What is a spica cast, you ask? A spica is a type of body cast made of fiberglass or plaster that typically goes from the chest to the hips and legs. There are different reasons why people need to wear body casts, but spica casts are most commonly used in children with hip dysplasia or to help heal a major broken bone such as the femur.
After Sarah’s spine surgery (a hemi-vertebra resection and fusion) she was cast in a spica. Sarah’s spica cast starts at her chest, just under her arm pits and extends to her knees. There is a titanium bar that goes between her legs, mid-thigh.
If your child requires a spica cast, your doctor will give you very specific instructions to follow. Follow them! The tips I’m sharing are non-medical, practical ways we’ve learned to make life with a spica cast a bit more tolerable for Sarah.
Pillows! You will need at least 6-8 pillows. I ransacked the house and pulled a variety of pillows from beds and closets. Having a combination of larger, fuller pillows and flat, firm pillows is helpful. Sarah is cast at an awkward angle (about 45 degrees) from her hips. I use 4 pillows (2 under each leg) to prop her legs. And, 2-3 more pillows to help prop her on her side when we rotate to change her position. We change Sarah’s position frequently, rotating her from side to back to side, to avoid bed sores and to keep her comfortable.
Bean Bag Chair. Some children can be mobile in their spica cast. Sarah cannot and is pretty much limited to her hospital bed which we lovingly call her “fancy up and down bed” or her reclining wheel chair which she is not fond of—it’s super uncomfortable. Our nurse recommended a bean bag chair and of all the tips I’ve been given, hands down our bean bag chair is the winner! Sarah can wiggle and adjust herself as necessary. And, she can comfortably sit in an almost upright position. She spends lots of time in her turquoise bean bag playing games, doing arts & crafts, and eating her meals. I found ours at Pier 1 Imports and it’s such a hit, her siblings now each have one too.
Incontinent pads & briefs. Because of the odd angle Sarah is cast, using a bedside commode proved to be nearly impossible. We never got the hang of a bed pan and so we mutually decided diapers were the way to go. The good news is that Sarah was still looped up on pain medicine in the hospital when we made this decision so by the time we got home, being in a diaper was just a new normal. We use Poise pads and disposable briefs. Because Sarah’s cast is so large, we actually use an adult size medium in the briefs! The diapers and maxi pads have provided endless amounts of jokes and potty humor from her older siblings. I just roll my eyes and am grateful for the laughter.
No Rinse Shampoo. Sarah’s hair is a disaster, y’all. I’m just going to be honest. The back of her hair is so matted and tangled (think dreadlocks!), it will have to be cut once we get her out of her cast. A few weeks ago, we rigged up a mini salon in her wheel chair and I tried everything to untangle the web of her hair. I used 1/2 a bottle of olive oil and a small bottle of conditioner – all to no avail. So, expect photos of a darling pixie cut soon. In the meantime, Mia found this no-rinse shampoo for us that is wonderful. You lather and towel dry. It works great (on the non-matted part of Sarah’s hair!) and would be idea for camping or mission trips where water is scarce.
No-rinse disposable wash cloths. Obviously, Sarah can’t take a bath in a spica cast. She is elated by this silver lining. However, sponge baths are a must, at least from her mother’s stand point. The hospital sent us home with a package of these no-rinse disposable wash cloths which I’ve since re-ordered on amazon. The cloths are soft, fragrance free and do not leave any icky residue behind on Sarah’s skin. Like the no-rinse shampoo, these disposable wash cloths would be incredible to take on mission trips.
Candles. Spica casts stink. And, not just figuratively. We’ve just chalked this unpleasant fact up to, “it is what it is.” I found these candles at CVS and we love them. The three wick version is the best and since I depleted our local supply (sorry neighbors!) and was grateful to find these fresh, clean scented candles on amazon.
Lap Desk. Sarah is either in her “fancy up and down bed” or her bean bag chair all day. Having a lap desk with a soft, pillow bottom has been a life saver. She can color, play Barbies, games, and eat her meals on her brightly colored lap desk.
I’m sure I’m forgetting a hundred things that might be helpful. If you have taken care of a child in a spica cast, please chime in with your tips. And, if you are preparing for an upcoming spica cast and have questions, please ask. I’ll get back to you promptly.
Love and encouragement from spica cast central! xo, Kristin
As I’ve written before, there is so much to learn here from Sarah’s big smile. Perhaps that’s not what all of her moments look like, but when she does smile, it looks like it comes from the very core of her being. Nice work! Having taken care of some sick family members, I will say that no rinse shampoo rocks the house. Sending love and prayers from Los Angeles and I can’t wait to see the photos from next week!
Thank you Adrienne! xoxo
You are an inspiration. The grace, love and care you show is simply beautiful. What great tips for people. May we all rise to meet the challenges with which we are faced with as much grace as you…. xo
Thanks, Krista! And, we LOVE the sussies you sent. YOU are an inspiration and walk the talk, my friend. xo
If I had a bunch of gold stars, I would give them all to you. You’re a great mama, Kristin. I know you aren’t telling us about the many ways that you are seeking Sarah’s comfort above your own. That is what love is, and you model it for us so well.
When you wrote about the rest of your kids wanting bean bags, I thought about this iconic line from “Madeline:” “We want our appendix out, too!”
Thank you for this great tips. Would you mind sharing the brand of no rinse disposable wash cloths?
Charissa, Here’s the link to the disposable wash cloths we used: http://www.amazon.com/Bedside-Care-EasiCleanse-Bath-Pack-30/dp/B000RH1SRU/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hpc_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0J3VKE1GTFBK341C947V Hope this helps!
Hi, just wanted to thank you for these wonderful tips! My 3 year old will be having her surgery in just a week and it’s so helpful to see other people go through similar experiences and share how they got through it. What, if i may ask, is the picture of on the bottom right of your cluster if pictures above?
Valerie, Gosh I remember those days leading up to Sarah’s surgery. Grateful our experience might give you some relief that you are not alone. The photo on the bottom right is a pillow based lap-desk. Sarah propped it on her cast so she could color and even eat! The best was the beanbag chair though… gave her a nice change from the hospital bed and sofa. All our best to you and your little one next week.
My son’s spica cast seems to be more straight than others… Can you share how you got her upright in the beanbag?!? Would LOVE for my son to sit ups little!
Caroline, We just squished the beanbag around to get her in the more up right position. Her cast was at an angle — almost like she was sitting. So maybe that helped, too. Good luck as you continue this journey with your son. I hope he’s out of his cast soon.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! For sharing these tips, my daughter goes for surgery in a couple of months so im preparing now. What did you do for clothes? Thanks.
Janann, Oh I will be thinking about you. For clothes, someone suggested that we rip the seams out of larger sweat pants and shorts and add velcro so they would be easy to put on over the cast. A neighbor helped me sew. BUT, we didn’t know there would be a large support bar on the spica cast between the legs. The bar was super helpful for lifting Sarah in and out of bed, but the clothes didn’t work. So, big t-shirts and loose dresses. The spica cast is hot so t-shirts were really the way to go. Let me know if you have any questions. Glad you found my site. I couldn’t find much on Spica Casts which is why I wrote this. xo, Kristin