United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Just out of curious I would like to kmow how other children responded to the removal of the splint. How did the children place or hold their arms? How much pain was involved? Did anyone go into the pool immediately following the removal? What was the first couple of days like? Would enjoy reading all stories may they be good or bad...

Each child is different. But we do hear a lot about children needing to take time - usually about a week to have their arms get used to not being in the splint.

We tell people to try and do it in warm water and to give their children tylenol in advance. And to just let the child take the lead on how fast or slow they need to go.

Maia was in the warm pool for about 20 mins and then she had a meltdown and the next day it hurt her so much she didn't want the splint off at all. The following day she allowed some time - about an hour if I remember correctly...but it did take a whole week for her to be ok with it.

Good luck and I hope that things work out easier than not. Some kids really do well - so just keep an open mind.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-francine

Hi Michelle,
Amanda had modquad at 17 months. We took the splint off in the tub for the first time. When I brought her arm down she collapsed into her arm and was almost bent all the way over. I just tried to bring it down further a little bit at a time but it was still awful. We only kept the splint off for the first day about ten minutes. Then each day I tried to lengthen the time until it was off all day. This took at least a week if I remember correctly. But every child is different. At a recent picnic I saw the doctor take a little girl out of her mq splint for the first time and she hardly flinched. I couldn't believe my eyes!

My son had the mod quad last Aug and did take a week or two before he felt "comfortable" with using his arm. He definately babied it. The first day or so he barely moved it. He actually held onto the arm with his good arm. We removed the cast in a warm bath. It was good, but after an hour or two he wanted the cast back on so we did. The next day was better, he had it off for almost the whole day. It takes some time, you might have to build up to having it off the whole day. But then again all kids are different. My son got the cast off on a tuesday and we started aqua therapy on a thursday. Definately think that helped. His arm was smaller and more fragile looking when we first took off the cast, but it didn't last long. Give it a few days and you'll see great improvement. Good luck

Katie did OK with taking hers off BUT she did baby her arm and it stayed up in the air for quite some time. Even 7 months later (she just had the caps) she was still holding it up slightly and looked like she was charging when she took off walking or running. Some of the kids arms swing when they run but hers was stiff as a board right out in front.

We did give her tylenol and she only did a few hours the first day but after that she wanted nothing to do with it. We had to let her go to sleep before we could put it back on after that first night off a full day off.

Our experience was fairly easy, it took a few days for her to adjust (very little pain), but she insisted on sleeping in her cast for a week or so after, till this day she still sleeps with her arm as though it was in her SOL cast.

We took off the cast for a few hours at a time and took her into the jacuzzi for the first few days, the heat helped to loosen her arm.

All kids are different.

Dawn

My daughter will be getting her cast taken off in a little over 2 weeks from having the MQ. Just wondering what I will do if its very painful/uncomfortable for her because its a cast & we can't put it back on??? Also she will be getting it removed at the Hospital, so there will not be a nice warm bath to put her in. Any suggestions would be extremely helpful!!! THanks a Bunch...Happy Turkey Day too! Melissa

Juliana had the mq at 14 1/2 months. We are in an aquatherapy program (heated pool) and we took the splint off at the side of the pool. She was okay for the hour of swim, but wanted the splint back on right away. I had never seen her arm in the air before, so I cried, she didn't. It took about a week before she could go the whole day without it. She babied it a lot, too. She just seemed exhausted by having it down, at first. As hard as it would be for us to hold our arm UP all day, that is what it seemed like for her to keep it DOWN. By the way, she also run like a battering ram--arm straight out in front of her. Watch out!!! Good luck.