Guest guest Posted June 19, 2002 Report Share Posted June 19, 2002 Disregard my last note as I see your doctor gave you permission. If he says it is okay to ttc then you probably won't be high risk unless it is because of either your age or if you end up with multiples. I believe I remember reading that someone on the list was pregnant with multiples. Rasley mailto:drasley@... BTC, Columbus, 10/7/98 Lost over 90% of excess and maintaining Gained a beautiful daughter on 8/9/00 > Re: New Member > > > > Hi my name is ang and i'm pretty new to the group as well. I am in > the process of ttc via IVF. most Dr.'s like you to wait at least 12 > to 18 months from what i've heard but like you said you know of > pepole who have done it earlier. My advice or and opinon. Wait till > your surgen say's it's okay to start ttc. I'm only 10 months post op > myself and am ttc. But, my surgen and my Dr. said that it was okay > for me to do so. I think it just depends on the surgen and your > certin situation. My thought is this.......Why go through all of this > to have the surgery not to get the full benifit from it. You loose > most of your weight the 1st year. that's what they call your window > of oppertunity. " you loose the most weight during this time " I think > you should talk it over with your surgen and fallow his/her advice. > Once again that is just my opinon. Good luck with your surgery! It > has been the best choice i've ever made. I hope it's turns out the > same for you. Ang > Lap RNY > 260/170 SEPT./01 > > > > > > > > > > > Hello, my name is and I am a new member. I think this is a > > wonderful group, one that is more needed than a lot of people > realize. > > > > I have a very important question that I hope someone, anyone, can > > answer for me. I am still in the " pre-stages " of the surgery > > process. I have done all of my research, chosen a doctor and my > > initial consult is tomorrow morning. I am hoping for a > laparoscopic > > Roux-en-Y. > > > > OK, OK, I'll get to the point. :-) My question is about the post- > > op " waiting period " before attempting to conceive. I have been > > informed that I would have to wait 18-24 months. On the other > hand, > > I have spoken to women in other surgery support groups who have > > conceived as soon as NINE months post-op! Has anyone here > conceived > > or attempted to conceive this soon? And, if so, how did everything > > turn out? > > > > I know it is still pretty early in the process for me to be > fretting > > about this but, I have been waiting ELEVEN YEARS to have a second > > child (my son is eleven and a half). I did conceive late last year > > but, miscarried and I am very anxious to lose this weight, get > > healthy and have a baby. > > > > Any and all responses will be greatly appreciated. Please feel > free > > to contact me at any time. Thanks. > > > > :-) > > RaeLo29@j... > > AOL IM: RaeLo29 > > Yahoo!: Lehcar1973 > > ICQ: 147963518 > > > > Children are a blessing, and a gift from the Lord. -Psalm 127:3 > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2002 Report Share Posted June 19, 2002 Hi, Ang. Thanks very much for your response. It does make sense that I talk this over with my MD and follow his advice since every situation is different. I certainly do intend to reap EVERY benefit of this surgery, I have waited my entire life to get rid of this weight and can no longer stand the way it makes me feel. It will surely be worth the wait to be able to carry a healthy baby to term and have the energy to be a truly " hands-on " mom. I am glad your surgery has been such a succes for you and wish you lots of luck!! Thanks again. > > Hello, my name is and I am a new member. I think this is a > > wonderful group, one that is more needed than a lot of people > realize. > > > > I have a very important question that I hope someone, anyone, can > > answer for me. I am still in the " pre-stages " of the surgery > > process. I have done all of my research, chosen a doctor and my > > initial consult is tomorrow morning. I am hoping for a > laparoscopic > > Roux-en-Y. > > > > OK, OK, I'll get to the point. :-) My question is about the post- > > op " waiting period " before attempting to conceive. I have been > > informed that I would have to wait 18-24 months. On the other > hand, > > I have spoken to women in other surgery support groups who have > > conceived as soon as NINE months post-op! Has anyone here > conceived > > or attempted to conceive this soon? And, if so, how did everything > > turn out? > > > > I know it is still pretty early in the process for me to be > fretting > > about this but, I have been waiting ELEVEN YEARS to have a second > > child (my son is eleven and a half). I did conceive late last year > > but, miscarried and I am very anxious to lose this weight, get > > healthy and have a baby. > > > > Any and all responses will be greatly appreciated. Please feel > free > > to contact me at any time. Thanks. > > > > :-) > > RaeLo29@j... > > AOL IM: RaeLo29 > > Yahoo!: Lehcar1973 > > ICQ: 147963518 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2002 Report Share Posted June 19, 2002 Hi, Ang. Thanks very much for your response. It does make sense that I talk this over with my MD and follow his advice since every situation is different. I certainly do intend to reap EVERY benefit of this surgery, I have waited my entire life to get rid of this weight and can no longer stand the way it makes me feel. It will surely be worth the wait to be able to carry a healthy baby to term and have the energy to be a truly " hands-on " mom. I am glad your surgery has been such a succes for you and wish you lots of luck!! Thanks again. > > Hello, my name is and I am a new member. I think this is a > > wonderful group, one that is more needed than a lot of people > realize. > > > > I have a very important question that I hope someone, anyone, can > > answer for me. I am still in the " pre-stages " of the surgery > > process. I have done all of my research, chosen a doctor and my > > initial consult is tomorrow morning. I am hoping for a > laparoscopic > > Roux-en-Y. > > > > OK, OK, I'll get to the point. :-) My question is about the post- > > op " waiting period " before attempting to conceive. I have been > > informed that I would have to wait 18-24 months. On the other > hand, > > I have spoken to women in other surgery support groups who have > > conceived as soon as NINE months post-op! Has anyone here > conceived > > or attempted to conceive this soon? And, if so, how did everything > > turn out? > > > > I know it is still pretty early in the process for me to be > fretting > > about this but, I have been waiting ELEVEN YEARS to have a second > > child (my son is eleven and a half). I did conceive late last year > > but, miscarried and I am very anxious to lose this weight, get > > healthy and have a baby. > > > > Any and all responses will be greatly appreciated. Please feel > free > > to contact me at any time. Thanks. > > > > :-) > > RaeLo29@j... > > AOL IM: RaeLo29 > > Yahoo!: Lehcar1973 > > ICQ: 147963518 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2002 Report Share Posted June 19, 2002 Hi there It was me that was pregnant with twins. I had my babies 2 years after my WLS and I was considered high risk only because of having twins not because of the surgery. I also didnt have IVF.....I just had them on my own. No twins run in either of our families but my age of 37 might of had something to do with that because the older you are the more prone you are to release 2 eggs. I ended up having the babies 9 weeks early but they were perfect and only stayed in the hospital 4 weeks after birth. I was at my goal as far as weight goes when I conceived and I gained 27lbs with the pregnancy and was back to pre-pregnancy weight 2 weeks later. Debbie open rny with gallbladder removal 1/13/00 pre-op weight 305lbs