Questions...
What would you call a simple break?
I'd say a hairline fracture would be the ticket. Here's why....
My daughter had a hairline fracture in the small bone of her forearm. She got it because she put her hands out to catch herself on the way down and most of her weight compressed the bone and cause a crack that ran from her wrist to about two and a half inches up the bone.
She will have a neighbor drive her to emergency room. What will take place once she arrives, specific to her broken arm? Xrays? Cast? Permanant cast? Temporary cast? How long does the "casting" take?
Will she be released to go home as soon as she is in the cast? I assume she will be on pain killers for a few days?
How long will she have to wear the cast?
She had to have a cast that immobilized her wrist. The hospital trip took about a half hour before a doctor/PA saw her, then X-rays which took another hour at least. There was a long wait between X-rays and the PA returning. It may even have been a different "doctor" (we never did see a "real" doctor). So about two hours after arriving we were told the extent of the break. She'd been given an ice pack that was completely melted/warm by that point so a nurse brought in another one. She was finally given Tylenol at that point. It really didn't have an effect because we'd been waiting so long and it wasn't strong enough to combat the pain.
About twenty minutes after being told what kind of break it was, seeing the fuzzy black and white pictures (where the young med student/intern pointed out the hairline) and after reading all the magazines in the room, plus the stupid posters (two or more years old) on the walls, the directions for how to use the blood pressure cuff...opening drawers (which my daughter yelled at me for doing. Sue me, I was curious and we were left to our own devices...) Where was I? Oh yeah...
Anyways...twenty minutes later a nurse came in and wrapped up her arm. ***I think they put her in a soft cast and then later put on the colorful cast, so it may have been two trips. Sorry, it was almost ten years ago. *** First they put a sock on her arm which is really a sleeve of stretchy cotton spandex. Then there was a cotton batting like material. When they put it on they began applying the quick set plaster strips. On top of that was another "colorful" coating made of something. I believe it may have fiberglass in it because it set up very hard. I didn't pay much attention to that part because I had been interrupted after finding a drawer with some funny looking metal pointing things in it...ooo shiny!
I remember the nurse asking her what color she wanted. There was a choice between navy, white, hot pink, green (neon), orange..um red? There's even "patterned" coverings. I think camouflage and flowered were two choices. Maybe a nurse could answer that. Morgan chose hot pink. We got to leave as soon as the paperwork was signed.
After about two weeks it didn't hurt her much and she stopped taking Tylenol/etc. for it. They never prescribed her pain medication either because she was a child, or because it wasn't necessary so I think you're MC could do without. However, doctors (perhaps) are a bit more lenient or ready to prescribe medication for adults because 1) they may sue, and 2) face it, adults are wusses and complain more about the pain.
She had to keep it on for six weeks. She only needed a sling for the first four days. After that, she just slung it around like a club. It came in handy on the playground. (She was eight.)
How would she feel immediately after it breaks? I've read through this post and the linked post, and see a wide range of feelings after various broken bones. Is there anything specific to a minor broken arm?
I don't know about how Morgan felt with her arm but I've broken two bones and here's my impressions of the pain.
Break #1
broken finger (hit a wall instead of a person and made the mistake of not checking where the stud was...) an ache-y sort of pain, but not much sharp pain except for when I moved it, then it felt exactly like it was supposed to...rough bone shifting around amidst tendons and muscle. It was as if someone put something inside my hand and was twisting it around but coming from the inside out not the outside in - does that make sense? It was also accompanied by a numb feeling, slight bruising and couldn't close my hand because it swelled slightly.
I went for X-rays a day later which confirmed it was broken. They put a cast on. (Plain white in those days) The pain and numbness continued until the cast came off. To this day the bone is bent and when it rains or gets cold it aches. I didn't get pain meds.
Break #2 my little toe
There was immediate pain. A sort of OMG I wanna curl up into a fetal ball and cry type pain. (I was an adult by this point and major wussing was going on) I could hobble on it, but was not comfortable putting shoes on. X-rays confirmed a hairline (less severe than green stick type) fracture but because it is primarily used for standing/walking etc. and balance it gave me problems for months.
The doctor prescribed medication, but I was allergic to it. Then she prescribed something else which I had a reaction to. Lucky me...can't take codeine or similar, can't take opiates (allergies) and the synthetics give me stomach problems...whoot! Not. I took Motrin chased by Tylenol four hours later. Then Motrin three hours after that.(A trick I learned when my girls were little and would spike fevers between doses)
I had a "boot" which is a Frankenstein shoe with canvas straps to make it adjustable. No cast. After I got the ok to stop wearing it I still hobbled for a long time. I had to "relearn" how to walk correctly because I spent so much time avoiding putting weight on that side of my foot it had changed my gait. In retrospect the fracture in my hand was much more severe, but the silly foot injury sidelined me more.
Hope that helps.
Amy
Kidding.