What is the best way to wrap a cast when taking a shower?

Have you tried getting a roll of saran wrap and wrapping it really well with that, and maybe rubber-banding it at the ends?

@ladymia69: I have not, but I will add it to the list! Thank you for your answer.

Glad Press ‘n Seal. I used to use it to protect a PICC site, and now use it on my ostomy. It works great!

Like @Mariah or I said, an one of those good old saran or new state-of-the-art plastic roll will keep water out. just make sure you wrap it tightly (you may need some help to get it all the way around) and make sure there is no water entrance at the ends of the wrap (hence the rubber bands).

my mom had some sort of vacuum-seal-boot-thing that went over her cast…it worked great.
something like this: http://www.drycorp.com/content/how-to-works-cast-and-bandage-protector/index.html

@Mariah: ah! My husband is willing to leave and buy me that this evening! I couldn’t keep a PICC line in, I had too many infections, so I didn’t have to deal with it for a time. I didn’t get to the frustration point, thank you!

@unique: I’ve never seen that before, very cool. These should be offered when you are put in a cast!

cast where?

i’ve been showering with a cast on my leg for 6 wks, now showering with one on my arm so i’ve got it wired. just tell me which limb.

i couldnt use the cast protector from drugstore bec it was so tight it cut off the circ.

@Jeruba: Ah, a fellow Fluther Cast-mate!

Leg, just below my knee. I thought it was going to be a short term cast; however, after my appointment today, I found out it will be a bit more long term than anticipated. Only reprieve may be a change in the cast, due to cracks on the bottom of my foot.

I don’t want to deal with circulation issues, the swelling is still bad enough, after a few weeks, that I’m still feeling my ankle rub against the cast. I think the cast protector may be out for me, too.

This may be no help considering the above 2 posts, but when Katawagrey was in a cast after being run over, the cast protector worked well for her. We had a very comprehensive drug/surgical supply store nearby that had them in all sizes, including very large ones for big men. If you have such a store near you they might have one big enough.

@JilltheTooth: There is a store near us, I think the problem is small enough, but not too small to deal with the circulation. Does that make sense?

Stupid stairs. Has nothing to do with me being a klutz!

2 plastic bags and a couple of rubber bands.
You could also use some glad-wrap (cling film) underneath.
or an xtra large condom :)

Hip waders? You’d only have to wear one of them, but maybe next time you’ll break the other leg. Or, when you are whole again, you could take up fly fishing. (I am trying to be humorous.) Hope you bones heal quickly.

Boy, for a group of squishy invertebrates we sure are sporting a lot of casts, here!

Looks like you have plenty of good suggestions. We used ponytail holders to secure a garbage bag on my daughter’s arm when she broke it last August. I found the ponytail holders were more comfortable and not as tight as rubber bands, but they still did the trick.

Good luck!

3/3/11

Materials

1 newspaper bag or other small plastic bag – wide sunday edition is best
2 ‘tall’ kitchen garbage bags – ~ 13 gal.
2 largish rubber bands
waterproof adhesive tape
bandage tape – paper tape ok – lots of it
(optional) 1 foot & toe cut off men’s sock – i.e., cut below heel – good old stretchy white athletic sox fine
wet wipes
lotion

Procedure

1. cut about a 4” cuff off newspaper bag so you have a cylinder open at top & bottom.
2. tuck one edge inside bottom of cast at toe and fold other edge back out over bottom of cast to keep edge dry.
3. pull sockette on over your toe, covering the plastic edging.
4. pull rest of nspr bag on over whole foot like a plastic sock, covering heel if poss.
5. wrap excess for snug fit, taping as you go.
6. wrap waterproof adhesive tape all around top of plastic sock to seal it. go around twice.
7. cut a few inches off top of both trash bags so they will cover whole cast from toe up without too much excess.
8. pull on one trash bag, fitting toe into corner
9. put one rubber band around ankle to gather slack
10. wrap bag close to leg, folding over to fit and gathering in, securing with paper tape, to provide minimal catch area for water; try to fold over so there is one main straight fold
11. run paper tape all the way up the long fold to close seam
12. tuck top of bag under (in) as close to top of cast as possible while still leaving an edge to tape to leg
13. tape all around top of bag to secure to leg, leaving knee joint as free as poss. go around several times.
14. tape up slack.
15, pull second bag over first and repeat steps 8 through 14 with 2nd bag, bringing upper tucked edge just a little higher than first bag

now go. watch your step. use a mat. try to keep leg out of direct water stream.

dry plastic outside before removing.

remove layer by layer and feel each layer before removal. dry each one.

if well done, sockeete will still be dry when you get to it.

before removing the first plastic cast edge from step 2, have DH wipe down toesies with wet wipes, apply lotion, & then mop up excess lotion btw toes.

there. been doing that for 6 wks. shower takes about 1.25 hour.

@Jeruba: This is why you have 30k and I don’t!

What kind of cast? When he broke is kneecap, my brother painted his plaster cast with Ame’s Block and Wall Liquid Rubber. Just keep it away from your skin…it can be an irritant to some people.

I just want to chime in and say that I know what a bitch that is…when I broke my foot I pretty much stopped showering, and bathed like once a week. It was just such a hassle!!!!!!!!!! I’m sorry you are still going through that, I hated it so much lol.

@cak, i think it’s more likely because you were on medical leave for so long!

i am now practicing the arm version of this routine for the next 6 weeks. it’s a little simpler but basically the same. much easier to keep an arm out of direct stream than a leg—but it’s much harder to shampoo.

I just put two layers of small plastic bags (like what a loaf of store-bought sandwich bread comes in) and rubber band them around my arm above my cast.

But I wouldn’t recommend this if the cast happens to be on your head.

Also on the occasions that my cast did get wet, I just folded a paper towel and stuck the end in my cast; the water wicked out pretty quickly.

Lastly, I got a waterproof gortex cast at the generosity of my orthopedic doctor. Awesome.

And are you doing that thing where you grab the shampoo bottle with your good hand, hold your knee at 90 degrees from your body, squirt some shampoo on your knee, return the bottle to the shelf, then retrieving the shampoo from said knee and applying it to your hair? Phew that summer really made me appreciate my left arm!

@sliceswiththings, easier shampoo trick: plastic spoon. squeeze shampoo onto it & then pour on head. a little water in spoon first helps if shampoo is viscous. also you can scoop it out with your fingertip.

@sliceswiththings I’ll keep the bags off my head! :)

@Jeruba But who holds the spoon while you squirt it in? The other hand’s busted and covered in plastic! Teeth?

@sliceswiththings i put it on a little ledge in the shower, where the shampoo goes, but if that were not there yes i’d hold it in my teeth