Re: Out of post - tenotomy cast, into FAB

[Guest guest]

Sorry about the troubles with the FAB. It took Kelsey some adjusting time as

well.

About the hours in the brace, I would personally question this. Kelsey was

almost 13 months old when she went into the FAB after her tenotomy and both Dr.

Von Stein and Dr. Ponseti told me that it was essential that she wear the FAB

for the initial 23 hours a day for the full three months so Kelsey did not get

more than an hour a day out until she was 16 months old. She did adjust down

in hours after the initial 23/7 to sleepy time only to allow for her to

actually start walking etc.

Best of luck with the brace.

Jenni

lotsolove4my2babes wrote: Not having a great day

here. Got the cast off. The foot looks

great. Stitches out. Heel has healed nicely.

Asked for Markell's with the open heel, but they didn't have any in

the size he needed. Got a gold bar with the 3 adjustments(6,8,10).

Isaac is on the 6 " setting, 45 degree for the normal foot, 70 degree

for the clubfoot.

He is horribly cranky and frustrated. His leg is stiff, his heel

tender, and he is hating the confinement of the shoes. He had just

started to crawl, pull his upper body up, sit unassisted for a few

minutes. He is having no problem moving the feet together. He is

so mad that only took a few minutes. I showed him how to roll, and

it killed me, but I let him struggle the next time just so he would

know he could do it w/o my help. That sounds so mean typed out.

*sigh*

He has managed to get out of both shoes 4 times so far. He has

untied the strings countless times, and unscrewed one of the screws

on the bottom!! I even have a hard time with those.

I gave him some Tylenol, nursed him, and waited till he fell asleep

to put them on again. I think I got them tighter this time.

This is going to be a long night and a long few months. *crying and

feeling very sorry for myself right now*

Oh, Isaac is 6.5 months old. We were told 18-20 hr per day instead

of the 23 hours, bc of his age and wanting to give him time out bc

of other milestones like sitting upright?? Anyone else start at 20

hr, and not regress?

Next checkup in 6 wks. Said we will go down to 14-16 hr, then just

at night 6 wks after that.

Any quick hints while I try to find the help file again?

Kailee 7-00

Ean 6-03

Isaac 7-12-05(right unilateral clubfoot)

[Guest guest]

,

I hope Isaac is feeling better. Your comment about stitches has me

concerned! There aren't any stitches used in the percutaneous

tenotomy. Dr. Doyle didn't do an open incision tenotomy, did he?!

How big is the scar?

I, too, would question the amount of time in the brace. Better to

be conservative than to risk relapse!

About the length of the bar, hold the brace up to his shoulders and

see if his shoulders fit inside the area between the heels of the

shoes. There's a picture of this at the

http://members.tripod.com/ponseti_links-ivil site under the bracing

section. If it's too narrow, it will be uncomfortable for him. You

can also send us pictures via email on the cfpics site too.

Hang in there......he will sit, crawl, roll and pull to the stand in

the brace. It won't slow him down! Seriously! Make sure you have

extra long laces for the shoes so you can quadruple knot them

(hahaha) so he can't untie them as easily- or you can also put the

knot on the toe end of the shoe so when he unlaces them, they don't

automatically loosen up.

Keep us posted!

& (3-16-00, left clubfoot)

>

> Not having a great day here. Got the cast off. The foot looks

> great. Stitches out. Heel has healed nicely.

>

> Asked for Markell's with the open heel, but they didn't have any

in

> the size he needed. Got a gold bar with the 3 adjustments(6,8,10).

> Isaac is on the 6 " setting, 45 degree for the normal foot, 70

degree

> for the clubfoot.

>

> He is horribly cranky and frustrated. His leg is stiff, his heel

> tender, and he is hating the confinement of the shoes. He had

just

> started to crawl, pull his upper body up, sit unassisted for a few

> minutes. He is having no problem moving the feet together. He is

> so mad that only took a few minutes. I showed him how to roll,

and

> it killed me, but I let him struggle the next time just so he

would

> know he could do it w/o my help. That sounds so mean typed out.

> *sigh*

>

> He has managed to get out of both shoes 4 times so far. He has

> untied the strings countless times, and unscrewed one of the

screws

> on the bottom!! I even have a hard time with those.

> I gave him some Tylenol, nursed him, and waited till he fell

asleep

> to put them on again. I think I got them tighter this time.

