Must haves or helpful products for spica cast care

 These are items that have helped us take care of Kylee & her spica cast while she is in it.

* Reclining Wheelchair - If you are going to purchase or rent any wheelchair, one that can be reclined in different positions or lay down flat should be good - definitely one that has a buckle so they can't slide out - rolled up towels also help on the sides to help prevent child sliding to one side, or a pillow near the foot so there is support.

          This is Kylee's wheelchair, she loves sitting in it to do her arts & crafts

* Bean Bag Chair - A regular kind should work fine, we got one that is shaped more in a sitting up position, which hopefully will be useful when both her legs are casted.

* Maxi-Cosi stroller - This is the stroller we got for Kylee, it is great because it lays down flat, and can angle at the bottom

 

        More info about this stroller can be found here : Maxi-Cosi Perle Stroller

* Pillows, Blankets & Towels - Fold them to help prop up the leg(s) and help keep them comfortable.

* Flashlight -  Use to check inside openings of cast for sores, irritation from urine or tape, discloration, or any random crumbs that sneak in.

* Note Pad & Coloured Pens - Great to keep track of your child's progress - we used a Blue pen to write when Kylee's position was changed, what position and the time. A Red pen was used to keep track of her medicine type and dosages and time medicine was given. Black pen was for her temperature and the times it was taken.

* Castcooler or a hair dryer - A MUST-HAVE!!! The Castcooler is amazing! It truly does work the way they advertise and for us was totally worth it! A hair dryer works ok, and was used whem Kylee was scared to use the Castcooler at first(because of the vacuum suction - note: you need a vacuum for this product).

 For more info on Castcooler, check out the website here : www.castcooler.com

* Tape -  we tried many different kinds of tape... sports tape, gorilla tape and duct tape work for us the best -  sports tape doesn't irritate -  place around edges where openings are around private areas, then use duct tape and gorilla tape to hold down sports tape. Its good because the tape can be replaced when needed (ex: when it gets wet from urine)

* Washcloths, Basin or bucket for water, soapy water - Needed for sponge baths - good to keep them as clean as possible. Because the cast should not get wet, you can use towels or plastic bags to cover places you don't want getting wet.

* Diapers or Underwear/Light Pajama Shorts/Leg Warmers - In the beginning, after the surgery - diapers are basically the way to go...especially as they are first recovering. Kylee, because she is older and was already potty trained, prefers to use the toilet, we hold her on an angle and it works - shorts are great as they are not too tight and are easy to remove in a hurry for a bathroom trip.

Clothes - We use shorts, tights or bigger sized pants and they fit over the cast. For shirts, the sizes 4/5 wear fine on Kylee(almost 4yrs-size 4). Nightgowns and dresses as well work fine... as long as the clothes are loose fitting and not too tight. There are also great websites online that you can purchase clothes made specifically for children in spica casts.

* Britax Hippo Car Seat - we rent the one we have, otherwise we have to spend more to get an ambulance to get her to and from the hospital. Ask your hospital if they rent them out, or if they know where you can get or rent one.

                                                  This is the Britax Hippo Car Seat