current weight 147lbs gave birth to Zachary and Evan 1/13/02 birth weight 3lbs and 4lbs Re: New Member > > > > > > > > Hi my name is ang and i'm pretty new to the group as well. I am in > > the process of ttc via IVF. most Dr.'s like you to wait at least 12 > > to 18 months from what i've heard but like you said you know of > > pepole who have done it earlier. My advice or and opinon. Wait till > > your surgen say's it's okay to start ttc. I'm only 10 months post op > > myself and am ttc. But, my surgen and my Dr. said that it was okay > > for me to do so. I think it just depends on the surgen and your > > certin situation. My thought is this.......Why go through all of this > > to have the surgery not to get the full benifit from it. You loose > > most of your weight the 1st year. that's what they call your window > > of oppertunity. " you loose the most weight during this time " I think > > you should talk it over with your surgen and fallow his/her advice. > > Once again that is just my opinon. Good luck with your surgery! It > > has been the best choice i've ever made. I hope it's turns out the > > same for you. Ang > > Lap RNY > > 260/170 SEPT./01 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hello, my name is and I am a new member. I think this is a > > > wonderful group, one that is more needed than a lot of people > > realize. > > > > > > I have a very important question that I hope someone, anyone, can > > > answer for me. I am still in the " pre-stages " of the surgery > > > process. I have done all of my research, chosen a doctor and my > > > initial consult is tomorrow morning. I am hoping for a > > laparoscopic > > > Roux-en-Y. > > > > > > OK, OK, I'll get to the point. :-) My question is about the post- > > > op " waiting period " before attempting to conceive. I have been > > > informed that I would have to wait 18-24 months. On the other > > hand, > > > I have spoken to women in other surgery support groups who have > > > conceived as soon as NINE months post-op! Has anyone here > > conceived > > > or attempted to conceive this soon? And, if so, how did everything > > > turn out? > > > > > > I know it is still pretty early in the process for me to be > > fretting > > > about this but, I have been waiting ELEVEN YEARS to have a second > > > child (my son is eleven and a half). I did conceive late last year > > > but, miscarried and I am very anxious to lose this weight, get > > > healthy and have a baby. > > > > > > Any and all responses will be greatly appreciated. Please feel > > free > > > to contact me at any time. Thanks. > > > > > > :-) > > > RaeLo29@j... > > > AOL IM: RaeLo29 > > > Yahoo!: Lehcar1973 > > > ICQ: 147963518 > > > > > > > > Children are a blessing, and a gift from the Lord. -Psalm 127:3 > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2002 Report Share Posted June 19, 2002 Hi there It was me that was pregnant with twins. I had my babies 2 years after my WLS and I was considered high risk only because of having twins not because of the surgery. I also didnt have IVF.....I just had them on my own. No twins run in either of our families but my age of 37 might of had something to do with that because the older you are the more prone you are to release 2 eggs. I ended up having the babies 9 weeks early but they were perfect and only stayed in the hospital 4 weeks after birth. I was at my goal as far as weight goes when I conceived and I gained 27lbs with the pregnancy and was back to pre-pregnancy weight 2 weeks later. Debbie open rny with gallbladder removal 1/13/00 pre-op weight 305lbs current weight 147lbs gave birth to Zachary and Evan 1/13/02 birth weight 3lbs and 4lbs Re: New Member > > > > > > > > Hi my name is ang and i'm pretty new to the group as well. I am in > > the process of ttc via IVF. most Dr.'s like you to wait at least 12 > > to 18 months from what i've heard but like you said you know of > > pepole who have done it earlier. My advice or and opinon. Wait till > > your surgen say's it's okay to start ttc. I'm only 10 months post op > > myself and am ttc. But, my surgen and my Dr. said that it was okay > > for me to do so. I think it just depends on the surgen and your > > certin situation. My thought is this.......Why go through all of this > > to have the surgery not to get the full benifit from it. You loose > > most of your weight the 1st year. that's what they call your window > > of oppertunity. " you loose the most weight during this time " I think > > you should talk it over with your surgen and fallow his/her advice. > > Once again that is just my opinon. Good luck with your surgery! It > > has been the best choice i've ever made. I hope it's turns out the > > same for you. Ang > > Lap RNY > > 260/170 SEPT./01 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hello, my name is and I am a new member. I think this is a > > > wonderful group, one that is more needed than a lot of people > > realize. > > > > > > I have a very important question that I hope someone, anyone, can > > > answer for me. I am still in the " pre-stages " of the surgery > > > process. I have done all of my research, chosen a doctor and my > > > initial consult is tomorrow morning. I am hoping for a > > laparoscopic > > > Roux-en-Y. > > > > > > OK, OK, I'll get to the point. :-) My question is about the post- > > > op " waiting period " before attempting to conceive. I have been > > > informed that I would have to wait 18-24 months. On the other > > hand, > > > I have spoken to women in other surgery support groups who have > > > conceived as soon as NINE months post-op! Has anyone here > > conceived > > > or attempted to conceive this soon? And, if so, how did everything > > > turn out? > > > > > > I know it is still pretty early in the process for me to be > > fretting > > > about this but, I have been waiting ELEVEN YEARS to have a second > > > child (my son is eleven and a half). I did conceive late last year > > > but, miscarried and I am very anxious to lose this weight, get > > > healthy and have a baby. > > > > > > Any and all responses will be greatly appreciated. Please feel > > free > > > to contact me at any time. Thanks. > > > > > > :-) > > > RaeLo29@j... > > > AOL IM: RaeLo29 > > > Yahoo!: Lehcar1973 > > > ICQ: 147963518 > > > > > > > > Children are a blessing, and a gift from the Lord. -Psalm 127:3 > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2002 Report Share Posted June 19, 2002 Congrats to you! Rasley mailto:drasley@... BTC, Columbus, 10/7/98 Lost over 90% of excess and maintaining Gained a beautiful daughter on 8/9/00 > Re: Re: New Member > > > Hi there > > It was me that was pregnant with twins. I had my babies 2 years > after my WLS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2002 Report Share Posted June 19, 2002 Hi - I got pregnant at nine months post op and last month delivered a healthy 7 lb 2 oz baby girl. My surgeon was not happy with me for being pregnant so soon (he wanted me to wait 18 mos). We got pregnant the first time we weren't careful not to so I guess it wasn't completely an accident. I would still say listen to your Dr. They tell you to wait for a reason and another 9 months really isn't that long in the whole scheme of things. Even so....I am happy to have that little girl and feel very blessed that she is healthy. Good luck when your time comes! Molly > Hello, my name is and I am a new member. I think this is a > wonderful group, one that is more needed than a lot of people realize. > > I have a very important question that I hope someone, anyone, can > answer for me. I am still in the " pre-stages " of the surgery > process. I have done all of my research, chosen a doctor and my > initial consult is tomorrow morning. I am hoping for a laparoscopic > Roux-en-Y. > > OK, OK, I'll get to the point. :-) My question is about the post- > op " waiting period " before attempting to