> This is going to be a long night and a long few months. *crying

and

> feeling very sorry for myself right now*

>

> Oh, Isaac is 6.5 months old. We were told 18-20 hr per day

instead

> of the 23 hours, bc of his age and wanting to give him time out bc

> of other milestones like sitting upright?? Anyone else start at

20

> hr, and not regress?

>

> Next checkup in 6 wks. Said we will go down to 14-16 hr, then

just

> at night 6 wks after that.

>

> Any quick hints while I try to find the help file again?

>

>

>

> Kailee 7-00

> Ean 6-03

> Isaac 7-12-05(right unilateral clubfoot)

>

[Guest guest]

,

If he is getting out of the shoes this easily I would almost guarantee

that there is a problem with how they are being applied, with the fit,

set up of bar or even with his correction. Babies who are properly

corrected and in a pair of shoes that fit them are not usually able to

do this. The tips document is in the files section of the group's

website, look here:

http://f4.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/AH7jQxpz6y57rWdcElUBjUSPaXzlTWEkeiKWmgaLH0dIPI6bVwK\

T05td3nAK_2MSTZoR2PTSG8lbycFK4el9-4K800bkHw/Bracing%20file%2C%20FAB%20%28DBB%29/\

fab_tips_10_05_05%5B1%5D.pdf

Kori's section on how to put the shoes on is invaluable.

The biggest culprit is bar length, a bar that is too short will cause

discomfort (thus the crying) and also give the baby leverage to get

his foot out. Are the heels of the shoes on the bar shoulder width

apart? The 6 " setting sounds WAY short for a six month old. Hold the

bar up to his shoulders, if his shoulders do not easily fit between

the shoes I would suggest moving them to the next holes. Generally

speaking a little wider is better.

Since you were not able to get the Markells with the hole in the heel

I would highly recommend going ahead and putting at least a small hole

in the heel of the shoe so you can see if you are getting the heel

down. I can't tell you how many parents, myself included, have been

" absolutely sure " they are getting the heel down only to cut the hole

and find out that the heel is rising up.

Things about the fit of the shoes to look for -- What size are the

shoes? How close do his toes come to the end of the shoe? Does his

foot seem lost in there? When you tighten up the laces do the sides

of the shoe, like where the eyelets are, come up over the top of his

foot quite a bit?

On correction, was his last cast abducted to 65-70 degrees? If not,

the 70 degrees of abduction on the shoes will undoubtedly cause him pain.

On the untying of the shoes, you may need to double or even triple

knot them, most babes who can undo two knots still can't quite get 3

figured out. If he is unscrewing the nut on the bottom I have to say

it must not be tight enough. The big problem with this, other than

the obvious of course, is that the screw and or teeth will become

stripped and it will never stay tight. If you are unable to tighten

it tighter by hand, you may need to snug it up with a wrench. My

inclination is that you *should* be able to do this by hand tight

enough that he can't get it loose, if not, there is a chance that your

bar or the sole plates are stripped already (possible that the

orthotics shop is re-using an old bar or soleplates) and you should

get them to change these out for you.

It is normal for him to be cranky and frustrated but the problems you

are describing are a sign of something wrong.

Sorry this is so long, you asked for quick hints didn't you? There

are just so many variables it is difficult to tell what the problem

is. The tips document is invaluable, I highly recommend ALL the tips

in it. I know when my son started in the shoes I read the tips and

thought, " Oh, I don't need to do that " to make this work, believe me,

everything in there is worth doing to make it work and make it easier

on both of you.

Hope this helps,

Mom to Jenna (4/7/01) & Sammy (9/25/04, RCF, Dobbs' brace, 14hrs/day)

>

> Not having a great day here. Got the cast off. The foot looks

> great. Stitches out. Heel has healed nicely.

>

> Asked for Markell's with the open heel, but they didn't have any in

> the size he needed. Got a gold bar with the 3 adjustments(6,8,10).

> Isaac is on the 6 " setting, 45 degree for the normal foot, 70 degree

> for the clubfoot.

>

> He is horribly cranky and frustrated. His leg is stiff, his heel

> tender, and he is hating the confinement of the shoes. He had just

> started to crawl, pull his upper body up, sit unassisted for a few

> minutes. He is having no problem moving the feet together. He is

> so mad that only took a few minutes. I showed him how to roll, and

> it killed me, but I let him struggle the next time just so he would

> know he could do it w/o my help. That sounds so mean typed out.

