So Tim had his 'serial casting' done. Tuesday day after his birthday.
He was supposed to have it on for more then a day but some problems occured.
The serial cast , which is heavy duty fibre glass was done incorrectly.
Tim was in absolute agony, screaming and shouting "Take it off , take if off,"!!!
We had expected some pain perhaps more discomfort but he is a very tolerant boy and this was about half an hour after it had dried, no problems before that so showed it wasn't JUST because he wanted it removed.
We phoned the part of the hospital where it had been done.
I wanted them to hear what Timmy was like but they said it would be the hardest day and if we could get him through this evening thats the hardest part and that tell him no one is going to do anything until he had had calpol and that Tim isn't very tolerant of things is he like his DAFO. I had to remind her that the reason Tim is having this treatment is so that he can actually get the foot IN THE DAFO!Believe me our son is very tolerant of pain. The dafo incidentally has been made horribly and I will post a picture and show you.

Tim couldn't sit down, walk the stairs ,after it had dried and that didn't seem quite right to us.
We were expecting to be walking about as normal as you could with a heavy plaster
Then it calmed down for a bit then he was doing it all again.
Swearing abuse at it at us at people in general breaking everything in sight trying to get a knife in the kitchen to cut if off, screaming and crying in agony.

We tried to comfort him thought he was having some kind of normal spasms and perhaps he was on top of what had already occured but at 11pm at night when it became apparent that this just wasn't just an intolerant boy as said on the phone I said to my husband. "Just take him up there now and get it off"

Cut a long story short The Doctor's A and E and plaster room were horrified. The fibre glass plaster was far far too tight. His little toe was invisible and all five toes should have been showing the toe had gone blue and was totally squashed and one side of his foot had gone white and weird in appearance, so much so that a nurse brought a doctor in straight away.
Now at the time when they did this they tried to cut around it to make it visible and you just see the tip of his little toe , so they should have done it again.

Quotes from the hospital staff nurses and plaster room

"Does he only have four toes"
"I do hope this wasn't done here!!"
"This is totally unacceptable"
" I shouldn't be saying this but my advice is not to let these people near him again"
"I will keep that cast if you don't mind someone needs to be shown this"
"Were these people qualified to do this?"

It also caused great pain taking it off because of the way it had been put on.
We know that departmental differences occur but this wasn't a case of that

Needless to say we cancelled the next four week appointments.



I knew this wasn't a regular treatment that goes on at the hospital because after it had been done I had to phone plaster room to book an appointment for a 'serial cast split' (they split the cast then the ones doing the plastering take if off obviously before his next serial cast,
Me: "Hello, my son had a serial cast put on today and I need an appointment for it to be split preferably for next tuesday when he goes back for the next one rather then the day before"

Plaster room:"Sorry can you repeat that"

Me: My son started serial casting treatment today and the Orthotics department said to ring you for it to be split so they can remove that one and recast the next one. His appointment is next Tuesday at 11.45 so it would be more convienient if you could possibly do it before that time next Tuesday on the same day rather than the Monday.

Plaster room: Getting a bit confused here dear arn't we darling"

Me: Not from my end

Big Pause

Me:I take it this isn't a regular thing you come up against then, or is this not the Plaster room appointments number?

Plaster room: Oh I get you now sorry about that! yes come half an hour before.

I have got to add here that the plaster room were absolutely fantastic with Tim in every way according to my husband and one was nearly crying with him when they were have real trouble removing the cast.