Hot Pink Body Cast

On Thursday the 15th Cowpokette and I went out to the barn to clean stalls, fill water buckets, and let out Ozzie. It was what we do every morning, but that morning ended up a bit different. Cowpokette climbed up on some cattle panels that were leaning up on a fence. When she got to the top of the panel, it fell backwards, and she landed on her back with her left leg back behind her.

When that happened, she screamed. It was a panic scream. I was across a turn out pen filling up a water bucket. I ran across the field and climbed through the barb wire fence. I was telling her, "Momma's coming! Stay calm, it's okay, momma's coming!!"

I lifted up the fence and saw her left foot bent behind her, it wasn't how a foot was supposed to be. I put her leg back how a leg was supposed to be and it felt like jelly. Cowpokette looked at me and said, "I want to go home and get an ice pack."

We went home and I propped her up on some pillows and gave her an ice pack. She wasn't crying but kept telling me that her bo bo hurts. Just then my sister in law knocked on the door. Which was wonderful because I was worried about what I should do. I answered the door and said, "I think Cowpokette broke her leg!"

We looked over her and I called the doctor. Which was annoying. Nobody could get her in until 2 pm and it was 11 am. I was debating to take her to the ER, but I now how much that costs and I knew the doctor's office was opened so I wanted to get her into there first. I ended up making her an appointment for 1:45 pm. I left the house at noon and just showed up and said, "She broke her leg, can he see her now!"

They saw how much pain she was in and they got her in right away. The lady who took her x-ray was the best ever! After she saw just how broken her femur bone was, she insisted we don't move Cowpokette. She showed me the x-ray and her bone was snapped in two. Just like a stick. I felt so bad. That same x-ray tech drove us to the hospital. She stayed with us in the ER to make sure the ER knew how severe the brake was. She was wonderful.

It was wonderful having her in there with me and Cowpokette. She parked my van and then gave me her personal phone number in case I needed anything. At this point I was a crying mess, Cowpokette? Nope, not a tear, she was smiling!

The nurses came in and prepped her for surgery. Cowpokette got an IV. She just watched. Here she is smiling for the camera and showing us her bracelets. She thought tat was so cool that she got TWO of them! We then went from the ER to the Recovery room where they prepped Cowpokette and Me for surgery. I didn't go in, but they told me everything that was going to be done. By then Mr. Cowboy had gotten there. He had to drive over an hour to get to us.

Cowpokette had to have a tube put in and then a full body cast. I asked the Dr. if she could have a pink cast! He said sure! And here is my Princess in her room for the night. She was all smiles and such a wonderful kid. I am kinda sad because she was fully potty trained and now we are back to diapers, so hopefully this won't set her back too much. Cowpokette wouldn't let anyone sign her cast. She wanted her best friend Ryanne to sign it first.

The next morning the Dr. came in at 7:45 and woke her up to check her out. He said we could go home. We loaded her up in a wagon and took her down to the van. I laid her in the middle row of seats. She told me, "Momma, drive soft soft and slow slow!" She is such a sweet girl. Still smiling. We got home and I gave her some pain medicine. The stuff tastes horrible, but she drinks it up because she knows it makes her feel better. The first day she spent on the couch. Today we have her in a big wagon. She actually is bugging me right now to take her for a walk in the wagon. I am glad she is so wonderful about it all. This morning I had to put her on her belly and really wipe her bottom well. I then took alcohol and wiped her cast and her bottom down. Then I had to take a blow dryer to her to dry out her cast. She liked being on her belly. And she enjoyed getting aired out. I am so nervous about her getting sores.

So, if anyone has any advice about how to take care of a full body cast let me know! I am hoping that next week, when she isn't so sore, that I will be able to hold her over a bed pan. That will help her stay dry. I have Googled it and read a lot about using hair dryers on cool, and using alcohol to keep the skin dry and tough.

Cowpokette will wear this for 4-6 weeks. We go once a week to have an x-ray done to check the heeling. I pray that the 4-6 weeks go by quickly.