> *sigh*

>

> He has managed to get out of both shoes 4 times so far. He has

> untied the strings countless times, and unscrewed one of the screws

> on the bottom!! I even have a hard time with those.

> I gave him some Tylenol, nursed him, and waited till he fell asleep

> to put them on again. I think I got them tighter this time.

> This is going to be a long night and a long few months. *crying and

> feeling very sorry for myself right now*

>

> Oh, Isaac is 6.5 months old. We were told 18-20 hr per day instead

> of the 23 hours, bc of his age and wanting to give him time out bc

> of other milestones like sitting upright?? Anyone else start at 20

> hr, and not regress?

>

> Next checkup in 6 wks. Said we will go down to 14-16 hr, then just

> at night 6 wks after that.

>

> Any quick hints while I try to find the help file again?

>

>

>

> Kailee 7-00

> Ean 6-03

> Isaac 7-12-05(right unilateral clubfoot)

>

[Guest guest]

,

It will get better, I'm glad you read the tips because it does sound

like you got the shoes on better now. If he doesn't slip, that's

very good and you did a great job. Just keep doing like it says, and

always check to make sure the heel doesn't slip at all after you're

done tightening. You may have to redo it, a time or two but soon you

won't even need to do that anymore. If there are still problems, be

sure to try the modifications to the shoes that are listed there,

making the tongue sit lower, using the second from top hole for

laces, etc. all are ways to keep the foot in the shoe.

It does sound like that bar is way too short. Despite the

measurement between the bolt holes, if he's set at the 6 " mark his

heels are 6 " apart. Darbi, at 5w old had an 8 " bar... I cannot

imagine that a 6mo old would EVER be comfortable at 6 " . Most babies

are comfortable at heel to heel, as opposed to bolt to bolt. But

some are fine bolt to bolt. you want to make sure you're somewhere

in between those measurements, especially in a fixed bar. So do just

take the brace off, hold it up to his shoulders and see if they fit

inside the heels (point heels toward baby). If not, move one or both

of the shoes to the outer holes (if you move one, you increase by 1 " ,

if you move both you get 2 " increase) and then put them back on. Too

short a bar can absolutely make a kid pull out of the shoes (too long

too) so get that right, put the shoes on properly and you should be

good to go. Tonight should be much better after these adjustments are made.

LEt us know how it goes, and check his heels for sores or bruised

looking spots regularly. minorly red is ok, an indentation or bruise

is the beginning of a pressure sore. Shove that foot deeply into

the shoe... push hard on the bent knee and force it deeply into the

shoe. Press hard on the tongue, tighten the strap. pull at the heel

to see if it moves at all. If it does, push on the knee again, (take

shoes off bar) and press the heel deep into the shoe. tighten strap

again. Remember to dorsiflex the foot as you do this (point toes

up). Not simple, but it'll get easier. Promise.

hugs! get some sleep. like said, if you must just let him

sleep on your chest. carry him, love him... and listen to him. He

will tell you if he's in pain, and if he is... you have to

re-evaluate the fit of the shoes. It sounds like he's corrected

well, it's just getting them set up right and fitted that will let

you move onto happiness.

Kori

At 09:09 AM 2/3/2006, you wrote:

>thanks everyone who responded here and by personal email.

>

>here is a quick update.

>i'll address some of the other questions this afternoon.

>

>My night from h*** -

>

>He screamed and cried for hours upon hours, flailng, whimpering,

>kicking, trying to cricket his feet, even jabbering in the most

>pitiful voice.

>I feel like the suckiest mom on the planet.

>He was inconsolable with rocking, walking, etc. Wanted to nurse all

>night, but kept spitting it out.

>We checked his feet, the shoes, the bar, repositioned him, put

>pillows under his legs. Nothing worked.

>He fnally cried himself out at 4am on my chest, only to stir at

>4:30am, and he had kicked them off again. *sigh crying*

>

>They are on again at the moment. I know things could be worse, but

>this totally bites. I am so freaking tired. though Dave did take

>night duty for the first time ever w. isaac alternating w. me bc he

>knew I was about to snap.

>please say a prayer that he will adjust and learn how to sleep in

>them, and that we can find a way to keep them on. I just read the

>faq file.

>

>I must have done a better job at putting them on this morning. He

>hasn't slipped out at all. He has been a little fussy, but overall

>so much better this a.m.

