Re: Just joined this group...

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/8/2005 11:18:28 AM Pacific Standard Time,

jenfoster61@... writes:

> never

> expected anything to be wrong since I had so many ultrasounds

> throughout my pregnancy.

I know exactally have you feel. I did the same with my twin pregnancy. My son

was born with spina bifida. We had 13 ultrasounds because it was a twin

pregnancy, but they never seen anything on my son. So it birth was extremely

hard

and stressful. My granddaughter was born on Sunday with both clubfeet, and it

has all moved along smoothly, because we all were prepared. The home health

nurse visited today, and was just so shocked that everything is in place, and we

are all prepared. She said in her experience that is usually not the case, as

I know it wasn't with my own son when he was born.

DeeDee

California

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/8/2005 2:06:26 PM Pacific Standard Time,

joybelle15@... writes:

> I cannot believe she suggested termination for

> clubfeet. How sad.

That is soooooo unacceptible !

DeeDee

California

[Guest guest]

Hugs to you Jen!

Oh, I remember the days of casting like it was yesterday(ok it was a

year ago-but trust me, I have not forgotten). I think it upset me

more than it did david-he would sleep or suck a bottle while his

feet were manipulated and by the time the cast was done, he was

sawing logs and I was shaking like a leaf. It killed me to have my

little one go through this. Ok, fast forward-he is now 14 months old

and a rough and tumble toddler who has to wear his FAB 12 hours a

day. Time goes by soo quickly. You have certainly come to the right

group for help!! We are here for you as we have all gone through

this experience. Keep the questions coming, and let us know how else

we can help you!

Take care of your little one,

kathleen

mom to david 8/28/04 fab 12/7 bcf

>

> Hello Everyone!

> I just joined this group on the recommendation from the other

yahoo

> website for clubfeet and I'm really glad I did.

> My husband and I did not know our son Cam had clubfoot (right)

until

> after he was born. I had him by c-section and he sucked in some

> amniotic fluid on the way out and had some problems breathing at

> first. After the worst of the breathing problems were over my

> husband told me he had a right clubfoot. I had heard of this

> condition before, but never imagined that my baby would have

this.

> There are no known cases in any part of mine or my husband's

family,

> but people are good at keeping secrets so it's possible that

someone

> just never talked about it. In the beginning I was devistated and

> thought I had done something wrong in my pregnancy to make this

> happen. I can't say I'm totally over it yet, but I'm starting to

be

> able to accept that it wasn't the case. I think this ordeal has

> been one of the most emotionally trying times of my life. I never

> expected anything to be wrong since I had so many ultrasounds

> throughout my pregnancy. I sometimes wish I had known before he

was

> born and that way we would have had everything researched, and

> sorted out and I wouldn't have been such an emotional wreck. I

was

> so unprepared when we first met our Dr. and he said that the

course

> of treatment is 3 years long. I cried for 2 days wondering how my

> little boy was going to get through this, and selfishly, how I was

> going to get through this. Cam is having his 3rd cast put on

> tomorrow and only now am I starting to be less tense about it. He

> doesn't understand what's happening to him and it crushes me

> everytime the Dr. manipulates his foot before the cast goes on. I

> know he'll never remember this part of the treatment, but he's

only

> 3 1/2 weeks old and so little.

> I'm sorry this is so long, but I really needed to get this out. I

> feel so much better knowing that all of you have been through

> similar experiences and that I'm not alone.

> I look forward to meeting you all, and thanks for reading my

story.

> It just feels good to get it out.

>

> Sincerely,

> Jen

> Cameron 10/14/05 right CF 3rd cast out of 12 tomorrow

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Jen,

Reading your post, all my emotions came flooding back. I'm currently

22 weeks pregnant and I found out from an ultrasound. I was very

angry at the manner in which my dr. broke the news to me. (She was

very cold, and 'matter-of-factly' told me to 'terminate'. No, I am

not seeing her again!) And on top of that I had no idea what this

was or how it affected my baby. I quickly got to my car and started

to sob uncontrollably. Then I started thinking...What did I do to

deserve this? What could I have done to prevent this? How am I going

to handle 3 kids, work and a disabled child? What the heck is this

condition??!! I drove to pick up my other kids from school trying to

control my tears and all the horrible images in my head. I couldn't

get to a computer fast enough!

Thank goodness I (and you) found this group. I've been slowly going

back to all prior posts and trying to " catch up " with all the latest

medical information and so much support from other parents on the

same boat.

I've reached a point now where I have competely accepted this and

have gotten to know so many great people that without knowing me,

have offered so much love and support....

Its nice to meet you.

Janice

EDD #4 03.11.06 " Boy "

Bilateral Clubfoot

>

> Hello Everyone!

> I just joined this group on the recommendation from the other yahoo

> website for clubfeet and I'm really glad I did.

> My husband and I did not know our son Cam had clubfoot (right)

until

> after he was born. I had him by c-section and he sucked in some

> amniotic fluid on the way out and had some problems breathing at

> first. After the worst of the breathing problems were over my

> husband told me he had a right clubfoot. I had heard of this

> condition before, but never imagined that my baby would have this.

> There are no known cases in any part of mine or my husband's

family,

> but people are good at keeping secrets so it's possible that

someone

> just never talked about it. In the beginning I was devistated and

> thought I had done something wrong in my pregnancy to make this

> happen. I can't say I'm totally over it yet, but I'm starting to

be

> able to accept that it wasn't the case. I think this ordeal has

> been one of the most emotionally trying times of my life. I never

> expected anything to be wrong since I had so many ultrasounds

> throughout my pregnancy. I sometimes wish I had known before he

was

> born and that way we would have had everything researched, and

> sorted out and I wouldn't have been such an emotional wreck. I was

> so unprepared when we first met our Dr. and he said that the course

> of treatment is 3 years long. I cried for 2 days wondering how my

> little boy was going to get through this, and selfishly, how I was

> going to get through this. Cam is having his 3rd cast put on

> tomorrow and only now am I starting to be less tense about it. He

> doesn't understand what's happening to him and it crushes me

> everytime the Dr. manipulates his foot before the cast goes on. I

> know he'll never remember this part of the treatment, but he's only

> 3 1/2 weeks old and so little.

> I'm sorry this is so long, but I really needed to get this out. I

> feel so much better knowing that all of you have been through

> similar experiences and that I'm not alone.

> I look forward to meeting you all, and thanks for reading my

story.

> It just feels good to get it out.

>

> Sincerely,

> Jen

> Cameron 10/14/05 right CF 3rd cast out of 12 tomorrow

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/8/2005 3:02:04 PM Pacific Standard Time,

bruinbelle29@... writes:

> I am a firm believer in " things happen for

> a reason " so regardless of what my baby has, I am going to welcome this

> baby on his birth day, clubfeet or no clubfeet.

