Like you, I've been blessed not to have gone through this with my own kids so far, and it's been a very long time since I've broken my arm, so my memories are a little fuzzy. But I did break the same arm twice (same place, two years in a row) when I was a kid (ages 7-8 roughly), and I'll tell you what I can remember and you can decide if any of it is helpful.
1. What does it feel like to have a broken forearm bone?
Well, it hurts
. I do remember that! But the first time it didn't look bad at all and it didn't hurt SO much that my parents rushed me to the ER. It ached a lot, but they thought it was probably just a sprain and put me to bed. When I was still complaining of it a couple of hours later, they took me to the ER. The second time the break was worse and it was more obvious - i.e., they could see that the bone was out of alignment. Oddly enough, though, I don't recall it really hurting any worse the second time. Like I cried when I first fell, but not all the way to the hospital. It still hurt, but it was the kind of pain I could be distracted from, if that makes sense.
2. How long does it hurt?
I think it probably hurt the whole first night, off and on, and then not too much after that.
3. How long should it take to heal?
Seems like I was in a cast about six weeks both times.
4. How bad will it swell?
Don't remember any swelling. That doesn't mean there wasn't any, but I don't think it was profound, or I'd remember it.
5. How long will it take for the swelling to come down?
See above
.
6. Anything I may have forgotten?
The two biggest things I remember about having a broken arm are that it itches
horrendously after a week or two in the cast and - since it was my right arm and I'm right-handed - it was horribly inconvenient. There were lots of things I couldn't do while my arm was in the cast. And then when the cast comes off, your arm looks creepy and scaly for a couple of days and STILL itches. I really remember the itching a lot more than I remember the pain, probably because it went on a lot longer.
Anyway, I hope something here helps, and if not, it was a fun little trip down memory lane! Some other time, I'll tell you the story of the time I knocked out all my teeth... or the time I put my hand through the window... or the time...
My parents are still kind of amazed I lived to adulthood!
Caroline