>

>His last cast was almost pointing backward to about 75-80 degree, by

>viewing, didn't measure.

>

>I measured him from shoulder to shoulder where the arm seam is, and

>he is just under 8 " . I measured the bar. From the center of the 6

>slot to the center of the other 6 is 8 " , from center of 8 to 8 is

>10 " , and the center of the 10 to 10 is 12 " . So now I am REALLY

>confused. So the 6 slot should be perfect by my measurements. oh,

>wait, you are suppose to measure from heel to heel not the bar. is

>that true for unilateral too? off to measure again.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> >

> > I know it's so hard to watch them struggle, but hang in there

>Momma. He will have lots of struggles in his little baby life that

>have nothing to do with his club feet that you'll have to stand back

>and let him work out for himself. In the end, you're doing him a

>big favor because as he learnes more independence (in and out of the

>FAB) he'll gain confidence and happiness.

> >

> > s.

> > Out of post - tenotomy cast, into

>FAB

> >

> >

> > Not having a great day here. Got the cast off. The foot looks

> > great. Stitches out. Heel has healed nicely.

> >

> > Asked for Markell's with the open heel, but they didn't have any

>in

> > the size he needed. Got a gold bar with the 3 adjustments

>(6,8,10).

> > Isaac is on the 6 " setting, 45 degree for the normal foot, 70

>degree

> > for the clubfoot.

> >

> > He is horribly cranky and frustrated. His leg is stiff, his

>heel

> > tender, and he is hating the confinement of the shoes. He had

>just

> > started to crawl, pull his upper body up, sit unassisted for a

>few

> > minutes. He is having no problem moving the feet together. He

>is

> > so mad that only took a few minutes. I showed him how to roll,

>and

> > it killed me, but I let him struggle the next time just so he

>would

> > know he could do it w/o my help. That sounds so mean typed out.

> > *sigh*

> >

> > He has managed to get out of both shoes 4 times so far. He has

> > untied the strings countless times, and unscrewed one of the

>screws

> > on the bottom!! I even have a hard time with those.

> > I gave him some Tylenol, nursed him, and waited till he fell

>asleep

> > to put them on again. I think I got them tighter this time.

> > This is going to be a long night and a long few months. *crying

>and

> > feeling very sorry for myself right now*

> >

> > Oh, Isaac is 6.5 months old. We were told 18-20 hr per day

>instead

> > of the 23 hours, bc of his age and wanting to give him time out

>bc

> > of other milestones like sitting upright?? Anyone else start at

>20

> > hr, and not regress?

> >

> > Next checkup in 6 wks. Said we will go down to 14-16 hr, then

>just

> > at night 6 wks after that.

> >

> > Any quick hints while I try to find the help file again?

> >

> >

> >

> > Kailee 7-00

> > Ean 6-03

> > Isaac 7-12-05(right unilateral clubfoot)

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Really feeling for you ! No sleep is NOT fun! Yes, measure

heel to heel, I would bet that his bar is too short. Grace started

out with a 10 inch bar at 2 mo's old, she does have wide shoulders

(which I can personally attest to lol). But she has Always been more

comfy with her bar a bit on the wide side. She is at almost 14 inches

now at 18 mos (we have the adjustable bar so I have one side at 13

and one at 14) she is also unilateral.

Do you have an adjustable bar? If so, just widen it one slot or space

(depending on which one you may have) on your own. If not, I would

return to the orthotist and get a longer bar...try to get an

adjustable one if you don't have one already, makes life so much

easier!

Hope we can help you get this figured out so you can all get some

decent sleep!

Hugs,

& Grace 18 mos

unilateral rcf FAB 13hrs

> >

> > I know it's so hard to watch them struggle, but hang in there

> Momma. He will have lots of struggles in his little baby life

that

> have nothing to do with his club feet that you'll have to stand

back

> and let him work out for himself. In the end, you're doing him a

> big favor because as he learnes more independence (in and out of

the

> FAB) he'll gain confidence and happiness.

> >

> > s.

> > Out of post - tenotomy cast, into

> FAB

> >

> >

> > Not having a great day here. Got the cast off. The foot looks

> > great. Stitches out. Heel has healed nicely.

> >

> > Asked for Markell's with the open heel, but they didn't have

any

> in

> > the size he needed. Got a gold bar with the 3 adjustments

> (6,8,10).

