In the brace - and protocol question

January 10, 2006

Well, here we are...finally in the brace. Marcus had his doctor's

appointment yesterday. The tenotomy cast was removed. His foot looks

good, but his little toes are curled down somewhat. He's very jumpy

with that foot. Every time I touch it he jerks it or pulls away. I

think it's just tenderness from being in the casts so long. When he

relaxes the foot, the toes seem to straighten. As soon as I touch

that leg, they curl. The doctor said that the curled toes should

straighten as time goes by and when he starts walking. We put the

p/M brace on at the doctor's office. He didn't even seem to notice

that he had it on. When we got home and I took him out of the car

seat, he started the crying. It was on and off crying for maybe

about two hours and then he settled down. I don't think it was pain -

just frustration because he couldn't figure out how to move his

legs with the brace. He slept pretty well last night. I did take the

brace off before I put him to bed. I gave him a bath and then he

fussed again when I put the brace back on. Now, as some of you know,

my little guy's foot looked on the severe side when he was born. The

doctor said yesterday that even though his foot had looked severe,

it was actually very flexible. When I asked him about the hours in

the brace after these initial three months at 23/7, he felt that it

would probably be safe to bring him down to the 12-14 hours for a

total of about 2 years. He said he is basing it on the flexibility

of the foot so far. I asked him about the possibility of relapsing

and the protocol of keepig them in the brace until 4 years of age.

He said a lot depended on how flexible the foot is and how compliant

parents are with actually keeping the brace on the recommended

amount of time during the bracing period. I think I will still come

down in hours more gradually and keep the brace on for a longer

period of time (probably 3 1/2 -4 years). I know this subject has

been ongoing, but I am wondering if your children's doctors are

saying the same thing.

By the way, I did take some pictures of my son's foot when the brace

was off, but he was so jumpy and fussy and they didn't come out very

well. So I will try again today.

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