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crucifyingcupid

crucifyingcupid

San Antonio, TX
February 2005

JUL 21, 2005 01:38 PM

I broke my arm about a month ago and it is finally time to get this hateful pink cast removed. The problem? I recently lost my job and w/o insurance I can't afford to have the cast removed professionally. Does anyone have any tips for removing it myself? I can't exactly leave it in place until I am able to fiond another job with insurance. Thanks

PointBlank

PointBlank

New York, NY
November 2004

JUL 21, 2005 01:41 PM

Don't do that.

robosagogo

robosagogo

State College, PA
September 2004

JUL 21, 2005 01:42 PM

How is it taken off?

* Your child will probably have to wear the splint or cast from a few weeks to a few months.
* A doctor or trained assistant should take off the cast. Never do it at home.
* The doctor uses a round saw to remove a cast. The saw makes a loud noise. It shakes, but does not turn. It does not cut the skin.
* The padding will protect your child's skin.

http://www.vh.org/pediatric/patient/pediatrics/cqqa/splints.html#5

[Edited on Jul 21, 2005 by robosagogo]

Twwly

Twwly

SUICIDEGIRL

Ontario, Canada

JUL 21, 2005 01:46 PM

Oscillating electric cast saw, or plaster shears. I'd do it with the shears (they look like a branch trimmer). Less likely to cut the shit out of yourself.

Of course, "you should see a doctor".

PointBlank

PointBlank

New York, NY
November 2004

JUL 21, 2005 01:47 PM

Call the hospital where you got the cast (how did you pay for that?). Tell them your problem, not anonymous strangers on the internet. Ask them if they know a free clinic, or if they have a sliding scale for emergency services. You might need physical therapy. You might not be ready to have it off without a splint or a sling.

Take care of yourself.

Cherie

Cherie

Providence, RI
October 2002

JUL 21, 2005 01:49 PM

PointBlank said:
Don't do that.



Yikes! I second this advice. Please be safe.

Ryan_Dipietro

Ryan_Dipietro

Naples, FL
April 2004

JUL 21, 2005 01:53 PM

You wont EVER get it off without cutting the shit out of yourself.

crucifyingcupid

crucifyingcupid

San Antonio, TX
February 2005

JUL 21, 2005 02:45 PM

When I got it put on I had insurance that paid for it........I suppose I could just go to my appt and pray that they take checks....

sick

sick

Minneapolis, MN
June 2003

JUL 21, 2005 05:16 PM

Perhaps it's an all-inclusive service? That is, they charge for removal at the same time they put it on, so you've already paid for it. If they don't, well, it just doesn't make much sense.

"Yes, sir, we know you paid to have it put on. But now you have to pay to get it off. If you can't pay, I'm afraid we'll just have to leave it on forever."

But things are silly sometimes, so I guess this wouldn't surprise me.

Rosscoe

Rosscoe

I'm lost
March 2005

JUL 21, 2005 05:18 PM

i agree with what he said ^

plus not worth risking hurting yourself again and incurring more hospital bills

clara

clara

MODERATOR

Baltimore, MD

JUL 21, 2005 05:28 PM

Sick said:
Perhaps it's an all-inclusive service? That is, they charge for removal at the same time they put it on, so you've already paid for it. If they don't, well, it just doesn't make much sense.


I would think not. It's not unheard of for people to have these things done at different places since they happen at different times. I had to pay to have my stitches removed because I couldn't see them to do it myself and I paid for an office visit.

It's worth asking how much it costs because it may not be as much as you're expecting. You may even be able to have it done at a clinic that caters to the unemployed and indigent.

Jimbo

Jimbo

Dallas, TX
August 2003

JUL 21, 2005 05:28 PM

don't do it! go to the county health clinic or something if they have one

MissTyrios

misstyrios

NEWSWIRE

Allston, MA

JUL 21, 2005 05:30 PM

I started college - in a new city and state - with a cast on my arm. I couldn't get back to see my orthopedist at home, and I couldn't get a new orthopedist to give me an appointment to just take off a cast (literally, receptionists laughed at me). So I went to a nearby hospital, went up to the orthopedic section, and begged someone to just take the cast off. And they did. It takes about 2 minutes. The residents seemed a little wary that maybe it hadn't healed yet or whatnot, but when I explained my situation to them (as well as assured them that it hadn't actually been a break, just ligament damage that my doc wanted to protect with a cast) and they took it off.

Of course, it was kind of a sketchy hospital. When I got pneumonia a few months later and ended up in their emergency room, they lost me. They couldn't figure out where they put me and had to keep paging me to find me. I was semi-conscious and having trouble breathing, but hey.