> > Isaac is on the 6 " setting, 45 degree for the normal foot, 70

> degree

> > for the clubfoot.

> >

> > He is horribly cranky and frustrated. His leg is stiff, his

> heel

> > tender, and he is hating the confinement of the shoes. He had

> just

> > started to crawl, pull his upper body up, sit unassisted for a

> few

> > minutes. He is having no problem moving the feet together. He

> is

> > so mad that only took a few minutes. I showed him how to roll,

> and

> > it killed me, but I let him struggle the next time just so he

> would

> > know he could do it w/o my help. That sounds so mean typed

out.

> > *sigh*

> >

> > He has managed to get out of both shoes 4 times so far. He has

> > untied the strings countless times, and unscrewed one of the

> screws

> > on the bottom!! I even have a hard time with those.

> > I gave him some Tylenol, nursed him, and waited till he fell

> asleep

> > to put them on again. I think I got them tighter this time.

> > This is going to be a long night and a long few months.

*crying

> and

> > feeling very sorry for myself right now*

> >

> > Oh, Isaac is 6.5 months old. We were told 18-20 hr per day

> instead

> > of the 23 hours, bc of his age and wanting to give him time out

> bc

> > of other milestones like sitting upright?? Anyone else start

at

> 20

> > hr, and not regress?

> >

> > Next checkup in 6 wks. Said we will go down to 14-16 hr, then

> just

> > at night 6 wks after that.

> >

> > Any quick hints while I try to find the help file again?

> >

> >

> >

> > Kailee 7-00

> > Ean 6-03

> > Isaac 7-12-05(right unilateral clubfoot)

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Yes, it looks like he did an open incision per. tenotomy even though

we were told it was the same as Ponsetti does in office. I didn't

even know until I saw the stitches at the follow-up. We were very

upset, but can only go forward. Do u know any bad side effects of

doing it that way?

(Oh, I will email you with some more info that I don't want to post

on the public forum about the dr I chose.)

Isaac is doing much better now that I moved him to the 8 slot. I

feel like I know more than they do. He is sleeping comfortably

right now. :-)

Dh and I are planning on 2 30 min sessions out during the day, and 1

hr at night(bath/floor time), to total 22 hr vs the 18-22 hr.

> >

> > Not having a great day here. Got the cast off. The foot looks

> > great. Stitches out. Heel has healed nicely.

> >

> > Asked for Markell's with the open heel, but they didn't have any

> in

> > the size he needed. Got a gold bar with the 3 adjustments

(6,8,10).

> > Isaac is on the 6 " setting, 45 degree for the normal foot, 70

> degree

> > for the clubfoot.

> >

> > He is horribly cranky and frustrated. His leg is stiff, his

heel

> > tender, and he is hating the confinement of the shoes. He had

> just

> > started to crawl, pull his upper body up, sit unassisted for a

few

> > minutes. He is having no problem moving the feet together. He

is

> > so mad that only took a few minutes. I showed him how to roll,

> and

> > it killed me, but I let him struggle the next time just so he

> would

> > know he could do it w/o my help. That sounds so mean typed out.

> > *sigh*

> >

> > He has managed to get out of both shoes 4 times so far. He has

> > untied the strings countless times, and unscrewed one of the

> screws

> > on the bottom!! I even have a hard time with those.

> > I gave him some Tylenol, nursed him, and waited till he fell

> asleep

> > to put them on again. I think I got them tighter this time.

> > This is going to be a long night and a long few months. *crying

> and

> > feeling very sorry for myself right now*

> >

> > Oh, Isaac is 6.5 months old. We were told 18-20 hr per day

> instead

> > of the 23 hours, bc of his age and wanting to give him time out

bc

> > of other milestones like sitting upright?? Anyone else start at

> 20

> > hr, and not regress?

> >

> > Next checkup in 6 wks. Said we will go down to 14-16 hr, then

> just

> > at night 6 wks after that.

> >

> > Any quick hints while I try to find the help file again?

> >

> >

> >

> > Kailee 7-00

> > Ean 6-03

> > Isaac 7-12-05(right unilateral clubfoot)

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Oops, I meant 22 hr vs the 18-20 that he told us to do.

> > >

> > > Not having a great day here. Got the cast off. The foot

looks

> > > great. Stitches out. Heel has healed nicely.

> > >

> > > Asked for Markell's with the open heel, but they didn't have

any

> > in

> > > the size he needed. Got a gold bar with the 3 adjustments

> (6,8,10).