I feel the same way. You will just love & cherish your baby regardless.

God Bless you !

DeeDee

California

[Guest guest]

Welcome, Jen & Cam-

So glad you joined us! Also, welcome to all the other new families-

I've been extremely busy lately and haven't been able to respond to

many messages like I've wanted to.

I am on the " other side " of treatment now- my daughter will be 6 in

March- but wanted you to know that I can still imagine those raw

emotions from the first days and months of treatment if I just think

about it....that experience never leaves a mother's memory!

My daughter, though, doesn't remember any of it!

I am a bit concerned about 2 things in your note.

The first was that you wrote:

" it crushes me everytime the Dr. manipulates his foot before the

cast goes on. "

I wanted to be sure that your doctor is not hurting him with

manipulations. The treatment should be gentle. No wrenching or

twisting of the foot is necessary. Some babies cry because they

don't like having their leg or foot held- but you should be able to

tell the difference between an " annoyed " cry and a " this hurts " cry

hopefully.

The second is this in your note:

" 3rd cast out of 12 tomorrow "

If your doctor is using the Ponseti method correctly- he shouldn't

need anywhere near 12 casts. Plus, the doctor shouldn't even know

that he needs 12 casts at this point. So this is kind of weird to

me. Do you mind telling us what doctor/hospital is treating him?

Hopefully I'm just reading too much into your note- but I wanted to

bring this to your attention just in case....

Here's a link to a website with a parents' checklist that might help

you to determine if your doctor is using the method correctly:

http://members.tripod.com/ponseti_links-ivil

We're glad you're here! Keep us posted on Cam's progress!

Here's a link to my daughter's site if you're interested.

http://ponseticlubfoot.freeservers.com/

Regards,

& (3-16-00, left clubfoot)

switched to Ponseti method at 4 months old

[Guest guest]

--- bruinbelle29 wrote:

> Hi Jen,

>

> Reading your post, all my emotions came flooding back. I'm currently

> 22 weeks pregnant and I found out from an ultrasound. I was very

> angry at the manner in which my dr. broke the news to me. (She was

> very cold, and 'matter-of-factly' told me to 'terminate'. No, I am

> not seeing her again!) And on top of that I had no idea what this

> was or how it affected my baby. I quickly got to my car and started

> to sob uncontrollably. Then I started thinking...What did I do to

> deserve this? What could I have done to prevent this? How am I going

> to handle 3 kids, work and a disabled child? What the heck is this

> condition??!! I drove to pick up my other kids from school trying to

> control my tears and all the horrible images in my head. I couldn't

> get to a computer fast enough!

Wow. What a horrible doctor. I cannot believe she suggested termination for

clubfeet. How sad. I have a daughter who was born with a clubfoot and a

son born with spina bifida. Clubfoot is so correctable and such a non-issue

compared to the long term disability of spina bifida. Rose is only 6, but

she's able to walk, run, play, and looks just like any other kid. Grant is

only 5 weeks, so we don't quite know what his future holds in terms of his

abilities. We found out via u/s he was going to have sb, but no one mentioned

termination. I'm sorry your doctor put you through that because there is no

reason she should have.

>

> Thank goodness I (and you) found this group. I've been slowly going

> back to all prior posts and trying to " catch up " with all the latest

> medical information and so much support from other parents on the

> same boat.

It's a great group.

> I've reached a point now where I have competely accepted this and

> have gotten to know so many great people that without knowing me,

> have offered so much love and support....

Enjoy your pregnancy! When we found out about the sb, it was as if the world

collapsed into that one issue. Gradually, I became excited and happy to be

pregnant and expecting a little boy rather than focused on the " problems " .

(((Hugs)))

Joy

Rose (1-99) http://www.geocities.com/joybelle15/rosesclubfootpage.html

Iris (2-01)

Spencer (3-03)

Grant (9-05) http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/grantphilip

__________________________________

Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005

http://mail.yahoo.com

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/8/2005 7:10:39 PM Pacific Standard Time,

theresazoe@... writes:

> But I still

> think I will write that ass a letter, to educate him a little on the

> ponseti method and current treatment of clubfeet.

Oh yes, you certainly need to do that !

DeeDee

California

[Guest guest]

Oh my goodness! You have had a tough time!! I'm so sorry you had such a

horrible dr.!! This is a totally curable condition so I can't imagine why

anyone would even think about termination ever. If you ever need to talk just

email me anytime. Thanks for sharing your story. I know how emotional this all

is. Actually my husband was pretty cold and blunt when he told me about Cam and

then left me in recovery alone to agonize over it. Luckily I had really great

nurses all around me to check on Cam's condition and tell me what exactly

clubfoot was. I love my husband but he can be tactless sometimes. I know

exactly how you felt finding out for the first time.

I 'm so thankful to have this board to lean on for support.

Take care Joy and I'm sure I'll talk to you again soon!

Jen

Joy wrote:

--- bruinbelle29 wrote:

> Hi Jen,

>

> Reading your post, all my emotions came flooding back. I'm currently

> 22 weeks pregnant and I found out from an ultrasound. I was very

> angry at the manner in which my dr. broke the news to me. (She was

> very cold, and 'matter-of-factly' told me to 'terminate'. No, I am

> not seeing her again!) And on top of that I had no idea what this

> was or how it affected my baby. I quickly got to my car and started

> to sob uncontrollably. Then I started thinking...What did I do to

> deserve this? What could I have done to prevent this? How am I going

> to handle 3 kids, work and a disabled child? What the heck is this

> condition??!! I drove to pick up my other kids from school trying to

> control my tears and all the horrible images in my head. I couldn't

> get to a computer fast enough!

Wow. What a horrible doctor. I cannot believe she suggested termination for

clubfeet. How sad. I have a daughter who was born with a clubfoot and a

son born with spina bifida. Clubfoot is so correctable and such a non-issue

compared to the long term disability of spina bifida. Rose is only 6, but

she's able to walk, run, play, and looks just like any other kid. Grant is

only 5 weeks, so we don't quite know what his future holds in terms of his

abilities. We found out via u/s he was going to have sb, but no one mentioned

termination. I'm sorry your doctor put you through that because there is no

reason she should have.

>

> Thank goodness I (and you) found this group. I've been slowly going

> back to all prior posts and trying to " catch up " with all the latest

> medical information and so much support from other parents on the

> same boat.

It's a great group.

> I've reached a point now where I have competely accepted this and

> have gotten to know so many great people that without knowing me,

> have offered so much love and support....