MissTyrios

misstyrios

NEWSWIRE

Allston, MA

JUL 21, 2005 05:39 PM

How long ago did you lose your job? Have you looked into COBRA coverage? I'm fairly sure that employers that provide healthcare have to give recently terminated employees the chance to buy into COBRA, which is like temporary coverage until you get back on your feet or whatever. I believe that you pay the same or less than you were paying for coverage while employed. It's a really, really good idea (I think you can choose to activate it up to a few months after termination). Especially because you had an actual break and it would be a good idea to get follow-up care in addition to just getting the cast off.

sick

sick

Minneapolis, MN
June 2003

JUL 21, 2005 05:48 PM

Clara said:

Sick said:
Perhaps it's an all-inclusive service? That is, they charge for removal at the same time they put it on, so you've already paid for it. If they don't, well, it just doesn't make much sense.


I would think not. It's not unheard of for people to have these things done at different places since they happen at different times. I had to pay to have my stitches removed because I couldn't see them to do it myself and I paid for an office visit.

It's worth asking how much it costs because it may not be as much as you're expecting. You may even be able to have it done at a clinic that caters to the unemployed and indigent.



I'd actually thought of people having to have it taken off in a different place, but I still think it's silly. There was some other situation I ran across lately that was like this. Now I can't remember what it was, though. Grr...

MrStitches

MrStitches

Brooklyn, NY
November 2003

JUL 21, 2005 06:00 PM

It smells pretty bad when you have a cast taken off.
I think if you used like. . .some tin snips, or something similar, and were really careful, you could get it off okay. Or maybe those scissors that EMTs use. They are made to be safe for cutting off clothing, so it would probaly be hard to cut yourself, and they're pretty tough too.

LordAuch

LordAuch

Los Angeles, CA
April 2005

JUL 21, 2005 06:14 PM

Try the cobra thing but if that doesent work.

Use a philips screw driver to make a series of holes in a line from top to bottom. Dont press hard just softly turn the screw driver and it will drill through the plaster. Doesn't take much pressure. Dont ram it through the cast your limb is on the other side.blackeyed Once you have a line of holes say 3/4 of an inch apart wiggle the scraw driver back and forth in line with the rest of the holes. This softens the plaster and you should be able to cut the gause with a pair of sisors.

Can you tell Ive done it a few times. wink

Eli

Eli

SUICIDEGIRL

I'm lost

JUL 21, 2005 06:18 PM

I took my arm cast off myself after 3 months in a full arm to shoulder then i was put in a half cast. I held it in the shower till it was soggy then i cut the fucker off with some good snips. You can breathe without a tic tac, but I wouldn't recommend it.

WhiteWidow

whitewidow

HOPEFUL

I'm lost

JUL 21, 2005 06:21 PM

I take casts off for a living and I still don't feel comfy doing it after 2 years. Please go see a pro in reguards to this eeek

V2PointOhh

V2PointOhh

Hoboken, NJ
May 2005

JUL 21, 2005 09:33 PM

of course you could just leave it on and when people ask you what the hell is it....

just tell them your turning into a young girls pinata.

ThisIsWhoWeAre

ThisIsWhoWeAre

Oakland, CA
July 2004

JUL 21, 2005 09:40 PM

PointBlank said:
Call the hospital where you got the cast (how did you pay for that?). Tell them your problem, not anonymous strangers on the internet. Ask them if they know a free clinic, or if they have a sliding scale for emergency services. You might need physical therapy. You might not be ready to have it off without a splint or a sling.

Take care of yourself.


Good advice, also, a Pro should take a look at the arm to be sure the break healed properly. My best friend had to have his arm re-broken and fixed as it healed crooked.

Good luck

_Sarah_

_Sarah_

Kalamazoo, MI
January 2003

JUL 21, 2005 10:06 PM

Do NOT do it yourself. Please. The doctor will need to examine you to make sure it's time for it to come off and to determine if you'll need a brace/splint/whatever.

Explain your situation to the clinic/hospital. They're used to working with uninsured people. When I had to have a thyroid test, they set up a payment plan that was well within my budget (about $50/month). It took me a year to pay it off, but at least I didn't get socked with a gigantic bill that would have ended up in collections.

COBRA is hellishly expensive. My premium was $60/month when employed and would have been $520/month with the COBRA coverage. I opted out of it. tongue

Hypercrew

Hypercrew

I'm lost
April 2004

JUL 22, 2005 03:33 AM

I broke my leg when I was a teenager, got a fiberglass cast, whuch I assume you have as well, unless you live in Mayberry, no one uses plaster. Went on vacation to Hawaii, wanted to surk, had to lose the cast. So I cut it off with a steak knife, no worries.

Now, I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic. The scissors the others speak of are trauma shears, they cut through a lot, and they have a rounded end that rides against the skin, so if you somehow cut yourself that is Darwin speaking. It's a piece of cake as long as the cast is ready to come off, I've removed my own casts and stitches before and long before I was a medic. Go for it.

PointBlank

PointBlank

New York, NY
November 2004

JUL 22, 2005 06:35 AM

Does it bother anyone else when people start threads asking for help, then never respond when they get the advice they asked for?

micajah

micajah

Mcallen, TX
January 2003

JUL 22, 2005 09:38 AM

Circular Saw man! Might as well chop the whole thing off!

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