conceive. I have been > informed that I would have to wait 18-24 months. On the other hand, > I have spoken to women in other surgery support groups who have > conceived as soon as NINE months post-op! Has anyone here conceived > or attempted to conceive this soon? And, if so, how did everything > turn out? > > I know it is still pretty early in the process for me to be fretting > about this but, I have been waiting ELEVEN YEARS to have a second > child (my son is eleven and a half). I did conceive late last year > but, miscarried and I am very anxious to lose this weight, get > healthy and have a baby. > > Any and all responses will be greatly appreciated. Please feel free > to contact me at any time. Thanks. > > :-) > RaeLo29@j... > AOL IM: RaeLo29 > Yahoo!: Lehcar1973 > ICQ: 147963518 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2002 Report Share Posted June 19, 2002 Hi Molly. Congratulations on your new baby!! I am glad everything turned out well for you and that the baby is healthy. No, that certainly was NOT an accident, it was a gift :-) Thank you so much for the response. I certainly will listen to my Dr. My priority, after all, is to have a healthy baby, not to have one ASAP. Thanks again and good luck to you and the Lil One. :-) > > Hello, my name is and I am a new member. I think this is a > > wonderful group, one that is more needed than a lot of people > realize. > > > > I have a very important question that I hope someone, anyone, can > > answer for me. I am still in the " pre-stages " of the surgery > > process. I have done all of my research, chosen a doctor and my > > initial consult is tomorrow morning. I am hoping for a > laparoscopic > > Roux-en-Y. > > > > OK, OK, I'll get to the point. :-) My question is about the post- > > op " waiting period " before attempting to conceive. I have been > > informed that I would have to wait 18-24 months. On the other > hand, > > I have spoken to women in other surgery support groups who have > > conceived as soon as NINE months post-op! Has anyone here > conceived > > or attempted to conceive this soon? And, if so, how did everything > > turn out? > > > > I know it is still pretty early in the process for me to be > fretting > > about this but, I have been waiting ELEVEN YEARS to have a second > > child (my son is eleven and a half). I did conceive late last year > > but, miscarried and I am very anxious to lose this weight, get > > healthy and have a baby. > > > > Any and all responses will be greatly appreciated. Please feel > free > > to contact me at any time. Thanks. > > > > :-) > > RaeLo29@j... > > AOL IM: RaeLo29 > > Yahoo!: Lehcar1973 > > ICQ: 147963518 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2002 Report Share Posted July 15, 2002 > > Hi, > > I was so happy to find this group on the internet. I only wish our computer had been fixed sooner so I could have been involved from the beginning of our daughters problems. > > Our daughter Brooklyn was born on 3/21/02 with severe bilateral clubfeet. When she was a week old she was put in small plaster casts that went from below her knee over her feet. These casts were changed weekly. After the 5th week of casts the doctor said her feet were not moving and they were worse than he originally thought. He referred us to Dr. Abraham a pediatric orthopaedic specialist and the head of the orthopaedic department at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. We live a bout 2 hours west of Chicago. Our orthopaedic doctor did his residency under Dr. Abraham and he said he used the Ponsetti method and got excellent results with clubfeet. > > When Brooklyn was 7 weeks old we had our first appointment with Dr. Abraham and he told us she had severe bilateral clubfeet and he thought he could fix them in 2 or 3 castings with the Ponsetti technique and then do a tenotomy. So Brooklyn got her first set of casts, only they were done with fiberglass instead of plaster. Dr. Abraham said he preferred fiberglass because he could mold it to the foot when it was wet and it held the foot better than plaster plus it was lighter than plaster. > > Brooklyn went back a week later to get her casts changed and we couldn't believe it but her feet were already straight. (Thank God for Dr. Ponsettis technique). Brooklyn had another set of casts on for a week and then had a tenotomy wich she handled very well. She was in casts for 3 weeks. We went for another cast change and Dr. Abraham decided to put her in casts for another 2 weeks with her feet at 70% rotation. At the last cast change she was then measured for her braces. They will be ready on July 23. We are so excited. I can't wait to see her beautiful feet again. > > When we saw the brace specialist I asked him whether they used the DBB or the AFO. He said that Dr. Abraham had actually created a new brace that was a combination of both. He uses the AFO with a bar attached to the bottom. Apparently so many parents were having problems with keeping the DBB on that he decided to create something that worked better. The brace specialist told us that Dr. Ponsetti saw Dr. Abrahams work and was so impressed with it that he asked for a report from him. I guess he liked the braces. If anyone would like I could take a digital picture of the braces when she gets them and send them to you by email. I am very curious as to what they look like. Which leads to my big question. I need hints and help for both the bar and the AFO. Can anyone help? Will Brooklyn fit in her carrier car seat with the AFO and bar? Has anyone had a problem with this. Any advice for making her comfortable for the long ride home and sleeping in her bed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. > > Thank you so much. > > & (mom & dad to daughters Sidney 3 yrs. and Brooklyn (bilateral clubfeet) 3 1/2 months > > Hello ! Welcome to the group! I just found this site a week ago myself, and was SO happy to discover it -- it is wonderful to have access to the wealth of information and experience of all of the others out there who are going (or have gone) throug the same thing that you are. Our son Gavin was born on April 12th, 2002 with severe unilateral (left) club foot. We were lucky to be referred prenatally (we knew about the club foot from the ultrasound) to Dr. Alvarez at B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver. She uses the Ponsetti method, with a few minor alterations to the treatment. After hearing about and speaking to a bunch of other club foot patients, who have switched to the Ponsetti method after trying others, I feel more and more fortunate that we started out with this treatment. We live far away (about 12 hrs driving) from Vancouver, so I have been flying back and forth to Vancouver weekly since Gavin was 4 days old. He is now finished with his casts (8 in total - he had a very stiff foot to start with) and has been in the DBB for 3 weeks now. Our trips should be down to once a month now, and we are headed back tomorrow to see how the DBB is working out. The first couple of weeks in it were pretty rough, but things are going better now. I find that once it was fitted correctly (we started out with a bar that was much too short) Gavin doesn't seem to mind the bar much anymore, but often he seems more comfortable (especially when sleeping) if I put a pillow under his legs and bar. No problems in the carrier. Good luck with yours! I would LOVE to hear about (and see pictures of) different forms of bars and braces -- what is an AFO? Rita and Ian, with baby Gavin, 3 months old, and big sister andra, 3 yrs old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2002 Report Share Posted July 15, 2002 , Welcome to the list! I have a 2 1/2 y.o. who was born with bilateral clubfeet and a 3 month old who was born with right clubfoot. Both have been treated by Dr. Ponseti's method. We live in Florida and flew to Iowa with the 2 1/2 year