Back from Iowa

[Guest guest]

and I are back from Iowa. We were there for about 2 1/2 weeks

and I have to say, I'm so relieved we went. For the first time in

's life someone (Dr. Ponseti) told me that his foot is not that

severe. I almost fell over when I heard that! Coming from a place

where we'd been buffering him against suggestions of major surgery

for over a year, to hear him say, " that's really not that severe a

foot, " I can't tell you the relief I felt. Dr. Ponseti told me that

it won't be a perfect foot, but it will be fine. needed three

casts while we were there, and then we came home. He wore the first

two casts for 7 days a piece and he'll have this last one on for 2

weeks. It comes off on 2/27.

Then he goes into shoes again for 22 hours/day for a month,

then down to 20 hours/day for a month, then 18/day if it looks like

his correction can tolerate more time out of the brace. We go back

to Iowa in 4 months. Going to see Dr. Ponseti was the best decision

we've made for ! Thanks to all who encouraged us. We really

needed an expert opinion for our son and now he's in the best hands.

Truly God's Angel!

You should see though, it took him about 2 weeks but he now has

figured out how to walk in his cast! Bent leg and all!! Dr. P. said

I can't prevent him, so here I am at home with my nerves and extra

plaster to reinforce the toe if needed! Egad! I hope I won't have

to do any reinforcements! What a nightmare if I mess up!

Fortunately, we had a cast shoe at home left over from his other

castings and that has worked like a charm! There's not much wear and

tear on the plaster when he wears the shoe over the cast.

I think I'm gonna need to start a " shoes and brace " support group

here. My poor boy has gone from freedom and walking, to long-leg

casts, and soon back to shoes and a bar. God bless him! He's been

so tolerant of all that's been done to his foot. But I know he's

frustrated! We're not looking forward to the next few months. It's

not how we imagined going into his second year. Oh well, little

regrets for a big payoff for his foot.