Yes, I couldn't help myself but use a line from
Robin Hood, Men in Tights for my title...It's cheesy, but such a serious topic needed a little comic introduction.
In two weeks my youngest daughter will be having corrective surgery for club feet. I wanted to give people a clearer picture of what it is that both of my daughters have conquered. When they were born, there was no one for me to talk to and get answers about what my babies futures looked like. We faced this birth defect blindly, and at times it was extremely painful emotionally and for my daughters, physically. I wished there was someone out there who had been through this that could tell me what to expect and that it was going to be alright. Maybe this blog post will be that to someone else.
Noelle was born with one club foot. We didn't know about it until she was born, but I was already prepared for it. I have a bicorniate uterus and so did the mother of one of my former students. Her daughter was born with a club foot and she had briefly told me about it when I was pregnant. That little conversation was a gift from God because when Noelle was born and the doctors were panicked, I had this unnatural calm. I knew it was going to be okay and wasn't even shocked or upset.
Noelle was put into a cast the week after her birth. Each week I went to the pediatric orthopedist and she was re-casted, slowly bending the foot to the appropriate position. The casts were made of plaster then and the process was very time consuming. I'm go grateful to my sister for taking me to these long visits because I couldn't drive for six weeks after my c-section. God sent me angels wherever I needed them.
My son Matthew was born with normal feet and I hoped that meant Noelle's club foot was just a "fluke" as the doctors put it. At my 20 week ultrasound with Isabelle, they found that she had not one, but two club feet. I was devastated. I felt like it was my fault for wanting another baby. In my mind I thought I did this, I caused this.
It's weird to say, but it was a blessing that I had three-year old Noelle running around. Living proof that Club feet can be fixed. When Isabelle was born, my guilt and pain for her deformity made me extremely protective. I didn't want anyone to see her and shudder. She was beautiful and so I wanted her to have a name that meant beauty, "Belle." The day after her birth, a nurse came in and took Isabelle from me and said, "the doctor wants to see her." She wouldn't tell me which doctor. I could barely walk after having a c-section, but that didn't stop me from "chasing" after her. I found Belle being prepared for casting not even 24 hours after her birth. They weren't even going to tell me! I told the doctor that there was no way he was going to do this. My baby needed a week to be pain-free before months of agony. I won the argument. Belle was casted five days after birth.
This is my mom holding Belle in her primary casts. She had to have them changed weekly and her feet were slowly bent in the opposite direction. It looks unnatural. Belle cried ALL THE TIME! This process took an exhausting 6 weeks. I told my mom during this time, "I love my baby, but I am not enjoying her." I feel like my daughter's infancy was stolen.
After six weeks, Belle required a surgery that Noelle never had. Her feet were "tight" and in order for Belle not to walk on her tip-toes someday, my little baby had the tendons in her heel severed to lengthen them. Then, she was casted for another six weeks. It was miserable.
Finally, at 14 weeks old, Belle was free...almost. Now she would have to wear her new shoes 23 hours a day. These shoes helped maintain the feet in their new position.
We took them off for bath time...which she had never had before. I was so happy not to have to give her sponge baths and so was she!
She also got to do a little standing in her Exersaucer. Her muscles were very atrophied from being in casts for so long.
By five months, Belle only had to wear her shoes at night. She was happy and I enjoyed being a mommy again! Both of my daughters wore their shoes until they were 3 1/2 years old.
Nine months after Belle was out of her casts, it was time for Noelle to have the next surgery. This surgery lengthened the tendon in her heel. It also moved another tendon from the inside of her foot to the top of her foot, through the bones where it was anchored in the bottom of her foot. It was more painful than we were ready for.
The only thing that distracted Noelle from the pain was watching movies.....
and codeine induced sleep. I can't believe I actually thought doing her hair and putting her in a brand-new dress to go home in would be appropriate. I had no idea that it was going to be so rough. After about 10 days Noelle's swelling and pain were much better! She had a walker and could get around. She played and made it through the next 6 weeks like a champ!
Noelle's left leg and foot are still much smaller than her right. Shoes never fit her well. That hasn't stopped her though! She is an amazing soccer player, loves swimming, and is an extremely active 7 year old now. She still has a little pain when she does a lot of running, but every year it's gotten better.
Belle will have this same surgery this month on her right foot and then again in six months on her left foot. I am so scared for her, but like Noelle, she is an amazingly strong little girl. I am so thankful that God gave me this challenge to overcome. It has made me a stronger more patient mother and created an incredible closeness with my daughters. I can't say, however, that I'm glad my daughters have had to endure this deformity, but I am in awe of the strength, perseverance, and love for life it has created in them. Please keep my fun-loving, beautiful Belle in your prayers!