old when he was 4 months old. This time around we were able to get in with a doctor in Orlando who uses the Ponseti method. You would never know the 2 1/2 year old ever had clubfoot, and the 3 month old is progressing wonderfully! We did not have a problem with either one in the car seat. does look a little uncomfortable at times in the swing because his legs aren't long enough...but he doesn't spend much time in there with or without the brace. (It makes him sleepy and he would much rather fall asleep in someone's arms.) As far as sleeping, he struggled the first couple of nights with the brace, but has adjusted to that well. He has learned to roll over front to back with the brace, which brings back memories of when he! accomplished that. He could roll to his back, but not to his tummy...so my husband and I would take turns getting up to 'flip the kid' when he would cry. Dr. Ponseti I think suggests rolling up a blanket under the child's knees to make them more comfortable. I hope this helps a little. Kim and the gang ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2002 Report Share Posted July 15, 2002 , Welcome to the list! I have a 2 1/2 y.o. who was born with bilateral clubfeet and a 3 month old who was born with right clubfoot. Both have been treated by Dr. Ponseti's method. We live in Florida and flew to Iowa with the 2 1/2 year old when he was 4 months old. This time around we were able to get in with a doctor in Orlando who uses the Ponseti method. You would never know the 2 1/2 year old ever had clubfoot, and the 3 month old is progressing wonderfully! We did not have a problem with either one in the car seat. does look a little uncomfortable at times in the swing because his legs aren't long enough...but he doesn't spend much time in there with or without the brace. (It makes him sleepy and he would much rather fall asleep in someone's arms.) As far as sleeping, he struggled the first couple of nights with the brace, but has adjusted to that well. He has learned to roll over front to back with the brace, which brings back memories of when he! accomplished that. He could roll to his back, but not to his tummy...so my husband and I would take turns getting up to 'flip the kid' when he would cry. Dr. Ponseti I think suggests rolling up a blanket under the child's knees to make them more comfortable. I hope this helps a little. Kim and the gang ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2002 Report Share Posted July 15, 2002 , Welcome to the list! I have a 2 1/2 y.o. who was born with bilateral clubfeet and a 3 month old who was born with right clubfoot. Both have been treated by Dr. Ponseti's method. We live in Florida and flew to Iowa with the 2 1/2 year old when he was 4 months old. This time around we were able to get in with a doctor in Orlando who uses the Ponseti method. You would never know the 2 1/2 year old ever had clubfoot, and the 3 month old is progressing wonderfully! We did not have a problem with either one in the car seat. does look a little uncomfortable at times in the swing because his legs aren't long enough...but he doesn't spend much time in there with or without the brace. (It makes him sleepy and he would much rather fall asleep in someone's arms.) As far as sleeping, he struggled the first couple of nights with the brace, but has adjusted to that well. He has learned to roll over front to back with the brace, which brings back memories of when he! accomplished that. He could roll to his back, but not to his tummy...so my husband and I would take turns getting up to 'flip the kid' when he would cry. Dr. Ponseti I think suggests rolling up a blanket under the child's knees to make them more comfortable. I hope this helps a little. Kim and the gang ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2002 Report Share Posted July 15, 2002 Welcome to our group, ! I think you're the first one here that is seeing Dr. Abraham. So, I don't think any of us have seen his AFO/FAB combination. I hope that when Brooklyn gets her brace that you'll post the photos on the site here (you can put it in the Photos section). Most doctors who use the Ponseti method also use plaster instead of fiberglass because it is easier to mold the position of the foot. This is the first that I've heard of fiberglass being " easier " to mold. Dr. Abraham has modified the method a bit compared to Iowa. This is probably why Dr. Ponseti requested reports from Dr. Abraham so that he could see how the modifications are working for his patients. It sounds like you've had wonderful results under his care. That is fantastic news! We're happy to have you aboard! We didn't have any problems with fitting in her carseat with her brace on. Some parents have had to roll up a blanket or towel to place under the legs so that the bar/shoes don't catch on the edge of the carrier. I'm not exactly sure what Brooklyn's brace will consist of- guess you'll have to let us know when you get them and if you have any problems, we'll have a brainstorming session to help you out! To the poster who asked what an AFO is- it's an ankle-foot-orthotic, usually a plastic piece that is made from a mold of the child's foot and is held on with velcro straps. (We had a few different types of these before we went to Dr. Ponseti) Please keep us posted on Brooklyn's progress! By the way- we live near Champaign- so I would guess that we're not too far from you! Regards, & (3-16-00) left clubfoot, switched to Ponseti Method at 4 months old > > Hi, > > I was so happy to find this group on the internet. I only wish our computer had been fixed sooner so I could have been involved from the beginning of our daughters problems. > > Our daughter Brooklyn was born on 3/21/02 with severe bilateral clubfeet. When she was a week old she was put in small plaster casts that went from below her knee over her feet. These casts were changed weekly. After the 5th week of casts the doctor said her feet were not moving and they were worse than he originally thought. He referred us to Dr. Abraham a pediatric orthopaedic specialist and the head of the orthopaedic department at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. We live a bout 2 hours west of Chicago. Our orthopaedic doctor did his residency under Dr. Abraham and he said he used the Ponsetti method and got excellent results with clubfeet. > > When Brooklyn was 7 weeks old we had our first appointment with Dr. Abraham and he told us she had severe bilateral clubfeet and he thought he could fix them in 2 or 3 castings with the Ponsetti technique and then do a tenotomy. So Brooklyn got her first set of casts, only they were done with fiberglass instead of plaster. Dr. Abraham said he preferred fiberglass because he could mold it to the foot when it was wet and it held the foot better than plaster plus it was lighter than plaster. > > Brooklyn went back a week later to get her casts changed and we couldn't believe it but her feet were already straight. (Thank God for Dr. Ponsettis technique). Brooklyn had another set of casts on for a week and then had a tenotomy wich she handled very well. She was in casts for 3 weeks. We went for another cast change and Dr. Abraham decided to put her in casts for another 2 weeks with her feet at 70% rotation. At the last cast change she was then measured for her braces. They will be ready on July 23. We are so excited. I can't wait to see her beautiful feet again. > > When we saw the brace specialist I asked him whether they used the DBB or the AFO. He said that Dr. Abraham had actually created a new brace that was a combination of both. He uses the AFO with a bar attached to the bottom. Apparently so many parents were having problems with keeping the DBB on that he decided to create something that worked better. The brace specialist told us that Dr. Ponsetti saw Dr. Abrahams work and was so impressed with it that he asked