> > > Isaac is on the 6 " setting, 45 degree for the normal foot, 70

> > degree

> > > for the clubfoot.

> > >

> > > He is horribly cranky and frustrated. His leg is stiff, his

> heel

> > > tender, and he is hating the confinement of the shoes. He had

> > just

> > > started to crawl, pull his upper body up, sit unassisted for a

> few

> > > minutes. He is having no problem moving the feet together.

He

> is

> > > so mad that only took a few minutes. I showed him how to

roll,

> > and

> > > it killed me, but I let him struggle the next time just so he

> > would

> > > know he could do it w/o my help. That sounds so mean typed

out.

> > > *sigh*

> > >

> > > He has managed to get out of both shoes 4 times so far. He

has

> > > untied the strings countless times, and unscrewed one of the

> > screws

> > > on the bottom!! I even have a hard time with those.

> > > I gave him some Tylenol, nursed him, and waited till he fell

> > asleep

> > > to put them on again. I think I got them tighter this time.

> > > This is going to be a long night and a long few months.

*crying

> > and

> > > feeling very sorry for myself right now*

> > >

> > > Oh, Isaac is 6.5 months old. We were told 18-20 hr per day

> > instead

> > > of the 23 hours, bc of his age and wanting to give him time

out

> bc

> > > of other milestones like sitting upright?? Anyone else start

at

> > 20

> > > hr, and not regress?

> > >

> > > Next checkup in 6 wks. Said we will go down to 14-16 hr, then

> > just

> > > at night 6 wks after that.

> > >

> > > Any quick hints while I try to find the help file again?

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Kailee 7-00

> > > Ean 6-03

> > > Isaac 7-12-05(right unilateral clubfoot)

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

,

The open incision is not necessarily terrible, if it is done very

neatly with a small scar it should be fine. The drawback of doing it

this way is just that the bigger the incision and more tissue that is

cut, the more scar tissue that forms which is one of the causes of

pain and stiffness later in life. The thing you want to find out, if

you don't already know, is if your doc did just do a tenotomy (release

of the tendon, allowing it to grow back on it's own), or if he snipped

it and reattached it higher up. This achilles tendon lengthening

procedure is not necessary and definitely can lead to more scar tissue

and stiffness.

Mom to Jenna (4/7/01) & Sammy (9/25/04, RCF, Dobbs' brace, 14hrs/day)

-- In nosurgery4clubfoot , " lotsolove4my2babes "

wrote:

>

> Yes, it looks like he did an open incision per. tenotomy even though

> we were told it was the same as Ponsetti does in office. I didn't

> even know until I saw the stitches at the follow-up. We were very

> upset, but can only go forward. Do u know any bad side effects of

> doing it that way?

>

> (Oh, I will email you with some more info that I don't want to post

> on the public forum about the dr I chose.)

>

> Isaac is doing much better now that I moved him to the 8 slot. I

> feel like I know more than they do. He is sleeping comfortably

> right now. :-)

>

> Dh and I are planning on 2 30 min sessions out during the day, and 1

> hr at night(bath/floor time), to total 22 hr vs the 18-22 hr.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> > >

> > > Not having a great day here. Got the cast off. The foot looks

> > > great. Stitches out. Heel has healed nicely.

> > >

> > > Asked for Markell's with the open heel, but they didn't have any

> > in

> > > the size he needed. Got a gold bar with the 3 adjustments

> (6,8,10).

> > > Isaac is on the 6 " setting, 45 degree for the normal foot, 70

> > degree

> > > for the clubfoot.

> > >

> > > He is horribly cranky and frustrated. His leg is stiff, his

> heel

> > > tender, and he is hating the confinement of the shoes. He had

> > just

> > > started to crawl, pull his upper body up, sit unassisted for a

> few

> > > minutes. He is having no problem moving the feet together. He

> is

> > > so mad that only took a few minutes. I showed him how to roll,

> > and

> > > it killed me, but I let him struggle the next time just so he

> > would

> > > know he could do it w/o my help. That sounds so mean typed out.

> > > *sigh*

> > >

> > > He has managed to get out of both shoes 4 times so far. He has

> > > untied the strings countless times, and unscrewed one of the

> > screws

> > > on the bottom!! I even have a hard time with those.

> > > I gave him some Tylenol, nursed him, and waited till he fell

> > asleep

> > > to put them on again. I think I got them tighter this time.

