Friday, July 23, 2010

Dommy's Tootsies...

I haven't mentioned much about the progress on Dom's feet of late, but to be quite honest I'm really concerned.

His physio here in The Mount is not familiar with the Ponsetti method and admits that she's had to do a lot of online searching and research. I'm quite confused about how in Burnie we were told he'd be in his foot bar until around 4 years of age, but then when we come over here the physio said that Burnie told her we could do away with the bar now... Total opposites... Anyways she adjusted his bar (not measuring, just using 'visual' guess that it was the right adjustment) and Dom hated it after that, he was not happy with the bar... so we have put it aside believing that we were doing as advised... I so wish we hadn't!!!!

His feet are now starting to splay quite obviously again. He is pulling his toes in really strongly and when walking I can see his toes from around his heel again :( Also his left ankle has become incredibly rigid!! I can push it to a 90* angle - just... it wont flex towards his shin any further - it's just like pushing into a cement wall, the joint will not move any more!!! It's really concerning me because this is also the foot he drags and trips on the most.

It appears he has also grown out of his UCBL's (orthotics) He has developed a calous on his left foot where it is rubbing. Dommy doesn't like having to wear his shoes, over time the foot seems to settle into position, but he hates getting his shoes put on... We've padded it up with moleskin (padded bandage type material) but he's still very red when the shoe comes off and still sore.... He quite literally is growing, it's been 7 months since we started treatment and just over 6 months since his UCBL's were cast - he was a baby and is now a toddler, his feet has grown jsut as he has so it's kinda natural that they don't fit him anymore... I hate having to force these shoes on him, but at the moment they are the only things restraining his feet and helping keep them in a decent condition.

We're waiting on a call from the Royal Women and Children's hospital in Adelaide to set up an appointment with the club foot team there. I can't wait in one way for the appointment, but in another I'm dreading it - I'm dreading that we've now had it mentioned 3 times that we're more than likely looking at another series of casting... It'll mean weekly trips to Adelaide for the casts to be put on and removed until they're happy with the foot to move then into AFO's (different version of boots and bar - they also support the ankle a bit more) So it could be a bit rough again for us with Dommy's feet, it'll be a wait and see game at the moment though...

On a positive we can still push his feet into a 'neutral' position, the rigidity that was in his foot hasn't returned...

So, more waiting and seeing... I hope that we get in soon to combat the rigidity in his feet adn for him to have some new UCBL's cast so he can wear shoes in comfort again!!!


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

omg wow Treens.... this is so much like my brother its not funny!!! my bro geoffrey wears AFO and stuff... he has a very rare (him and 4 other ppl known have it apparently) form of Skeletal muscular dystrophy / charco maree tooth... not sure whether i carry the gene or not or if there even is a gene to carry but we will find out when trinity is about 3... pretty hard to talk on here... but maybe we can have a chat at the retreat??
love Bec xoxo