When I got my first cast put on, the doctor told me to avoid getting it wet.  He instructed me to put a garbage bag over my leg and seal the top with duct tape, making sure to adhere the tape to my skin so water couldn’t leak into the bag.  Taping a bag to my skin didn’t sound like a very fun idea, but I tried it… with masking tape.  The first shower was leak free, but I ended up having to rip the bag to shreds to get it off my leg.  I had figured I would keep reusing the same bag over and over for the duration, but within moments I realized that bag wasn’t moving due to my thorough taping job without some destruction.

My next shower utilized a less thorough taping method, all in an attempt to not be wasteful by going through a trash bag per shower.  Well, this one started to leak almost immediately, causing me to leap out of the shower and then sending pain through my foot as I landed on it, all in an attempt to keep the cast dry.

So I turned to the be-all-end-all resource for knowledge… Google.  I found cast covers online that ran upwards of $50, $60 and $70.  That seemed excessive to me, but then I saw on a forum mention of a cast cover from Walgreens.  So I decided to go investigate.

It took me a little while to find it, stashed on the very top shelf beyond the band-aids… but sure enough, I found a cast cover that cost about $16.  I briefly thought that was a silly investment due to the fact that I was supposed to be getting my cast off in about 9 days, but decided if it was easier than the bag/tape process it was worth it.

And it worked perfectly!  No water on the cast while in the shower.

Then I got another cast, so the investment has been used for a while now.  I only wish I had it right from the beginning instead of wasting time with my trash bag leg!

When I was packing for Mammoth, I noticed the cast cover said it was for use while bathing, showering AND swimming.  Hmm…
I guess I could try getting in the pool with it.  If it fails, then I guess I’m just destroying the cast 4 or 5 days earlier than I’m supposed to be getting it off anyway…

So I suited up, took the cast cover down to the pool and then… had a moment of self-confidence issues.
– What if people look at me weird as I pull this thing on?
– It gives me an ugly thigh bulge at the top once it is on.

But I sucked it up… because truthfully:
– If anyone looks at me weird for wearing it, that’s their problem, not mine.
– Just about anybody that pulls this thing on will have the bulge at the top, it’s made to dig into your leg, cut off your circulation and keep all the water out.  I imagine even Dara Torres (had to choose an Olympic swimmer here) would have an unflattering look from this thing.

Interestingly, due to the air that is inevitably trapped inside the cast cover when you pull it on, it kind of puffs up once it is submerged in water and acts as a flotation device. It was perfect to keep me upright and do some pool running! (This thing is really large too, so there’s a lot of potential for air to be trapped inside with my leg.)

And after my appointment at the podiatrist this morning, apparently the cast cover is an investment that keeps on being useful… I got cast 2.0 taken off and cast #3 put on! (It’s neon this time!  Well, the lighting in the parking lot made everything in this iPhone pic look a little off!)

The doctor said I have a lump on the top of my bone and when he pushed it the spot was kind of tender.  But most of my foot was pain-free as he pulled, twisted and poked.  He did an ultrasound again and said that it looks like it is healing properly, just not as quickly as he anticipated.  It’s most of the way there, just not quite all the way there.

So I go back again in a week to get the latest cast removed.

Sigh…

PS – I think I must have some abnormally slow healing qualities in me.  When I scratched my cornea it took forever to heal.  And then when I had PRK surgery to correct my vision, that took forever to heal completely (nearly an entire year).  I’m hitching a ride on the short bus when it comes to healing thyself.

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