for a report from him. I guess he liked the braces. If anyone would like I could take a digital picture of the braces when she gets them and send them to you by email. I am very curious as to what they look like. Which leads to my big question. I need hints and help for both the bar and the AFO. Can anyone help? Will Brooklyn fit in her carrier car seat with the AFO and bar? Has anyone had a problem with this. Any advice for making her comfortable for the long ride home and sleeping in her bed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. > > Thank you so much. > > & (mom & dad to daughters Sidney 3 yrs. and Brooklyn (bilateral clubfeet) 3 1/2 months > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2002 Report Share Posted July 15, 2002 Welcome to our group, ! I think you're the first one here that is seeing Dr. Abraham. So, I don't think any of us have seen his AFO/FAB combination. I hope that when Brooklyn gets her brace that you'll post the photos on the site here (you can put it in the Photos section). Most doctors who use the Ponseti method also use plaster instead of fiberglass because it is easier to mold the position of the foot. This is the first that I've heard of fiberglass being " easier " to mold. Dr. Abraham has modified the method a bit compared to Iowa. This is probably why Dr. Ponseti requested reports from Dr. Abraham so that he could see how the modifications are working for his patients. It sounds like you've had wonderful results under his care. That is fantastic news! We're happy to have you aboard! We didn't have any problems with fitting in her carseat with her brace on. Some parents have had to roll up a blanket or towel to place under the legs so that the bar/shoes don't catch on the edge of the carrier. I'm not exactly sure what Brooklyn's brace will consist of- guess you'll have to let us know when you get them and if you have any problems, we'll have a brainstorming session to help you out! To the poster who asked what an AFO is- it's an ankle-foot-orthotic, usually a plastic piece that is made from a mold of the child's foot and is held on with velcro straps. (We had a few different types of these before we went to Dr. Ponseti) Please keep us posted on Brooklyn's progress! By the way- we live near Champaign- so I would guess that we're not too far from you! Regards, & (3-16-00) left clubfoot, switched to Ponseti Method at 4 months old > > Hi, > > I was so happy to find this group on the internet. I only wish our computer had been fixed sooner so I could have been involved from the beginning of our daughters problems. > > Our daughter Brooklyn was born on 3/21/02 with severe bilateral clubfeet. When she was a week old she was put in small plaster casts that went from below her knee over her feet. These casts were changed weekly. After the 5th week of casts the doctor said her feet were not moving and they were worse than he originally thought. He referred us to Dr. Abraham a pediatric orthopaedic specialist and the head of the orthopaedic department at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. We live a bout 2 hours west of Chicago. Our orthopaedic doctor did his residency under Dr. Abraham and he said he used the Ponsetti method and got excellent results with clubfeet. > > When Brooklyn was 7 weeks old we had our first appointment with Dr. Abraham and he told us she had severe bilateral clubfeet and he thought he could fix them in 2 or 3 castings with the Ponsetti technique and then do a tenotomy. So Brooklyn got her first set of casts, only they were done with fiberglass instead of plaster. Dr. Abraham said he preferred fiberglass because he could mold it to the foot when it was wet and it held the foot better than plaster plus it was lighter than plaster. > > Brooklyn went back a week later to get her casts changed and we couldn't believe it but her feet were already straight. (Thank God for Dr. Ponsettis technique). Brooklyn had another set of casts on for a week and then had a tenotomy wich she handled very well. She was in casts for 3 weeks. We went for another cast change and Dr. Abraham decided to put her in casts for another 2 weeks with her feet at 70% rotation. At the last cast change she was then measured for her braces. They will be ready on July 23. We are so excited. I can't wait to see her beautiful feet again. > > When we saw the brace specialist I asked him whether they used the DBB or the AFO. He said that Dr. Abraham had actually created a new brace that was a combination of both. He uses the AFO with a bar attached to the bottom. Apparently so many parents were having problems with keeping the DBB on that he decided to create something that worked better. The brace specialist told us that Dr. Ponsetti saw Dr. Abrahams work and was so impressed with it that he asked for a report from him. I guess he liked the braces. If anyone would like I could take a digital picture of the braces when she gets them and send them to you by email. I am very curious as to what they look like. Which leads to my big question. I need hints and help for both the bar and the AFO. Can anyone help? Will Brooklyn fit in her carrier car seat with the AFO and bar? Has anyone had a problem with this. Any advice for making her comfortable for the long ride home and sleeping in her bed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. > > Thank you so much. > > & (mom & dad to daughters Sidney 3 yrs. and Brooklyn (bilateral clubfeet) 3 1/2 months > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2002 Report Share Posted July 15, 2002 , Welcome to our group. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and lived in Naperville until 1989 when we moved to Las Vegas. To date there have been about 200 or more parents on the internet that we know of who have gone to a Ponseti method doctor. Until recently, almost anyone in the Chicago area that we knew about needed to go to Iowa if they wanted to have the Ponseti method. So far, there have only been a few internet parents from Chicago. We are glad that your doctor is beginning to use at least a slighly modified form of the Ponseti method but until now we have not had other parents here who went to him. I hope that you don't mind that I share some information with you regarding our combined internet experience with doctors who sometimes modify the Ponseti method. I don't want to overly concern you, but I do want you to be aware of some of the issues that we discuss here over the past few years. From watching what parents have said on the internet over the past 3 years, it seems like new doctors to the method sometimes modify parts of the Ponseti method. Sometimes those things that are modified seem to make it a bit more difficult for the children to adapt to the FAB/DBB. Then instead of thinking that what they may have modified is making the FAB/DBB harder to use, they may instead want to modify the use of the FAB/DBB. My opinion of what some doctors seem to do a bit when they are first learning the method is to not push the feet out to the full 70 degrees of external rotation that is a part of the final tenotomy cast. I think that just as it is hard as parents to see the feet turned out that far, that some new doctors to the method fell like maybe they don't really need to abduct the feet out that far for their patients. Then when the children need to go into a FAB/DBB that is supposed to be set at 70 degrees of external rotation, that the adjustment to the FAB/DBB is harder. But the reason it is harder is that the doctor didn't do the final casts properly the way the method was designed. I am wondering if your doctor is now beginning to realize this as to why he added a 2nd post tenotomy cast at 70 degrees when his first post tenotomy cast was not set out that far. A web site that shows the typical 5 casts of the Ponseti method can be seen at http://hometown.aol.com/vc11/week1.htm