The first visit was so difficult I cried into my moms arms while she fell asleep as her orthopedic used the Ponseti method (casts) to correct her legs! OK...so this was the easiest one of them all it only got worse as the visits progressed. The next day I had to return because she cried the whole night...the cast must have felt uncomfortable to her and not to add HEAVY!! The orthopedic sent us home said she was fine and to just keep an eye on her little toes to make sure she had circulation going to her legs and feet. Every Wednesday at 2:30pm we had an Orthopedic appointment that involved them taking her cast off, washing her legs, manipulating her feet into a new position and casting it. The cast dried up her legs and toes immensely, twice the orthopedic assistant cut her with the blade trying to take the cast off and my frustration only grew! Everywhere we went people would stare and ask questions like "how did she fall?" or "How did she break her legs?" I guess they saw a young parent and assumed I must have dropped my child or been careless!-[FRUSTRATION!] It took all of God's Strength and Patience to never loose it and always gracefully explain to complete strangers why my daughter had full casts on her legs and she was less than a month old. Cast after cast and her feet looked better but not quite...."feet" other clubfeet babies came in after her and had 3 sets of casts done and their feet would be corrected. We kept going back week after week for 3 months this process continued.
Finally after 9 casts the doctor told us that she would need minor surgery to extend her Achilles tendon and it would only be a five minutes surgical procedure. Our princess was so strong that day and we had to be even stronger as we left her in the arms of the surgeon NOT for 5 minutest but nearly 2 hours...when the doctor came out the door I nearly pushed him out the way to see her. A last set of casts had been placed on her feet that would last 3 weeks until the surgery healed in order to maintain this last corrected position. After 3 weeks her last cast came off and she moved into the Ponseti brace stage. Which changed her personality and all of our moods. She would sleep more through the nights and smiled more, Bathing her, clothing her, and all other activities became easier. The journey was easier smoother clearer. People would still stare and ask questions but they seemed more sympathetic now..(the difference casts and braces have in outsiders eyes?... I don't know) Even when we went to Disney World chip and dale didn't look at the camera they stared at her braces and cuddled her the whole time. It was cute though hahaha.
Things definitely became easier, with time our princess crawled and at 9/12 months WALKED!!! Something that seemed impossible at first then so far away. On her first birthday she was running everywhere and no longer had to wear her braces during the day only to sleep!!!!!! So many milestones accomplished! Her smile and strength gave us strength in return! I remember at one of the orthopedics visits seeing 3 little girls coming back for a follow up visit and couldn't believe that they once had clubfeet. One was in ballet class, the other played soccer and the third one was a cheerleader! I couldn't wait to see if my princess would have the blessing off being that active and completely normal after so many casts and surgery...I had read so many horror stories online that scared me into thinking she would never be normal.
So I write this to tell clubfeet mothers...that yes your child might only have 3 cast and be completely corrected of clubfeet or they might have 9 cast and a surgery, or they might suffer a relapse and have to do more casting and more surgeries...but normality can be accomplished. Don't give up on your baby, be strong because they are so strong for us. Your journey is a beautiful one, a unique one, one full of strength and miracles. Remember: "God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers!" Do your research when looking for an orthopedic, make sure that the doctor you choose is actually practicing the method you're looking for, don't be afraid to get second opinions, and rely on family and friends for support. I'm so happy to say that my princess is a little ballerina now and her feet make me smile :)
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| Ari's feet before cast, while casting, making her comfortable in the crib in order for her to sleep, out of cast and into braces, the pain she had to deal with was unbearable for us, even chip and dale stared. |
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