Tuesday, January 08, 2008

January Clubfoot Updates


I so wish I didn't have to give updates but alas, it seems we're going to be in the updating business for awhile yet. This past December we enjoyed some time without casts, knowing that more were probably on the way. Sure enough, December 27th saw us adding the 'bright pink leg warmers' back in to our lives. Laura took it with grace and acceptance. Mommy and Daddy not so much. :) We know that we have several more ahead of us and that while Dr. Dobbs can put her foot back in to alignment so he knows that casting will work, keeping it all aligned in her difficult left foot is the challenge. I guess we'll just keep praying and wait to see what happens in February when her last casts come off this time.

I snapped some pictures about a week after her new ones were put on. As you can see, she has a full leg corrective cast on her left, difficult leg. She also has a half, maintenance cast on her right leg which makes mobility a much greater probability. She gets around just fine walking but has to keep moving in order to stay up straight. Balancing without holding on to something is difficult so that's why she balances against furniture when she's playing. She's even managed to go up and down the steps with this set of casts - a feat she's very proud of! Since Merri Jo can't work much on strengthening her feet and legs while they are in casts, she's working on strengthening her trunk muscles so perhaps she'll come out of this with that improvement as an extra blessing!

Meanwhile, I am preparing for at least an SMO on that foot meaning Laura will want one on both for that balance. Just before Christmas I discovered that See Kai Run shoes fit over her SMO's quite nicely. And I hear that crocs with the nylon stretch top fits nicely over them, too. While I wish she'd not have to wear anything, at least she can have some cute shoes anyway. If she has to wear an AFO, I'll be working through that one for awhile but this, too, shall pass.

I will continue to pray for our own little miracle. Please join me.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chris-

I found that the New Balance brand running shoes also fit over the SMOs quite nicely. They come in very fashionable girlie pink and purple colors too :-)

Keep the Faith!

Michele from NH

Chris said...

Thanks for letting me know! If we need them, I'll have something to replace our old style preschoolians that have worked so well but are now almost too small.