Enjoy your pregnancy! When we found out about the sb, it was as if the world

collapsed into that one issue. Gradually, I became excited and happy to be

pregnant and expecting a little boy rather than focused on the " problems " .

(((Hugs)))

Joy

Rose (1-99) http://www.geocities.com/joybelle15/rosesclubfootpage.html

Iris (2-01)

Spencer (3-03)

Grant (9-05) http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/grantphilip

__________________________________

Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005

http://mail.yahoo.com

[Guest guest]

I know. I didn't even tell my husband because he would have gotten on

the phone and just yelled at her! But regardless of so much " unknown "

at that moment, her comment didn't even phase me. (I did kinda wonder

if its just something they say to every mother whose child has

something? I don't know.) I am a firm believer in " things happen for

a reason " so regardless of what my baby has, I am going to welcome this

baby on his birth day, clubfeet or no clubfeet.

Janice

P.S. CONGRATS on your GrandBaby!

>

> In a message dated 11/8/2005 2:06:26 PM Pacific Standard Time,

> joybelle15@y... writes:

> > I cannot believe she suggested termination for

> > clubfeet. How sad.

> That is soooooo unacceptible !

>

>

> DeeDee

> California

>

[Guest guest]

Hi !

Thanks for responding to my email. To be honest with you I find out more and

more about this method of treatment from this site and I'm sure glad that you

are asking me these questions. I have nothing else to compare it to.

To answer the first question:

My Dr. pushes the foot outwards to straighten it (or more or less stretches his

foot) and Cam really does not like it. He doesn't cry much worse than when I

change him (poor little guy hates to be cold), so I just thought it was part of

the procedure. I asked the Dr. about pain and he said that he would be

uncomfortable and that was it.

The second question:

I really don't have an answer to this one. When we saw this Dr. for the first

time he explained the method to us and we didn't question it. This is how he

explained the treatment to me:

A new cast would be placed on his leg every week for 12 weeks. In the 5th or

6th week he would have his achilles tendon cut/poked and then the casts would

continue until the 12th week. Then he wears the " brace " 24/7 until he is 6

months and after that only at night until he is 3 years old. I was able to

speak with someone else who used this Dr. and her daughter was able to stop the

brace at 2 1/2 years. I will get back to you on what he says about this. I'm

very curious.

Your 3rd question:

We live in Wilmington, North Carolina and were lucky enough to be referred to a

Dr. that practices this method right here. His name is Dr. . Actually,

we didn't know there was any other method until I started searching on the web.

Thanks so much for telling me all of this. We were so blown away by Cam having

this condition that we just seemed to float with this and not question anything

too much.

Can you tell me more about how your daughter was treated?

Take care,

Jen

jennyandkelly wrote:

Welcome, Jen & Cam-

So glad you joined us! Also, welcome to all the other new families-

I've been extremely busy lately and haven't been able to respond to

many messages like I've wanted to.

I am on the " other side " of treatment now- my daughter will be 6 in

March- but wanted you to know that I can still imagine those raw

emotions from the first days and months of treatment if I just think

about it....that experience never leaves a mother's memory!

My daughter, though, doesn't remember any of it!

I am a bit concerned about 2 things in your note.

The first was that you wrote:

" it crushes me everytime the Dr. manipulates his foot before the

cast goes on. "

I wanted to be sure that your doctor is not hurting him with

manipulations. The treatment should be gentle. No wrenching or

twisting of the foot is necessary. Some babies cry because they

don't like having their leg or foot held- but you should be able to

tell the difference between an " annoyed " cry and a " this hurts " cry

hopefully.

The second is this in your note:

" 3rd cast out of 12 tomorrow "

If your doctor is using the Ponseti method correctly- he shouldn't

need anywhere near 12 casts. Plus, the doctor shouldn't even know

that he needs 12 casts at this point. So this is kind of weird to

me. Do you mind telling us what doctor/hospital is treating him?

Hopefully I'm just reading too much into your note- but I wanted to

bring this to your attention just in case....

Here's a link to a website with a parents' checklist that might help

you to determine if your doctor is using the method correctly:

http://members.tripod.com/ponseti_links-ivil

We're glad you're here! Keep us posted on Cam's progress!

Here's a link to my daughter's site if you're interested.

http://ponseticlubfoot.freeservers.com/

Regards,

& (3-16-00, left clubfoot)

switched to Ponseti method at 4 months old

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group. Where the hell is your doctor located? Terminate? I am

sick, cause I was born with clubfoot and both of my girls.

www.pediatric-orthopedic-foundation.org

Our mission: " To provide support and assistance through education and financial

assistance to families and their children who have orthopedic disabilities or

orthopedic birth defects. "

[Guest guest]

Jen,

we're glad you are here. we know how you feel and want to help! it's

overwhelming at first, and there's definitely a learning curve.

please do look at the " checklist " for parents that told you

about, as well as her other links. there are many doctors who say

they are doing the method, even if they mean well and think they are,

but are not. I am in NC too, and up till this point I haven't heard

of anyone in Eastern NC doing the method.. that could well have

changed.. but it would be a recent development. I can tell you that

Dr. Frick of Charlotte is experienced in the method and highly

recommended by Dr. Ponseti.

Many, many of us went through the learning curve you are describing.

especially when surprises at delivery, it can take weeks for

shellshocked parents to get their bearings. That certainly was the

case for me. After several months of treatment that stalled, we

realized that we needed to make a switch. the Ponseti method has a

very predictable course .. visible, steady progress.. unpainful

manipulations, success in more than 90 percent of cases. My daughter

cried and cried during her initial castings, but once we switched,

was never uncomfortable during castings any more. The 'red flags'

that pointed out are cause for concern.

Don't let the doctor saying " three years of treatment " dismay you.

done right, the initial casting phase is done with in a couple of

months.. in 5 to 7 casts, not 12. After that your baby wears a brace

part time, but otherwise leads a completely normal 'baby life'! It

honestly won't be all-consuming. Your baby will crawl, sit up, pull

up, just like any.

As Dr. Ponseti says, a well treated clubfoot is no handicap, and

compatible with all normal activity.

http://www.vh.org/pediatric/patient/orthopaedics/clubfeet/index.html

I will write to you offline with more.. but just wanted to speak up

and reassure you.. hang in there! the parents here are here to help!

and Claire, age 5

>

> Hi !

> Thanks for responding to my email. To be honest with you I find

out more and more about this method of treatment from this site and

I'm sure glad that you are asking me these questions. I have nothing

else to compare it to.

> To answer the first question:

> My Dr. pushes the foot outwards to straighten it (or more or less

stretches his foot) and Cam really does not like it. He doesn't cry

much worse than when I change him (poor little guy hates to be cold),

so I just thought it was part of the procedure. I asked the Dr.

about pain and he said that he would be uncomfortable and that was

it.

