Updates: 1998 1999 2000

January 13, 1999

Junior went to the doctors today and had his casts removed! Everything looks great. His little feet look so PERFECT! The Dr says there is no need for special shoes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that this will continue to be the case as his feet grow. Not only will he be getting his very first pair of shoes, now he can also wear sleepers 8›) Just in time for the coldest weather.

Post Operative

Scarring

January 15, 1999
We went shoe shopping last night...nothing fits. This is worse than post-operative outfit shopping. His feet are wide and thick. I found some wide width shoes but even they will not fit. The smallest shoe I found that I could actually slide his foot into was at least 2 sizes too big and made him look like Ronald McDonald©. So much for cute little tennis shoes or hiking boots at this point. I've conversed with a few parents online who have had the same problem and they suggested Buster Browns© or Stride Rite©.

January 17,1999
Yesterday we found a pair of Reeboks© that fit jr but we had to get them one size too big so that his feet would slide in without much force. They are so cute, but also expensive.

February 24, 1999
I haven't been back lately to update...seems there is so much going on that I don't have as much time on my hands anymore... Jr went to see the doctor today and was prescribed Straight Last shoes with a flair and wedge on the right shoe. His right foot did not respond as well to surgery as his left one did. I'm not sure how long he will have to wear these shoes or even what they look like.

March 3, 1999
Well today was the big day. Jr was fitted for his Straight last shoes today. He wears a size 2. He still has such tiny feet. The shoes he is getting are open-toed white leather. They don't look too bad at all, similar to summer sandals except that they are solid on the sides and top and they do have laces. They also buckle like sandals.

March 20, 1999
Jr often wakes up at night crying. I'm not sure if it is his feet bothering him or if it something totally unrelated. I'm leaning toward it being his feet since most of the time he wont stand up when he wakens at night...he just sits there and screams until I pick him up and rock him. Sometimes rubbing lotion on his feet seems to calm him down. He never has this problem during his daytime naps...only at night. It could be due to the lack of motion for several hours in a row but I'm not sure.

April 13, 1999
We went back to the doctor today only to find out that the shoes we received from Fourroux were not made according to the prescription. We had to carry them back and leave them to be fixed. I was so pissed at these morons for not being able to read. Because of their inability to read a simple prescription (clearly legible) Jr may have to go back into casts. Needless to say someone got a piece of my mind today. I cant believe they could do this and put my child at risk for more rigid treatment methods. We have lost six weeks of crucial healing...six weeks of wearing these shoes for NOTHING! Now we have to wait another week for them to be corrected according to the original prescription.

April 21, 1999
We went back to the doctor again today. Shoes still aren't quite what he was wanting. Jr was put into a cast again. This one he will wear approximately 3 weeks. We are hoping that this will help take care of the foot turning under. He still wants to walk on the side of his right foot. Jr is a little over a year old and hasn't had any luck walking thus far.

May 1999
Its getting harder and harder to keep this site updated as I should since I've returned to college. Jr got the cast removed and the right foot looks better. Only time will tell if all of this has really done any good. 13 months and still not walking.

June 16, 1999
Made a trip to the Orthopedic Surgeon yet again. We are past the straight last shoes...they are doing absolutely no good. Jr doesn't like to stand much at all. The doctor has prescribed AFO's a common but expensive method of treatment. Jr had X-Rays and the whole nine yards today. The bones in his feet are fine. He has Tibial Flexion in his right leg which is causing the foot to twist around and appear as though it is not had any corrective surgery. Also he has typical muscle weakness in that same leg which is the cause of his foot turning over on its side. Both problems may require future surgeries.

July 10, 1999
Jr finally got his AFO yesterday. He doesn't like it one bit but I think with time he will do better. He also got his first pair of good shoes that actually fit like they are supposed to. We went to the Stride Rite store and got the basic tennis shoe that fits over the AFO. We had to get the mixed pair like so many of the clubfoot children need. Im just so glad that we didn't have to purchase two pairs of shoes to get the sizes we needed :)

July 12, 1999
Jr went to see his Orthopaedic Surgeon today. He is still not walking but he does stand more than he did without the brace. Today's appointment was just to make sure that the AFO was like he wanted it since we had so many problems with the straight last shoes.

July 15, 1999
:) :)JR IS WALKING!!! WOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!! He just stood up this morning and took off LIKE A PRO! He is 15 months old this week and he has had his AFO 5 days. I'm still in shock at how well he is doing all of the sudden. His foot still turns in without the brace and he refuses to walk without it but he is walking nonetheless. :) :) :)

August 25, 1999
Not only is jr walking... he is running now. I can't keep him out of anything and he's faster than I am sometimes. Just your average toddler. The AFO is doing wonders! He is determined to do anything now and succeeds 99% of the time...LOL! He doesn't go back to see the Orthopaedic surgeon until October.

December 6, 1999
Things are continuing to look good for Jr. He gets his second AFO tomorrow as well as his second pair of shoes. Its so hard to believe that this time last year he was all casted up and hardly mobile. Sure he crawled and scooted around but compared to what he does now ..woooo its so incredible. He amazes me every day. Not only has he mastered the art of walking but he has learned to climb on everything. It doesn't matter where you put anything, if he wants it he will get to it one way or another. He keeps me on my toes constantly just like all toddlers seem to love to do to their parents. The mind of a child is truly an amazing thing.