Clubfoot Part 2

Back in July I posted about living with a child with clubfoot.

When I posted about our experience with Jack's clubbed foot, he had just had his 8th cast removed and had been fitted for his Ponseti brace.  I posted then how it had been quite the challenge for us and that it had been hard to adapt to the casts and braces.

What a difference a four months can make!

The change hasn't been with J - his foot is still clubbed, we still put him in braces every day, we still have doctor's appointments every other month.  

But what has changed is that we're no longer with Kaiser.  We're now with Sutter and Sutter has sent us to Shriner's Children's Hospital.

Shriner's is amazing.

We went on Thursday and I was nervous making the trip downtown to Shriner's with J.  New doctor and new location.  But from the second I walked in to Shriner's it was awesome!  Every person I interacted with there was so kind.  Everyone was smiling and happy.  No one was short tempered, impatient or rude.  There was a volunteer with a service dog hanging out in the waiting room cheering up kids and families who were waiting to be seen.  There was a wall full of books to read, pages to color and toys to play with.  We got in to see the doctor super fast.  Our doctor was one of the kindest men I've ever met.  He was so nice and positive.  He was pleased with the progress J had made and so we're now down to wearing the brace during naps and nighttime.  The doctor made me feel encouraged about our situation, come what may.  He told me that there was a real possibility of surgery in 6 months to a year as J grows, but he was so calming that I am not worried at all.

My attitude has changed too.  In four months I have met so many people who have been so kind and encouraging when the see J in his braces.  People have literally stopped me in stores to tell me that they or someone they know had a clubbed foot and turned out just fine.  Total strangers!  And they've been so kind!  And one of my voice students and her son, who is one of my piano students, both had clubbed feet.  Her son was also treated at Shriner's.  They both had nothing but positive things to say!

I would never choose to have a child with a birth defect.

But, for the situation that it is, we are very blessed.