> The second question:

> I really don't have an answer to this one. When we saw this Dr.

for the first time he explained the method to us and we didn't

question it. This is how he explained the treatment to me:

> A new cast would be placed on his leg every week for 12 weeks. In

the 5th or 6th week he would have his achilles tendon cut/poked and

then the casts would continue until the 12th week. Then he wears

the " brace " 24/7 until he is 6 months and after that only at night

until he is 3 years old. I was able to speak with someone else who

used this Dr. and her daughter was able to stop the brace at 2 1/2

years. I will get back to you on what he says about this. I'm very

curious.

> Your 3rd question:

> We live in Wilmington, North Carolina and were lucky enough to be

referred to a Dr. that practices this method right here. His name is

Dr. . Actually, we didn't know there was any other method

until I started searching on the web.

> Thanks so much for telling me all of this. We were so blown away

by Cam having this condition that we just seemed to float with this

and not question anything too much.

> Can you tell me more about how your daughter was treated?

> Take care,

> Jen

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Jen - welcome to the group! I must admit that I

have had many of the same feelings as you (the selfish

ones, too) and we got off to a bad start with my

little guy who is now four and a half months old. He

has recently seen a properly trained Ponseti doctor

and we are now on the right track, thankfully. The

one that has helped me get to this point is this

group. Everyone has been just wonderful and very

supportive and caring. You are in the right place.

Here is the link to my story if you want to read it:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/nosurgery4clubfoot/message/39370

All the best!

--- jenfoster61 wrote:

---------------------------------

Hello Everyone!

I just joined this group on the recommendation from

the other yahoo

website for clubfeet and I'm really glad I did.

My husband and I did not know our son Cam had clubfoot

(right) until

after he was born. I had him by c-section and he

sucked in some

amniotic fluid on the way out and had some problems

breathing at

first. After the worst of the breathing problems were

over my

husband told me he had a right clubfoot. I had heard

of this

condition before, but never imagined that my baby

would have this.

There are no known cases in any part of mine or my

husband's family,

but people are good at keeping secrets so it's

possible that someone

just never talked about it. In the beginning I was

devistated and

thought I had done something wrong in my pregnancy to

make this

happen. I can't say I'm totally over it yet, but I'm

starting to be

able to accept that it wasn't the case. I think this

ordeal has

been one of the most emotionally trying times of my

life. I never

expected anything to be wrong since I had so many

ultrasounds

throughout my pregnancy. I sometimes wish I had known

before he was

born and that way we would have had everything

researched, and

sorted out and I wouldn't have been such an emotional

wreck. I was

so unprepared when we first met our Dr. and he said

that the course

of treatment is 3 years long. I cried for 2 days

wondering how my

little boy was going to get through this, and

selfishly, how I was

going to get through this. Cam is having his 3rd cast

put on

tomorrow and only now am I starting to be less tense

about it. He

doesn't understand what's happening to him and it

crushes me

everytime the Dr. manipulates his foot before the cast

goes on. I

know he'll never remember this part of the treatment,

but he's only

3 1/2 weeks old and so little.

I'm sorry this is so long, but I really needed to get

this out. I

feel so much better knowing that all of you have been

through

similar experiences and that I'm not alone.

I look forward to meeting you all, and thanks for

reading my story.

It just feels good to get it out.

Sincerely,

Jen

Cameron 10/14/05 right CF 3rd cast out of 12 tomorrow

[Guest guest]

My ultrasound doctor (not my regular obgyn) also informed us, after

telling us they had seen clubfeet in the ultrasound--'just to let you

know, some people would choose to terminate the pregnancy after

finding this out'

Gee, great. thanks for the heads up.

It was only after talking to our pediatrician, my regular obgyn, and

consulting with the pediatric orthopedist, and discovering how

completely fixable this problem was, did I realize how Outrageous his

comment had been. and this was at the Cleveland Clinic, one of the

premier hospitals in the country.

Our daughter is now 3 1/2 mos and progressing very well. But I still

think I will write that ass a letter, to educate him a little on the

ponseti method and current treatment of clubfeet.

I wonder how many other people are subjected to the same destructive

ignorance from their u/s drs?

Zoe

7/02

Sophie 7/05 bcf fab 23/7

>

> Welcome to the group. Where the hell is your doctor located?

Terminate? I am sick, cause I was born with clubfoot and both of my

girls.

>

>

>

> www.pediatric-orthopedic-foundation.org

> Our mission: " To provide support and assistance through education

and financial assistance to families and their children who have

orthopedic disabilities or orthopedic birth defects. "

>

[Guest guest]

, I have been a member for a short while and just had to

reply after I read you story. My son was also born on June 19, 2005

and his clubfoot was a complete surprise for us, too. We were not

satisfied with our first doctor and are now seeing one who does

practice the Ponseti method and are very pleased.

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Hello Everyone!

> I just joined this group on the recommendation from

> the other yahoo

> website for clubfeet and I'm really glad I did.

> My husband and I did not know our son Cam had clubfoot

> (right) until

> after he was born. I had him by c-section and he

> sucked in some

> amniotic fluid on the way out and had some problems

> breathing at

> first. After the worst of the breathing problems were

> over my

> husband told me he had a right clubfoot. I had heard

> of this

> condition before, but never imagined that my baby

> would have this.

> There are no known cases in any part of mine or my

> husband's family,

> but people are good at keeping secrets so it's

> possible that someone

> just never talked about it. In the beginning I was

> devistated and

> thought I had done something wrong in my pregnancy to

> make this

> happen. I can't say I'm totally over it yet, but I'm

> starting to be

> able to accept that it wasn't the case. I think this

> ordeal has

> been one of the most emotionally trying times of my

> life. I never

> expected anything to be wrong since I had so many

> ultrasounds

> throughout my pregnancy. I sometimes wish I had known

> before he was

> born and that way we would have had everything

> researched, and

> sorted out and I wouldn't have been such an emotional

> wreck. I was

> so unprepared when we first met our Dr. and he said

> that the course

> of treatment is 3 years long. I cried for 2 days

> wondering how my

> little boy was going to get through this, and

> selfishly, how I was

> going to get through this. Cam is having his 3rd cast

> put on

> tomorrow and only now am I starting to be less tense

> about it. He

> doesn't understand what's happening to him and it

> crushes me

> everytime the Dr. manipulates his foot before the cast

> goes on. I

> know he'll never remember this part of the treatment,

> but he's only

> 3 1/2 weeks old and so little.

