Re: New Member--no tongues!!

Posted April 12, 2005 · April 12, 2005

Jill,

Hi, and welcome to the group! This is something I've been thinking

about posting, so maybe it can help you too!!! When Ava went into

her first pair of shoes, I didn't put the tongues in them, and she

never had a single problem with blisters or pressure sores or

anything. She only rarely got out of them, and that was usually

because I didn't pull them tight enough (too tired!). I'd say maybe

7 or 8 times in the last 5 months of wearing the FAB has she gotten

a foot out. She just got a new pair of Markells, and they are

SIGNIFICANTLY larger--she went from a 00 to a size 3! They look like

clown shoes! And I could tell as soon as I put them on her that I

would need to make another hole in the strap because they're not

pulling tight enough. But the very first thing I did was TAKE OUT

THE TONGUES!! They're nice, and I can see why they're there, but

they're so thick and wide there's no way I can get the strap or

laces tight enough on Ava's foot. And without the tongues, I haven't

even had to make another hole in the strap. She's been in the new

shoes almost a week now, and hasn't wiggled out of them once. I can

pull the laces nice and tight, and with a thick pair of socks we

never have any problems. So I'm sorry this is so long, but I don't

know if I'm the only mom who just rips those suckers right out &

let's baby use them as a chew toy, and I was thinking that may have

been a big influence on our success with the FAB/Markells. I would

seriously recommend that to anyone just going into the FAB or having

trouble keeping baby's feet in them. Looking at the shoes & tongue,

I don't see how you could ever get them tight enough on the baby's

feet with the tongue in there. By the way, when I was there getting

Ava's new shoes, there was 2 other babies there with CF--one bilat,

about 1 yr. old, nothing but standard high top white shoes on, and

one right side only, about 10 months, in an AFO--BOTH were

relapsing, the one yr. old significantly. Made me SOOOOO happy that

we went with the FAB!!

, mommy of:

Guinevere, on, Ava 8/4/04 RCF ABS FAB 18/7

>

> Hi, I'm new to the group. My daughter Sophia is 15 months old with

> unlilateral club foot (right foot). Her doctor at Children's

Hospital

> in Pittsburgh is doing the Ponseti method and she is out of casts

and

> in the DBB. She has the Markell shoes and seems to get out of them

> every time! No matter how tight I make the strap and laces. I am

now

> thinking they are too wide for her and that is how she wiggles her

one

> foot out. I was looking at the website and am wondering

if

> anyone has had any experience with those types of shoes? A couple

of

> people on that site had said they were better for Houdini kids,

like

> my Sophie. Any insite??

>

> Thanks!

>

> Jill

Posted April 12, 2005 · April 12, 2005

I know this isn't for me, but I have a question here. When you took out the

tongues, you never had problems with the laces on the foot? I am curious

because I hate the tongue. It has been the source of all of our problems. The

heels have never been a problem for Tenny. The tongue cuts his toes on his club

foot. I cut the slits in the tongue as far as they will go, and cut all the

little slits round the tops and bottoms as far up as they will go. I also added

a thin piece of fleece on the bottom of the tongue and extended it out past the

edge of the tongue about a 1/4 inch. Since I did that we have no more problems,

just waiting for the cuts on his toes to heel. The orthotist is going to have a

calf and a couple of kittens when we go back next week for new shoes (breaking

straps) but who cares. Maybe I will try it without the tongues for a while,

good idea.