put on the new cast. They were out of blue casts, so Clayton's next choice was purple, which was quickly vetoed by Mama, who selected green. Lucky for Clayton, they were able to do a short cast below the elbow. Not being able to bend his elbow had really annoyed him in the splint. The cast is also waterproof (I'd never heard of such a thing), so he'll be able to bathe, swim, and most importantly, run through the sprinklers. The tech told me insurance would not cover the waterproof cast, but she'd put it on if I payed the difference. I braced myself as I asked how much I'd have to pay out of pocket. $15. Sold! I think we'll get our money's worth.