> I'm sorry this is so long, but I really needed to get

> this out. I

> feel so much better knowing that all of you have been

> through

> similar experiences and that I'm not alone.

> I look forward to meeting you all, and thanks for

> reading my story.

> It just feels good to get it out.

>

> Sincerely,

> Jen

> Cameron 10/14/05 right CF 3rd cast out of 12 tomorrow

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

what a beautiful post, .. I completely agree..

thanks for putting it in words so well!

[Guest guest]

Jen,

I think everyone else has said what needs to be said but I think I will still

take a minute to write my feelings. Our fifth child was born with right club

foot and it was a surprise at birth. The orthopedic we consulted with was sure

it wasn't a club foot and we spent five long months tryin to fix our non club

foot before we found our current doctor. And the rest is history I guess.

I was just thinking today as I pulled Tenny down from everything he climbed on

that if I could just send every new parent a video of my " disabled " child right

now, no one would worry a minute about club feet. You will never be able to

convice these babies that they can't do something. They learn and develop and

surpass the expectations left and right.

Everytime I looked at Tenny's foot for the first few hours it was a shock, but

soon I just loved that foot. My older kids just loved that casts. We colored

every one. They asked why they couldn't have casts and why they didn't have

them when they were babies--life just ain't fair--Tenny gets all the fun.

I remember thinking the three months of full time FAB wear would never end, but

it does. Some days may be hard. I think that is part of it, and part of being

mommy. Guess what, it is okay to have a hard time as long as you don't give

up. Just keep going a day at a time. It is hard, but it is worth it. So cry a

little (or a lot) as often as needed. One day you will wake up and realize that

the casts are behind you and the FAB is just a fact of life. One day you will

say, hey I can do this, it isn't so bad.

I promise you that some day you will watch that little boy run around the house

and climb on the kitchen table to do a rain dance. And you will kiss those feet

every night because they are just beautiful. And you will sigh and want to put

your son back into shoes just to keep him off of the table. Then comes the day

when the shoes don't keep him off of the table. And finally, one day you will

think of all the things and people you know just because of a little club foot.

You will realize how much better you life is because of the club foot journey.

(and for the wonderful parents on this list who understand!!!!!!) And you will

look back and smile because it was all worth it.

So hang in there, you can do this. Cameron is lucky to have such a caring

mommy. Here is a hug from a mommy who is still in the middle of it all. Good

luck.

mom to

Tenny 7/15/04 rt cf. FAB 14/7

Just joined this group...

Hello Everyone!

I just joined this group on the recommendation from the other yahoo

website for clubfeet and I'm really glad I did.

My husband and I did not know our son Cam had clubfoot (right) until

after he was born. I had him by c-section and he sucked in some

amniotic fluid on the way out and had some problems breathing at

first. After the worst of the breathing problems were over my

husband told me he had a right clubfoot. I had heard of this

condition before, but never imagined that my baby would have this.

There are no known cases in any part of mine or my husband's family,

but people are good at keeping secrets so it's possible that someone

just never talked about it. In the beginning I was devistated and

thought I had done something wrong in my pregnancy to make this

happen. I can't say I'm totally over it yet, but I'm starting to be

able to accept that it wasn't the case. I think this ordeal has

been one of the most emotionally trying times of my life. I never

expected anything to be wrong since I had so many ultrasounds

throughout my pregnancy. I sometimes wish I had known before he was

born and that way we would have had everything researched, and

sorted out and I wouldn't have been such an emotional wreck. I was

so unprepared when we first met our Dr. and he said that the course

of treatment is 3 years long. I cried for 2 days wondering how my

little boy was going to get through this, and selfishly, how I was

going to get through this. Cam is having his 3rd cast put on

tomorrow and only now am I starting to be less tense about it. He

doesn't understand what's happening to him and it crushes me

everytime the Dr. manipulates his foot before the cast goes on. I

know he'll never remember this part of the treatment, but he's only

3 1/2 weeks old and so little.

I'm sorry this is so long, but I really needed to get this out. I

feel so much better knowing that all of you have been through

similar experiences and that I'm not alone.

I look forward to meeting you all, and thanks for reading my story.

It just feels good to get it out.

Sincerely,

Jen

Cameron 10/14/05 right CF 3rd cast out of 12 tomorrow

[Guest guest]

Dear Jen and Cameron,

I'm so glad a kind person elsewhere pointed you towards this group. And

, that was a wonderful letter you wrote too. There is really little I

could possibly add to any of it. Jen, is so right! I actually have

2 club footed sons. With my 1st, I was devastated at his birth with the news

too, like you say. It was a long hard road to help him because back then we

didn't know anything about treatment options, and had never heard of Dr. Ponseti

or his method, so 's treatment lasted over two years of casts, physical

therapy, various braces and surgery. He is 7 years old now. My little one

though, I was older and wiser when he came along and I knew about Dr. Ponseti

and he worked his magic miracle on Everett. Now Evy (age 26 months) is this

little sprite who runs around keeping us laughing - and as Nat said, he's is in

to EVERY thing!

Try not to focus on the " Three Years " of treatment, because after this initial

casting phase is over with, the rest is a breeze that will pass quickly.

Before too long, wearing the FAB will become just an extension of Cameron's

pajamas every night, so aim your sites on that, OK? Unless people are close to

our family, they don't even know Everett had club feet or that he wears a

contraption to bed at night. However, we live in a small rural town so

everyone knows and they say, " Wow, you'd never know he was born with bad feet! "

Your Cameron will meet all his mile stones just fine wearing the FAB - club feet

won't slow him down in that area. He'll be rolling over, crawling,

cruising...and yes, even climbing stairs or on to chairs with it on. And the

chair is just one more step from dancing on the table! lol!

Just keep telling yourself God Doesn't Make Junk nor does He make mistakes. You

have been blessed, not cursed, with a special child who has a few special needs

right now. He doesn't need pity or special favors though, it's nothing to pity

at all. This is just a path you'll walk and who knows why we were guided to

this path together but we were and here we are with our crooked footed little

tots. Hang in there Momma, you and your son will be OK.

ee

Just joined this

group...

Hello Everyone!

I just joined this group on the recommendation from

the other yahoo

website for clubfeet and I'm really glad I did.

My husband and I did not know our son Cam had

clubfoot (right) until

after he was born. I had him by c-section and he

sucked in some

amniotic fluid on the way out and had some problems

breathing at

first. After the worst of the breathing problems

were over my

husband told me he had a right clubfoot. I had

heard of this

condition before, but never imagined that my baby

would have this.