If your doctor has only externally rotated the feet out less than 70 degrees for prior patients, then he has probably had more problems with the children getting used to the FAB/DBB and has been proposing a modified AFO as a " solution " . It is possible that a modified AFO that is attached with bars at the bottom will help and perhpas work well, but it is also possible that it is just being tried without long term outcomes being seen for other patients and is somewhat of an experiment (at least in the long term). The U of Iowa had tried about 10-15 years ago to see if regular AFO's would work with the Ponseti method and decided that the FAB/DBB's had worked better in the long term and so went back to them. A prior message relating to the idea of being aware that some doctors were modifying the method had been posted at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nosurgery4clubfoot/message/10949 Again, we are glad to welcome you, but felt that you should be at least aware of the modifications issues. and (3-17-99) http://www.vh.org/Patients/IHB/Ortho/Peds/Clubfeet/Egbert.html > > Hi, > > I was so happy to find this group on the internet. I only wish our computer had been fixed sooner so I could have been involved from the beginning of our daughters problems. > > Our daughter Brooklyn was born on 3/21/02 with severe bilateral clubfeet. When she was a week old she was put in small plaster casts that went from below her knee over her feet. These casts were changed weekly. After the 5th week of casts the doctor said her feet were not moving and they were worse than he originally thought. He referred us to Dr. Abraham a pediatric orthopaedic specialist and the head of the orthopaedic department at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. We live a bout 2 hours west of Chicago. Our orthopaedic doctor did his residency under Dr. Abraham and he said he used the Ponsetti method and got excellent results with clubfeet. > > When Brooklyn was 7 weeks old we had our first appointment with Dr. Abraham and he told us she had severe bilateral clubfeet and he thought he could fix them in 2 or 3 castings with the Ponsetti technique and then do a tenotomy. So Brooklyn got her first set of casts, only they were done with fiberglass instead of plaster. Dr. Abraham said he preferred fiberglass because he could mold it to the foot when it was wet and it held the foot better than plaster plus it was lighter than plaster. > > Brooklyn went back a week later to get her casts changed and we couldn't believe it but her feet were already straight. (Thank God for Dr. Ponsettis technique). Brooklyn had another set of casts on for a week and then had a tenotomy wich she handled very well. She was in casts for 3 weeks. We went for another cast change and Dr. Abraham decided to put her in casts for another 2 weeks with her feet at 70% rotation. At the last cast change she was then measured for her braces. They will be ready on July 23. We are so excited. I can't wait to see her beautiful feet again. > > When we saw the brace specialist I asked him whether they used the DBB or the AFO. He said that Dr. Abraham had actually created a new brace that was a combination of both. He uses the AFO with a bar attached to the bottom. Apparently so many parents were having problems with keeping the DBB on that he decided to create something that worked better. The brace specialist told us that Dr. Ponsetti saw Dr. Abrahams work and was so impressed with it that he asked for a report from him. I guess he liked the braces. If anyone would like I could take a digital picture of the braces when she gets them and send them to you by email. I am very curious as to what they look like. Which leads to my big question. I need hints and help for both the bar and the AFO. Can anyone help? Will Brooklyn fit in her carrier car seat with the AFO and bar? Has anyone had a problem with this. Any advice for making her comfortable for the long ride home and sleeping in her bed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. > > Thank you so much. > > & (mom & dad to daughters Sidney 3 yrs. and Brooklyn (bilateral clubfeet) 3 1/2 months > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2002 Report Share Posted July 15, 2002 , Welcome to our group. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and lived in Naperville until 1989 when we moved to Las Vegas. To date there have been about 200 or more parents on the internet that we know of who have gone to a Ponseti method doctor. Until recently, almost anyone in the Chicago area that we knew about needed to go to Iowa if they wanted to have the Ponseti method. So far, there have only been a few internet parents from Chicago. We are glad that your doctor is beginning to use at least a slighly modified form of the Ponseti method but until now we have not had other parents here who went to him. I hope that you don't mind that I share some information with you regarding our combined internet experience with doctors who sometimes modify the Ponseti method. I don't want to overly concern you, but I do want you to be aware of some of the issues that we discuss here over the past few years. From watching what parents have said on the internet over the past 3 years, it seems like new doctors to the method sometimes modify parts of the Ponseti method. Sometimes those things that are modified seem to make it a bit more difficult for the children to adapt to the FAB/DBB. Then instead of thinking that what they may have modified is making the FAB/DBB harder to use, they may instead want to modify the use of the FAB/DBB. My opinion of what some doctors seem to do a bit when they are first learning the method is to not push the feet out to the full 70 degrees of external rotation that is a part of the final tenotomy cast. I think that just as it is hard as parents to see the feet turned out that far, that some new doctors to the method fell like maybe they don't really need to abduct the feet out that far for their patients. Then when the children need to go into a FAB/DBB that is supposed to be set at 70 degrees of external rotation, that the adjustment to the FAB/DBB is harder. But the reason it is harder is that the doctor didn't do the final casts properly the way the method was designed. I am wondering if your doctor is now beginning to realize this as to why he added a 2nd post tenotomy cast at 70 degrees when his first post tenotomy cast was not set out that far. A web site that shows the typical 5 casts of the Ponseti method can be seen at http://hometown.aol.com/vc11/week1.htm If your doctor has only externally rotated the feet out less than 70 degrees for prior patients, then he has probably had more problems with the children getting used to the FAB/DBB and has been proposing a modified AFO as a " solution " . It is possible that a modified AFO that is attached with bars at the bottom will help and perhpas work well, but it is also possible that it is just being tried without long term outcomes being seen for other patients and is somewhat of an experiment (at least in the long term). The U of Iowa had tried about 10-15 years ago to see if regular AFO's would work with the Ponseti method and decided that the FAB/DBB's had worked better in the long term and so went back to them. A prior message relating to the idea of being aware that some doctors were modifying the method had been posted at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nosurgery4clubfoot/message/10949 Again, we are glad to welcome you, but felt that you should be at least aware of the modifications issues. and (3-17-99) http://www.vh.org/Patients/IHB/Ortho/Peds/Clubfeet/Egbert.html > > Hi, > > I was so happy to find this group on the internet. I only wish our computer had been fixed sooner so I could have been involved from the beginning of our daughters problems. > > Our