Thursday, January 31, 2008

It all started five years ago...

So much of our lives seems to revolve around Matthew's foot that I thought I should start a journal.

Matthew was born with a unilateral left clubfoot. We were told it was a possibility at 20 weeks pg, so we were prepared. At 4 days old, he had his first visit to the ACH. Here is his little foot.


He got his first cast that day and we were there weekly for cast changes for the next 3 months.

He got his first set of shoes and bar at that time. Wore them 23 hours a day, was aloud out one hour a day for a bath.

At 4 1/2 m I felt there was something wrong. I got in touch with Dr Ponseti who sent me on to a great dr in Vancouver. We flew out the following week to Vancouver where he was seen, operated on and sent home. The best part of that visit, was a Calgary pediatric orthopedic surgeon was visiting that day. We were very lucky that he agreed to become Matthew's dr that day.

He was casted again for 3 more weeks before going back into the shoes and bar again for 23 hours a day.


Once he started to pull to stand, he was allowed to reduce the time in the shoes and bar to help him with walking. He did pull to stand with them though.


Matthew was diagnosed with nerve damage when he was 15 1/2 m old. Oddly enough, the same day I was rushed to the hospital for an early induction to meet Ryan. It was a difficult day, but I got two beautiful boys out of it.

1 comment:

Niki said...

HA! We are both a little nutty... my boys are 15 months apart, too. Merritt is the younger of the two. How was he diagnosed with the nerve damage? What were his symptoms?