There are no known cases in any part of mine or my

husband's family,

but people are good at keeping secrets so it's

possible that someone

just never talked about it. In the beginning I was

devistated and

thought I had done something wrong in my pregnancy

to make this

happen. I can't say I'm totally over it yet, but

I'm starting to be

able to accept that it wasn't the case. I think

this ordeal has

been one of the most emotionally trying times of my

life. I never

expected anything to be wrong since I had so many

ultrasounds

throughout my pregnancy. I sometimes wish I had

known before he was

born and that way we would have had everything

researched, and

sorted out and I wouldn't have been such an

emotional wreck. I was

so unprepared when we first met our Dr. and he said

that the course

of treatment is 3 years long. I cried for 2 days

wondering how my

little boy was going to get through this, and

selfishly, how I was

going to get through this. Cam is having his 3rd

cast put on

tomorrow and only now am I starting to be less tense

about it. He

doesn't understand what's happening to him and it

crushes me

everytime the Dr. manipulates his foot before the

cast goes on. I

know he'll never remember this part of the

treatment, but he's only

3 1/2 weeks old and so little.

I'm sorry this is so long, but I really needed to

get this out. I

feel so much better knowing that all of you have

been through

similar experiences and that I'm not alone.

I look forward to meeting you all, and thanks for

reading my story.

It just feels good to get it out.

Sincerely,

Jen

Cameron 10/14/05 right CF 3rd cast out of 12

tomorrow

[Guest guest]

Um, I missed this original post but WHAT??????? Oh My God tell me some lame

brain didnt' suggest aborting a baby for club foot???? Oh man, I'd have come

un glued!

s.

-----

I know. I didn't even tell my husband because he would have gotten on

the phone and just yelled at her! But regardless of so much " unknown "

at that moment, her comment didn't even phase me. (I did kinda wonder

if its just something they say to every mother whose child has

something? I don't know.) I am a firm believer in " things happen for

a reason " so regardless of what my baby has, I am going to welcome this

baby on his birth day, clubfeet or no clubfeet.

Janice

P.S. CONGRATS on your GrandBaby!

>

> In a message dated 11/8/2005 2:06:26 PM Pacific Standard Time,

> joybelle15@y... writes:

> > I cannot believe she suggested termination for

> > clubfeet. How sad.

> That is soooooo unacceptible !

>

>

> DeeDee

> California

>

[Guest guest]

...

This is a post worth saving. I love it! It's all so true and

amazing. You really summed it up nicely there. Thank you!

If I could get the pics of my phone I'd show everyone how a 2yo does

the macarena in a FAB. Her hopping quarter turns and all without

holding on to anything or anyone. Just dancing her heart out with

her brother at his school. I want to cry every time I see those pics.

It's all good :~}

Kori

At 08:34 PM 11/8/2005, you wrote:

>Jen,

>

>I think everyone else has said what needs to be said but I think I

>will still take a minute to write my feelings. Our fifth child was

>born with right club foot and it was a surprise at birth. The

>orthopedic we consulted with was sure it wasn't a club foot and we

>spent five long months tryin to fix our non club foot before we

>found our current doctor. And the rest is history I guess.

>I was just thinking today as I pulled Tenny down from everything he

>climbed on that if I could just send every new parent a video of my

> " disabled " child right now, no one would worry a minute about club

>feet. You will never be able to convice these babies that they

>can't do something. They learn and develop and surpass the

>expectations left and right.

>Everytime I looked at Tenny's foot for the first few hours it was a

>shock, but soon I just loved that foot. My older kids just loved

>that casts. We colored every one. They asked why they couldn't

>have casts and why they didn't have them when they were babies--life

>just ain't fair--Tenny gets all the fun.

>I remember thinking the three months of full time FAB wear would

>never end, but it does. Some days may be hard. I think that is

>part of it, and part of being mommy. Guess what, it is okay to

>have a hard time as long as you don't give up. Just keep going a

>day at a time. It is hard, but it is worth it. So cry a little (or

>a lot) as often as needed. One day you will wake up and realize

>that the casts are behind you and the FAB is just a fact of

>life. One day you will say, hey I can do this, it isn't so bad.

> I promise you that some day you will watch that little boy run

> around the house and climb on the kitchen table to do a rain

> dance. And you will kiss those feet every night because they are

> just beautiful. And you will sigh and want to put your son back

> into shoes just to keep him off of the table. Then comes the day

> when the shoes don't keep him off of the table. And finally, one

> day you will think of all the things and people you know just

> because of a little club foot. You will realize how much better

> you life is because of the club foot journey. (and for the

> wonderful parents on this list who understand!!!!!!) And you will

> look back and smile because it was all worth it.

>

>So hang in there, you can do this. Cameron is lucky to have such a

>caring mommy. Here is a hug from a mommy who is still in the middle

>of it all. Good luck.

>

> mom to

>Tenny 7/15/04 rt cf. FAB 14/7

>

>

> Just joined this group...

>

>

> Hello Everyone!

> I just joined this group on the recommendation from the other yahoo

> website for clubfeet and I'm really glad I did.

> My husband and I did not know our son Cam had clubfoot (right) until

> after he was born. I had him by c-section and he sucked in some

> amniotic fluid on the way out and had some problems breathing at

> first. After the worst of the breathing problems were over my

> husband told me he had a right clubfoot. I had heard of this

> condition before, but never imagined that my baby would have this.

> There are no known cases in any part of mine or my husband's family,

> but people are good at keeping secrets so it's possible that someone

> just never talked about it. In the beginning I was devistated and

> thought I had done something wrong in my pregnancy to make this

> happen. I can't say I'm totally over it yet, but I'm starting to be

> able to accept that it wasn't the case. I think this ordeal has

> been one of the most emotionally trying times of my life. I never

> expected anything to be wrong since I had so many ultrasounds

> throughout my pregnancy. I sometimes wish I had known before he was

> born and that way we would have had everything researched, and

> sorted out and I wouldn't have been such an emotional wreck. I was

> so unprepared when we first met our Dr. and he said that the course

> of treatment is 3 years long. I cried for 2 days wondering how my

> little boy was going to get through this, and selfishly, how I was

> going to get through this. Cam is having his 3rd cast put on

> tomorrow and only now am I starting to be less tense about it. He

> doesn't understand what's happening to him and it crushes me

> everytime the Dr. manipulates his foot before the cast goes on. I

> know he'll never remember this part of the treatment, but he's only

> 3 1/2 weeks old and so little.

> I'm sorry this is so long, but I really needed to get this out. I

> feel so much better knowing that all of you have been through

> similar experiences and that I'm not alone.

> I look forward to meeting you all, and thanks for reading my story.

> It just feels good to get it out.