> > > This is going to be a long night and a long few months. *crying

> > and

> > > feeling very sorry for myself right now*

> > >

> > > Oh, Isaac is 6.5 months old. We were told 18-20 hr per day

> > instead

> > > of the 23 hours, bc of his age and wanting to give him time out

> bc

> > > of other milestones like sitting upright?? Anyone else start at

> > 20

> > > hr, and not regress?

> > >

> > > Next checkup in 6 wks. Said we will go down to 14-16 hr, then

> > just

> > > at night 6 wks after that.

> > >

> > > Any quick hints while I try to find the help file again?

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Kailee 7-00

> > > Ean 6-03

> > > Isaac 7-12-05(right unilateral clubfoot)

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I used to go lock myself in the laundry room and turn on both machines whether I

did laundry or not - just to drown out the noise of the screaming baby before I

snapped and did something regrettable. His issue wasn't his FAB at the time,

but the inconsolable screaming - yes, you are walking on thin ice at times in

dealing with that peircing wail that you cannot quiet.

Even just three minutes of bawling my eyes out on the washer and dryer would

help me regain my control, and three minutes to leave him safe-but-crying- is OK

some times.

Remind yourself of the airline emergency rule: when the oxygen masks fall down,

the parent should breath first, then assist their child with the mask. If the

parent cannot breath, if the parent passes out, they cannot help their child.

Make sense? So, it's oK to go breath a moment of oxygen so you can then go help

your child breath in his. You are not a sucky mom. You are human. Forgive

yourself!

It takes some practice and some guess work to adjust the bar correctly. There

are two schools of thought on it. One says measure from heel to heel between

the shoes. The other says measure from the center bolt under the shoe to the

other bolt. There can be a huge variance between those two measurements. It's

not as important to adjust them to the half-inch or quarter inch as to adjust

them to where YOUR baby is comfortable at an " approximate " should width apart.

OK, some might disagree with me there, but that be my humble opinion on it.

It's dang hard to measure an infant's shoulder width anyway...so there is a

third measurement that is probably a little inaccurate...approximate shoulder

width to a point where your baby is satisfied is what I would consider a good

rule of thumb to follow here.

Cutting out the heel is an option also - to ensure the shoe IS on correctly.

Just do the best you can and don't beat yourself up over the rest of it, OK?

This isn't the time to break land speed records or compete for Domestic Goddess

Of The World...do what you can and believe the rest will either wait or take

care of itself while you take care of you and your baby. And remember to hug

your hubby - sounds like he's a peach to work night shift for you right now!

s.

Out of post - tenotomy cast, into

FAB

>

>

> Not having a great day here. Got the cast off. The foot looks

> great. Stitches out. Heel has healed nicely.

>

> Asked for Markell's with the open heel, but they didn't have any

in

> the size he needed. Got a gold bar with the 3 adjustments

(6,8,10).

> Isaac is on the 6 " setting, 45 degree for the normal foot, 70

degree

> for the clubfoot.

>

> He is horribly cranky and frustrated. His leg is stiff, his

heel

> tender, and he is hating the confinement of the shoes. He had

just

> started to crawl, pull his upper body up, sit unassisted for a

few

> minutes. He is having no problem moving the feet together. He

is

> so mad that only took a few minutes. I showed him how to roll,

and

> it killed me, but I let him struggle the next time just so he

would

> know he could do it w/o my help. That sounds so mean typed out.

> *sigh*

>

> He has managed to get out of both shoes 4 times so far. He has

> untied the strings countless times, and unscrewed one of the

screws

> on the bottom!! I even have a hard time with those.

> I gave him some Tylenol, nursed him, and waited till he fell

asleep

> to put them on again. I think I got them tighter this time.

> This is going to be a long night and a long few months. *crying

and

> feeling very sorry for myself right now*

>

> Oh, Isaac is 6.5 months old. We were told 18-20 hr per day

instead

> of the 23 hours, bc of his age and wanting to give him time out

bc

> of other milestones like sitting upright?? Anyone else start at

20

> hr, and not regress?

>

> Next checkup in 6 wks. Said we will go down to 14-16 hr, then

just

> at night 6 wks after that.

>

> Any quick hints while I try to find the help file again?

>

>

>

> Kailee 7-00

> Ean 6-03

> Isaac 7-12-05(right unilateral clubfoot)

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>