daughter Brooklyn was born on 3/21/02 with severe bilateral clubfeet. When she was a week old she was put in small plaster casts that went from below her knee over her feet. These casts were changed weekly. After the 5th week of casts the doctor said her feet were not moving and they were worse than he originally thought. He referred us to Dr. Abraham a pediatric orthopaedic specialist and the head of the orthopaedic department at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. We live a bout 2 hours west of Chicago. Our orthopaedic doctor did his residency under Dr. Abraham and he said he used the Ponsetti method and got excellent results with clubfeet. > > When Brooklyn was 7 weeks old we had our first appointment with Dr. Abraham and he told us she had severe bilateral clubfeet and he thought he could fix them in 2 or 3 castings with the Ponsetti technique and then do a tenotomy. So Brooklyn got her first set of casts, only they were done with fiberglass instead of plaster. Dr. Abraham said he preferred fiberglass because he could mold it to the foot when it was wet and it held the foot better than plaster plus it was lighter than plaster. > > Brooklyn went back a week later to get her casts changed and we couldn't believe it but her feet were already straight. (Thank God for Dr. Ponsettis technique). Brooklyn had another set of casts on for a week and then had a tenotomy wich she handled very well. She was in casts for 3 weeks. We went for another cast change and Dr. Abraham decided to put her in casts for another 2 weeks with her feet at 70% rotation. At the last cast change she was then measured for her braces. They will be ready on July 23. We are so excited. I can't wait to see her beautiful feet again. > > When we saw the brace specialist I asked him whether they used the DBB or the AFO. He said that Dr. Abraham had actually created a new brace that was a combination of both. He uses the AFO with a bar attached to the bottom. Apparently so many parents were having problems with keeping the DBB on that he decided to create something that worked better. The brace specialist told us that Dr. Ponsetti saw Dr. Abrahams work and was so impressed with it that he asked for a report from him. I guess he liked the braces. If anyone would like I could take a digital picture of the braces when she gets them and send them to you by email. I am very curious as to what they look like. Which leads to my big question. I need hints and help for both the bar and the AFO. Can anyone help? Will Brooklyn fit in her carrier car seat with the AFO and bar? Has anyone had a problem with this. Any advice for making her comfortable for the long ride home and sleeping in her bed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. > > Thank you so much. > > & (mom & dad to daughters Sidney 3 yrs. and Brooklyn (bilateral clubfeet) 3 1/2 months > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2002 Report Share Posted July 15, 2002 Hi Rita, Thankyou for the welcome and the response. I will send a picture of the braces when we get them. Goodluck at your appointment tomorrow and have a safe trip. Talk to you soon. ritadeane wrote: > > Hi, > > I was so happy to find this group on the internet. I only wish our computer had been fixed sooner so I could have been involved from the beginning of our daughters problems. > > Our daughter Brooklyn was born on 3/21/02 with severe bilateral clubfeet. When she was a week old she was put in small plaster casts that went from below her knee over her feet. These casts were changed weekly. After the 5th week of casts the doctor said her feet were not moving and they were worse than he originally thought. He referred us to Dr. Abraham a pediatric orthopaedic specialist and the head of the orthopaedic department at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. We live a bout 2 hours west of Chicago. Our orthopaedic doctor did his residency under Dr. Abraham and he said he used the Ponsetti method and got excellent results with clubfeet. > > When Brooklyn was 7 weeks old we had our first appointment with Dr. Abraham and he told us she had severe bilateral clubfeet and he thought he could fix them in 2 or 3 castings with the Ponsetti technique and then do a tenotomy. So Brooklyn got her first set of casts, only they were done with fiberglass instead of plaster. Dr. Abraham said he preferred fiberglass because he could mold it to the foot when it was wet and it held the foot better than plaster plus it was lighter than plaster. > > Brooklyn went back a week later to get her casts changed and we couldn't believe it but her feet were already straight. (Thank God for Dr. Ponsettis technique). Brooklyn had another set of casts on for a week and then had a tenotomy wich she handled very well. She was in casts for 3 weeks. We went for another cast change and Dr. Abraham decided to put her in casts for another 2 weeks with her feet at 70% rotation. At the last cast change she was then measured for her braces. They will be ready on July 23. We are so excited. I can't wait to see her beautiful feet again. > > When we saw the brace specialist I asked him whether they used the DBB or the AFO. He said that Dr. Abraham had actually created a new brace that was a combination of both. He uses the AFO with a bar attached to the bottom. Apparently so many parents were having problems with keeping the DBB on that he decided to create something that worked better. The brace specialist told us that Dr. Ponsetti saw Dr. Abrahams work and was so impressed with it that he asked for a report from him. I guess he liked the braces. If anyone would like I could take a digital picture of the braces when she gets them and send them to you by email. I am very curious as to what they look like. Which leads to my big question. I need hints and help for both the bar and the AFO. Can anyone help? Will Brooklyn fit in her carrier car seat with the AFO and bar? Has anyone had a problem with this. Any advice for making her comfortable for the long ride home and sleeping in her bed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. > > Thank you so much. > > & (mom & dad to daughters Sidney 3 yrs. and Brooklyn (bilateral clubfeet) 3 1/2 months > > Hello ! Welcome to the group! I just found this site a week ago myself, and was SO happy to discover it -- it is wonderful to have access to the wealth of information and experience of all of the others out there who are going (or have gone) throug the same thing that you are. Our son Gavin was born on April 12th, 2002 with severe unilateral (left) club foot. We were lucky to be referred prenatally (we knew about the club foot from the ultrasound) to Dr. Alvarez at B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver. She uses the Ponsetti method, with a few minor alterations to the treatment. After hearing about and speaking to a bunch of other club foot patients, who have switched to the Ponsetti method after trying others, I feel more and more fortunate that we started out with this treatment. We live far away (about 12 hrs driving) from Vancouver, so I have been flying back and forth to Vancouver weekly since Gavin was 4 days old. He is now finished with his casts (8 in total - he had a very stiff foot to start with) and has been in the DBB for 3 weeks now. Our trips should be down to once a month now, and we are headed back tomorrow to see how the DBB is working out. The first couple of weeks in it were pretty rough, but things are going better now. I find that once it was fitted correctly (we started out with a bar that was much too short) Gavin doesn't seem to mind the bar much anymore, but often he seems more comfortable (especially when sleeping) if I put a pillow under his legs and bar. No problems in the carrier. Good luck with yours! I would LOVE to hear about (and see pictures of) different forms of bars and braces -- what is