>

> Sincerely,

> Jen

> Cameron 10/14/05 right CF 3rd cast out of 12 tomorrow

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much . That was such a touching story. I will remeber

everything you said. It is so encouraging and hopful. The Dr. said Cam

wouldn't be a jumper, but I put him in his place and said, " Have you ever known

anything to stop a child if he/she really wants it " ). He'll jump if he wants to

and he'll play basketball and volleyball if that what he wants to do and I'll

cheer him on every second!! I always thought this, but thank you for helping

truly believe it.

Take care,

Jen

ph Grush wrote:

Jen,

I think everyone else has said what needs to be said but I think I will still

take a minute to write my feelings. Our fifth child was born with right club

foot and it was a surprise at birth. The orthopedic we consulted with was sure

it wasn't a club foot and we spent five long months tryin to fix our non club

foot before we found our current doctor. And the rest is history I guess.

I was just thinking today as I pulled Tenny down from everything he climbed on

that if I could just send every new parent a video of my " disabled " child right

now, no one would worry a minute about club feet. You will never be able to

convice these babies that they can't do something. They learn and develop and

surpass the expectations left and right.

Everytime I looked at Tenny's foot for the first few hours it was a shock, but

soon I just loved that foot. My older kids just loved that casts. We colored

every one. They asked why they couldn't have casts and why they didn't have

them when they were babies--life just ain't fair--Tenny gets all the fun.

I remember thinking the three months of full time FAB wear would never end, but

it does. Some days may be hard. I think that is part of it, and part of being

mommy. Guess what, it is okay to have a hard time as long as you don't give

up. Just keep going a day at a time. It is hard, but it is worth it. So cry a

little (or a lot) as often as needed. One day you will wake up and realize that

the casts are behind you and the FAB is just a fact of life. One day you will

say, hey I can do this, it isn't so bad.

I promise you that some day you will watch that little boy run around the house

and climb on the kitchen table to do a rain dance. And you will kiss those feet

every night because they are just beautiful. And you will sigh and want to put

your son back into shoes just to keep him off of the table. Then comes the day

when the shoes don't keep him off of the table. And finally, one day you will

think of all the things and people you know just because of a little club foot.

You will realize how much better you life is because of the club foot journey.

(and for the wonderful parents on this list who understand!!!!!!) And you will

look back and smile because it was all worth it.

So hang in there, you can do this. Cameron is lucky to have such a caring

mommy. Here is a hug from a mommy who is still in the middle of it all. Good

luck.

mom to

Tenny 7/15/04 rt cf. FAB 14/7

Just joined this group...

Hello Everyone!

I just joined this group on the recommendation from the other yahoo

website for clubfeet and I'm really glad I did.

My husband and I did not know our son Cam had clubfoot (right) until

after he was born. I had him by c-section and he sucked in some

amniotic fluid on the way out and had some problems breathing at

first. After the worst of the breathing problems were over my

husband told me he had a right clubfoot. I had heard of this

condition before, but never imagined that my baby would have this.

There are no known cases in any part of mine or my husband's family,

but people are good at keeping secrets so it's possible that someone

just never talked about it. In the beginning I was devistated and

thought I had done something wrong in my pregnancy to make this

happen. I can't say I'm totally over it yet, but I'm starting to be

able to accept that it wasn't the case. I think this ordeal has

been one of the most emotionally trying times of my life. I never

expected anything to be wrong since I had so many ultrasounds

throughout my pregnancy. I sometimes wish I had known before he was

born and that way we would have had everything researched, and

sorted out and I wouldn't have been such an emotional wreck. I was

so unprepared when we first met our Dr. and he said that the course

of treatment is 3 years long. I cried for 2 days wondering how my

little boy was going to get through this, and selfishly, how I was

going to get through this. Cam is having his 3rd cast put on

tomorrow and only now am I starting to be less tense about it. He

doesn't understand what's happening to him and it crushes me

everytime the Dr. manipulates his foot before the cast goes on. I

know he'll never remember this part of the treatment, but he's only

3 1/2 weeks old and so little.

I'm sorry this is so long, but I really needed to get this out. I

feel so much better knowing that all of you have been through

similar experiences and that I'm not alone.

I look forward to meeting you all, and thanks for reading my story.

It just feels good to get it out.

Sincerely,

Jen

Cameron 10/14/05 right CF 3rd cast out of 12 tomorrow

[Guest guest]

Jen,

It sounds like this current doctor doesn't have it " quite right " for

whatever reason. There are a few red flags that I see in your

description of the treatment, but the one that's blaring is the fact

that he is absolutely not following the method correctly if he plans

to do the tenotomy followed by 5-6 more castings. The tenotomy is

done as the very last step in correction after all other aspects of

the foot are corrected. If you download that Global HELP booklet on

that ponseti_links-ivil website (under the medical journal section) it

has all the technical information on how the method is used.

I would urge you to do some more research about treatment and ask lots

of questions. (Claire's mom) will be a great resource for you

too since she's in your state.

You asked about my daughter's care....in a nutshell- she was born in

March of 2000 with a left clubfoot and we didn't know about it prior

to her birth. We knew nothing about clubfoot. We started off with a

local orthopaedic surgeon and trusted him completely (he exuded

confidence, had a fantastic bedside manner and 3 little girls of his

own). After 3.5 months of treatment, he referred us to another

doctor. I started to look for support on the Internet b/c the new

doctor said she needed surgery (PMR-posterio medial release- which is

a reconstructive surgery where bones and ligaments are moved and

pinned into a new position). This is when I started reading about Dr.

Ponseti. I called him on a Thursday, drove 10 hours to Iowa that

weekend ( was 4 mo. old) to see him on Monday morning... and

essentially never looked back. Dr. P corrected her with 3 additional

casts, then a tenotomy. We took her tenotomy cast off (it stays on for

3 wks to allow the tendon to heal) the Friday before the previously

scheduled Monday morning PMR surgery...Dr. P fixed her foot completely

in the amount of time we would have spent just waiting for her to be

big enough to go through the PMR (the Dr. wouldn't do it before 5-6

mo. old).

She will be 6 in March and is doing fantastic. Here's her website:

http://ponseticlubfoot.freeservers.com

Hang in there- we're happy to have you here!

& (3-16-00, lcf)

[Guest guest]

,

This is a beautiful message - I couldn't have said it

better!

--- ph Grush wrote:

> Jen,

>

> I think everyone else has said what needs to be said

> but I think I will still take a minute to write my

> feelings. Our fifth child was born with right club

> foot and it was a surprise at birth. The orthopedic

> we consulted with was sure it wasn't a club foot and

> we spent five long months tryin to fix our non club

> foot before we found our current doctor. And the

> rest is history I guess.

