Re: Here in Iowa from VA

[Guest guest]

That is so excellent...I know it's hard to be seperated from your family but

believe me it is so worth it!

s.

Here in Iowa from VA

I think I've only posted to this group one other time, but I just

had to write about our trip so far to Iowa and seeing Dr. Ponseti.

Everything that has been said about this man is true! He is just

unbelieveable. (my 14 month old) has atypical bilateral club

feet and has been treated at D.C. Children's hospital and we have

been told twice now that his feet have been corrected. Dr. Ponseti -

just by looking at pictures that we emailed to him has said they are

not and that is why we are here. He saw him on Wed and casted both

feet. is having a hard time adjusting to these casts and Dr.

P took some time out of his day on Friday to make sure the casts

were ok and they even had a nurse practitioner check him out to make

sure nothing else was wrong since he has been unbearably cranky! I

don't know of other doctors that would do that without charging!

Anyway, he was supposed to change his cast on Monday and decide what

else needs to be done as apparently the tenotomy that was previosuly

done was done too low, but now he may not change it until Wednesday

to allow time for to get adjusted to these casts before they

do new ones.

We are staying at the RMH and are feeling truly blessed that we were

able to bring here. I am here with him while his dad is home

taking care of his twin brother. It hasn't been an easy trip so far,

but I know it is well worth it.

Tracey Shepherd

Linden, VA

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[Guest guest]

Tracey,

This is wonderful! So glad to hear another inspiring story coming out

of Iowa. Please keep us posted on progress!

Mom to Jenna (4/7/01) & Sammy (9/25/04, RCF, Dobbs brace 12hrs/day)

>

> I think I've only posted to this group one other time, but I just

> had to write about our trip so far to Iowa and seeing Dr. Ponseti.

> Everything that has been said about this man is true! He is just

> unbelieveable. (my 14 month old) has atypical bilateral club

> feet and has been treated at D.C. Children's hospital and we have

> been told twice now that his feet have been corrected. Dr. Ponseti -

> just by looking at pictures that we emailed to him has said they are

> not and that is why we are here. He saw him on Wed and casted both

> feet. is having a hard time adjusting to these casts and Dr.

> P took some time out of his day on Friday to make sure the casts

> were ok and they even had a nurse practitioner check him out to make

> sure nothing else was wrong since he has been unbearably cranky! I

> don't know of other doctors that would do that without charging!

>

> Anyway, he was supposed to change his cast on Monday and decide what

> else needs to be done as apparently the tenotomy that was previosuly

> done was done too low, but now he may not change it until Wednesday

> to allow time for to get adjusted to these casts before they

> do new ones.

>

> We are staying at the RMH and are feeling truly blessed that we were

> able to bring here. I am here with him while his dad is home

> taking care of his twin brother. It hasn't been an easy trip so far,

> but I know it is well worth it.

>

> Tracey Shepherd

> Linden, VA

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Tracey! I'm so glad you and your son are there with Dr. Ponseti.

He truly was a miracle worker for us with our daughter as well. I

understand about it being hard to be away from family as my daughter

and I were out there last year from the middle of August till the day

before Thanksgiving with only 3 short trips home in that time frame.

(Yes, I did say 3 months as my daughter was 3.5 years old when we

went out to Iowa and we had recently brought her home from China with

untreated bilateral clubfeet that she walked, ran, and jumped on.

Her case was very severe.) I loved it out there, as Iowa City is a

cool place to be with lots of surrounding areas to explore. I loved

the people I met and thoroughly enjoyed myself. However, the hardest

part for me was missing my husband and son that was just starting

kindergarten. My son did come out originally to Iowa with my

daughter and I as I wanted him to see where we would be living at the

RMH and for him to see that they were not hurting her and she was

o.k. The three of us then came back home the end of August to start

him in kindergarten and unfortunately we only got to be home 3 days

when originally Ponseti thought he could leave a cast on long enough

for us to be home almost 2 weeks. Due to the severity of her case

once he saw her Ponseti said he couldn't leave a cast on as long as

he first thought because of the length of time she would most likely

be casted and he was concerned about that. For the most part I did

good with not being too homesick, however there was one time that I

remember I was just so sad and wanted to come home so bad. A friend

of mine said to me, " Think of this as your special one on one time

with just like you got to have with your son being the first

child. This is a rare opportunity for just the two of you to be

together with no other distractions. " That really helped me during

that time. Hang in there as you'll be home before you know it.

With your little guy being younger than , I was trying to

think of some fun things for you guys to do. One thing your son

might like is the little rides they have at the lower City Park just

down the hill from the RMH if you go through the main intersection

and follow the road. They have a darling miniature train that goes

around on a real track which is open and adults can ride in as well

as the kids. Plus there's a carousel horse he might like there.

However I don't think your son would be old enough for the other

rides. The rides were only 75 cents last summer and my kids loved

it. The other thing that might be fun is story hour for your little

one at the public library. and I did that at the Coralville

library and I met some really fun moms that way. There is also the

Children's Museum at the mall which you can get in free to if you ask

at the front desk of the RMH for the admission card they have.

Take care!

Joyce

Mommy to , 01-03-02, bcf

>

> I think I've only posted to this group one other time, but I just

> had to write about our trip so far to Iowa and seeing Dr. Ponseti.

> Everything that has been said about this man is true! He is just

> unbelieveable. (my 14 month old) has atypical bilateral

club

> feet and has been treated at D.C. Children's hospital and we have

> been told twice now that his feet have been corrected. Dr. Ponseti -

> just by looking at pictures that we emailed to him has said they

are

> not and that is why we are here. He saw him on Wed and casted both

> feet. is having a hard time adjusting to these casts and

Dr.

> P took some time out of his day on Friday to make sure the casts

> were ok and they even had a nurse practitioner check him out to

make

> sure nothing else was wrong since he has been unbearably cranky! I

> don't know of other doctors that would do that without charging!

>

> Anyway, he was supposed to change his cast on Monday and decide

what

> else needs to be done as apparently the tenotomy that was

previosuly

> done was done too low, but now he may not change it until Wednesday

> to allow time for to get adjusted to these casts before

they

> do new ones.

>

> We are staying at the RMH and are feeling truly blessed that we

were

> able to bring here. I am here with him while his dad is

home

> taking care of his twin brother. It hasn't been an easy trip so

far,

> but I know it is well worth it.

>

> Tracey Shepherd

> Linden, VA

>