Thursday

The First 48

Just before getting his casts off
 Right after I took the casts off
 Finally had a good bath!
Look at those tootsies!
 Morning of new shoes
 Just before the boots got put on
 Finally home after a long drive 
The next day he just wanted to be held. Thank God for the Beco!
 His new boots and Ponseti bar

 Snoozing after fussing so much

It has been a really rough 48 hours since Josiah got his new shoes. He was not happy at all. He cried most of the 3 hours home and pretty much all the first night. We got maybe 2 hours of sleep. It was probably the worst night we have had since he was born. We had been warned at the Dr office it would take a lot of adjusting for him and to expect the crying.
 The boots hold his foot tightly at a 90 degree angle, so the heel and foot don't turn in. The bar is shoulder length and holds the feet apart at a 60 degree angle. Josiah is supposed to be in his boots 23 hours a day 7 days a week, with 1 hour to rest, stretch his feet, massage them and bathe him. He will wear his boots this long for the next 5 months. He then, if everything goes well, will graduate to only wearing them for naps and night time wear until he turns 2 years old. After that it should be only night time wear until he is 5 years old. The process is long, but the pay off is worth it. He should reach all his mile stones on time or even sooner.
Yesterday he was out of them for about 2 and a half hours because it was recommended to wash the boots a couple of times to soften the suede on the saddles, which did help. Once I put them back on I rubbed baby powder all over his feet to prevent chaffing from moisture. Once the boots were back on he got fussy again. He seems to do better if he's held so when we went out yesterday I was so grateful we had the Beco Gemini
It has definitely taken a lot of patience and love to get through these first 48 hours, but I know this is the best treatment for his feet, so there will be no caving in taking the boots off. There have been many cases of relapse with clubfoot, which means going through castings all over again and even more surgery. I am trying my hardest  to avoid that and do everything by the book. Of course like any mother I feel bad, when he cries, but during those times I just give him lots of love and snuggles...... Oh and Tylenol! Thank God for Tylenol!
We are hoping he starts getting used to them soon because sleepless nights are not that fun and I really shouldn't be drinking the amount of coffee I have been! But I know it takes time and we are all along for the ride. I wanted to thank Jill Harold for her wisdom and guidance through this process, she really has been exceptionally helpful! 
If you are a clubfoot mommy who has stumbled upon this read and is going through the same, remember you are not alone! If you live in California and are a clubfoot mommy join The Clubfoot Community Group of California on Facebook, it has been really informative and has awesome support from other mommy's who have clubfoot babies!
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day!


10 comments

  1. What a little trooper your Josiah is! Breaks my heart to think about how you must of felt while he cried, not being able to explain it to him, so he could understand. It always hurts seeing little ones in pain, but I can only imagine how it is with a child of your own. Stay strong! <3

    StyledbyBlondie.com

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    1. Yes, it is really hard not to be able to explain to him, especially when he looks at me with those big brown eyes! But I know someday he will be grateful for the experience when he is so much better! Thanks so much for reading! xx

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  2. Hey Dominqie, you are doing an amazing job! Beautiful post. With your commitment, compassion and attitude towards treatment Josiah is in the best possible hands. We are lucky to have you making such a fantastic contribution to the clubfoot world with your writing and your beautiful book, Gracefully (so excited to receive it!). Be gentle on you too; you deserve it. Sending big kiwi love from down under, Lans xo

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    1. Thank you Lana. I am trying my hardest to contribute to the clubfoot community and raise awareness through my blog! Angela Williams is actually the author of Gracefully, she has a blog as well. Thanks so much for stopping by, I enjoy reading your blog as well! xo

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    2. Haha, I had to laugh when I saw your reply this morning. I was obviously trying to do one too many things at once last night - I was also writing to Angela as I was commenting on your blog. I think you both morphed into one in my mind, momentarily. Silly me and apologies for that. We are so fortunate to be part of a community where parents are stepping up and contributing with blogs and books and such support for one another! Please keep writing.
      PS I was also thinking last night, I admire the fact that you can write this while you are in this stage of treatment. I'm not sure I could have done that, but it is very valuable to do it now - for you and for others.

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    3. I figured, you have so much going on, I can totally see how we would have morphed us into one thought. I can't even think straight sometimes with all the noise in my house! Haha. Thanks for the compliments Lana, my reason for blogging about it now is so I don't forget any of the raw feeling and emotions behind it. Yesterday was a rough day and today was so much better. I want to look back and remember with each day comes a new leaf, that's just something I have to live by.

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  3. Your son is adorable! Have a nice weekend!

    www.spring2spring.com

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