> I was just thinking today as I pulled Tenny down

> from everything he climbed on that if I could just

> send every new parent a video of my " disabled " child

> right now, no one would worry a minute about club

> feet. You will never be able to convice these

> babies that they can't do something. They learn and

> develop and surpass the expectations left and right.

>

> Everytime I looked at Tenny's foot for the first few

> hours it was a shock, but soon I just loved that

> foot. My older kids just loved that casts. We

> colored every one. They asked why they couldn't

> have casts and why they didn't have them when they

> were babies--life just ain't fair--Tenny gets all

> the fun.

> I remember thinking the three months of full time

> FAB wear would never end, but it does. Some days

> may be hard. I think that is part of it, and part

> of being mommy. Guess what, it is okay to have a

> hard time as long as you don't give up. Just keep

> going a day at a time. It is hard, but it is worth

> it. So cry a little (or a lot) as often as needed.

> One day you will wake up and realize that the casts

> are behind you and the FAB is just a fact of life.

> One day you will say, hey I can do this, it isn't so

> bad.

> I promise you that some day you will watch that

> little boy run around the house and climb on the

> kitchen table to do a rain dance. And you will kiss

> those feet every night because they are just

> beautiful. And you will sigh and want to put your

> son back into shoes just to keep him off of the

> table. Then comes the day when the shoes don't keep

> him off of the table. And finally, one day you will

> think of all the things and people you know just

> because of a little club foot. You will realize how

> much better you life is because of the club foot

> journey. (and for the wonderful parents on this

> list who understand!!!!!!) And you will look back

> and smile because it was all worth it.

>

> So hang in there, you can do this. Cameron is lucky

> to have such a caring mommy. Here is a hug from a

> mommy who is still in the middle of it all. Good

> luck.

>

> mom to

> Tenny 7/15/04 rt cf. FAB 14/7

>

>

> Just joined this

> group...

>

>

> Hello Everyone!

> I just joined this group on the recommendation

> from the other yahoo

> website for clubfeet and I'm really glad I did.

> My husband and I did not know our son Cam had

> clubfoot (right) until

> after he was born. I had him by c-section and he

> sucked in some

> amniotic fluid on the way out and had some

> problems breathing at

> first. After the worst of the breathing problems

> were over my

> husband told me he had a right clubfoot. I had

> heard of this

> condition before, but never imagined that my baby

> would have this.

> There are no known cases in any part of mine or my

> husband's family,

> but people are good at keeping secrets so it's

> possible that someone

> just never talked about it. In the beginning I

> was devistated and

> thought I had done something wrong in my pregnancy

> to make this

> happen. I can't say I'm totally over it yet, but

> I'm starting to be

> able to accept that it wasn't the case. I think

> this ordeal has

> been one of the most emotionally trying times of

> my life. I never

> expected anything to be wrong since I had so many

> ultrasounds

> throughout my pregnancy. I sometimes wish I had

> known before he was

> born and that way we would have had everything

> researched, and

> sorted out and I wouldn't have been such an

> emotional wreck. I was

> so unprepared when we first met our Dr. and he

> said that the course

> of treatment is 3 years long. I cried for 2 days

> wondering how my

> little boy was going to get through this, and

> selfishly, how I was

> going to get through this. Cam is having his 3rd

> cast put on

> tomorrow and only now am I starting to be less

> tense about it. He

> doesn't understand what's happening to him and it

> crushes me

> everytime the Dr. manipulates his foot before the

> cast goes on. I

> know he'll never remember this part of the

> treatment, but he's only

> 3 1/2 weeks old and so little.

> I'm sorry this is so long, but I really needed to

> get this out. I

> feel so much better knowing that all of you have

> been through

> similar experiences and that I'm not alone.

> I look forward to meeting you all, and thanks for

> reading my story.

> It just feels good to get it out.

>

> Sincerely,

> Jen

> Cameron 10/14/05 right CF 3rd cast out of 12

> tomorrow

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Was that the best Father's Day present or what? I

know my husband was impressed! However, I doubt I'll

ever top giving him a son for Father's Day from now

on!

I am so glad that you are getting good treatment for

your little guy now, too. Yay for this group! Had my

sister not suggested that I look for online support, I

would never have found this group and probably would

have continued with the torture. It makes me a little

sick to think about it.

Thanks for sharing! Hope to hear from you again!

Would love to compare notes with you since your little

one is exactly the same age!

--- artlovr wrote:

---------------------------------

, I have been a member for a short while and

just had to

reply after I read you story. My son was also born on

June 19, 2005

and his clubfoot was a complete surprise for us, too.

We were not

satisfied with our first doctor and are now seeing one

who does

practice the Ponseti method and are very pleased.

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Hello Everyone!

> I just joined this group on the recommendation from

> the other yahoo

> website for clubfeet and I'm really glad I did.

> My husband and I did not know our son Cam had

clubfoot

> (right) until

> after he was born. I had him by c-section and he

> sucked in some

> amniotic fluid on the way out and had some problems

> breathing at

> first. After the worst of the breathing problems

were

> over my

> husband told me he had a right clubfoot. I had

heard

> of this

> condition before, but never imagined that my baby

> would have this.

> There are no known cases in any part of mine or my

> husband's family,

> but people are good at keeping secrets so it's

> possible that someone

> just never talked about it. In the beginning I was

> devistated and

> thought I had done something wrong in my pregnancy

to

> make this

> happen. I can't say I'm totally over it yet, but

I'm

> starting to be

> able to accept that it wasn't the case. I think

this

> ordeal has

> been one of the most emotionally trying times of my

> life. I never

> expected anything to be wrong since I had so many

> ultrasounds

> throughout my pregnancy. I sometimes wish I had

known

> before he was

> born and that way we would have had everything

> researched, and

> sorted out and I wouldn't have been such an

emotional

> wreck. I was

> so unprepared when we first met our Dr. and he said

> that the course

> of treatment is 3 years long. I cried for 2 days

> wondering how my

> little boy was going to get through this, and

> selfishly, how I was

> going to get through this. Cam is having his 3rd

cast

> put on

> tomorrow and only now am I starting to be less tense

> about it. He

> doesn't understand what's happening to him and it

> crushes me

> everytime the Dr. manipulates his foot before the

cast

> goes on. I

> know he'll never remember this part of the

treatment,

> but he's only

> 3 1/2 weeks old and so little.

> I'm sorry this is so long, but I really needed to

get

> this out. I

> feel so much better knowing that all of you have

been

> through

> similar experiences and that I'm not alone.

> I look forward to meeting you all, and thanks for

> reading my story.

> It just feels good to get it out.

>

> Sincerely,

> Jen

> Cameron 10/14/05 right CF 3rd cast out of 12

tomorrow

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>