an AFO? Rita and Ian, with baby Gavin, 3 months old, and big sister andra, 3 yrs old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2002 Report Share Posted July 15, 2002 Hi Rita, Thankyou for the welcome and the response. I will send a picture of the braces when we get them. Goodluck at your appointment tomorrow and have a safe trip. Talk to you soon. ritadeane wrote: > > Hi, > > I was so happy to find this group on the internet. I only wish our computer had been fixed sooner so I could have been involved from the beginning of our daughters problems. > > Our daughter Brooklyn was born on 3/21/02 with severe bilateral clubfeet. When she was a week old she was put in small plaster casts that went from below her knee over her feet. These casts were changed weekly. After the 5th week of casts the doctor said her feet were not moving and they were worse than he originally thought. He referred us to Dr. Abraham a pediatric orthopaedic specialist and the head of the orthopaedic department at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. We live a bout 2 hours west of Chicago. Our orthopaedic doctor did his residency under Dr. Abraham and he said he used the Ponsetti method and got excellent results with clubfeet. > > When Brooklyn was 7 weeks old we had our first appointment with Dr. Abraham and he told us she had severe bilateral clubfeet and he thought he could fix them in 2 or 3 castings with the Ponsetti technique and then do a tenotomy. So Brooklyn got her first set of casts, only they were done with fiberglass instead of plaster. Dr. Abraham said he preferred fiberglass because he could mold it to the foot when it was wet and it held the foot better than plaster plus it was lighter than plaster. > > Brooklyn went back a week later to get her casts changed and we couldn't believe it but her feet were already straight. (Thank God for Dr. Ponsettis technique). Brooklyn had another set of casts on for a week and then had a tenotomy wich she handled very well. She was in casts for 3 weeks. We went for another cast change and Dr. Abraham decided to put her in casts for another 2 weeks with her feet at 70% rotation. At the last cast change she was then measured for her braces. They will be ready on July 23. We are so excited. I can't wait to see her beautiful feet again. > > When we saw the brace specialist I asked him whether they used the DBB or the AFO. He said that Dr. Abraham had actually created a new brace that was a combination of both. He uses the AFO with a bar attached to the bottom. Apparently so many parents were having problems with keeping the DBB on that he decided to create something that worked better. The brace specialist told us that Dr. Ponsetti saw Dr. Abrahams work and was so impressed with it that he asked for a report from him. I guess he liked the braces. If anyone would like I could take a digital picture of the braces when she gets them and send them to you by email. I am very curious as to what they look like. Which leads to my big question. I need hints and help for both the bar and the AFO. Can anyone help? Will Brooklyn fit in her carrier car seat with the AFO and bar? Has anyone had a problem with this. Any advice for making her comfortable for the long ride home and sleeping in her bed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. > > Thank you so much. > > & (mom & dad to daughters Sidney 3 yrs. and Brooklyn (bilateral clubfeet) 3 1/2 months > > Hello ! Welcome to the group! I just found this site a week ago myself, and was SO happy to discover it -- it is wonderful to have access to the wealth of information and experience of all of the others out there who are going (or have gone) throug the same thing that you are. Our son Gavin was born on April 12th, 2002 with severe unilateral (left) club foot. We were lucky to be referred prenatally (we knew about the club foot from the ultrasound) to Dr. Alvarez at B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver. She uses the Ponsetti method, with a few minor alterations to the treatment. After hearing about and speaking to a bunch of other club foot patients, who have switched to the Ponsetti method after trying others, I feel more and more fortunate that we started out with this treatment. We live far away (about 12 hrs driving) from Vancouver, so I have been flying back and forth to Vancouver weekly since Gavin was 4 days old. He is now finished with his casts (8 in total - he had a very stiff foot to start with) and has been in the DBB for 3 weeks now. Our trips should be down to once a month now, and we are headed back tomorrow to see how the DBB is working out. The first couple of weeks in it were pretty rough, but things are going better now. I find that once it was fitted correctly (we started out with a bar that was much too short) Gavin doesn't seem to mind the bar much anymore, but often he seems more comfortable (especially when sleeping) if I put a pillow under his legs and bar. No problems in the carrier. Good luck with yours! I would LOVE to hear about (and see pictures of) different forms of bars and braces -- what is an AFO? Rita and Ian, with baby Gavin, 3 months old, and big sister andra, 3 yrs old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 16, 2002 Report Share Posted July 16, 2002 Hi Shanon and Brooklyn and welcome to this group. I don't post very often but I do religiously read the messages in this board, there are always many good advices for us clubfoot-babies parents. I'm another Chicagoland area parent. Our son, who is now 21 months old, was born with unilateral clubfoot (right foot). He was born in Urbana-Champaign so we started treating his foot there. Like your daughter, he went from under the knees casts to over his foot casts and after about 4 casts we moved to South Elgin, IL, so started taking him to a Pediatric Orthopedic in the Chicagoland area. This Dr. put our son in about 4 more casts and tried the AFO for a couple of weeks; however, after a few months he wasn't really happy about the results, so scheduled our son for surgery when the baby would had turned 7 months (he was 6 months at that point). As many parents in this board, once we faced the fact of having surgery done we started looking around and that's when we found out about Dr. Ponseti (thanks God!!!). At that time we did not know about any Dr. doing the Ponseti's method in this area and since Iowa was just 3 hours driving away, we just took our son there; due to my baby's age we did not have time to waste. Dr. Ponseti put two more casts, then did a tenotomy, then another cast for 3 more weeks and my son has been wearing the DBB since then (for over a year now). We just went to Iowa about 10 days ago, got to see Dr. Ponseti and thanks God again my son is doing great. He should wear the DBB from12-14 hours a day, which is not a problem for us at all. If that is all what it takes to keep his foot from relapsing, we would gladly do it. Now I'm pregnant with my second child (24 weeks) and I'm just crossing my fingers (in our case is a genetic cause as my husband's brother was born with severe bilateral clubfeet), but if we happen to have another baby with clubfoot I think we are all prepared this time around. I'm glad you found out about Dr. Ponseti's method and that your daughter is progressing so well. It is also good to know that there is Dr. doing Ponseti's around this area. Like the other parents, I would be VERY curious to see the AFO/DBB combination brace. I'm sorry I can't be of much help regarding AFO/DBB issues as with our son it was a breeze, he never had any problems keeping the DBB on, he slept well with it on from the very first night (thanks God one more time), for us (and him) adjusting to the DBB was not a big deal at all, but I'm sure you will get all you need to know from the other experienced parents. I assume we live very close as we are 1 hour west of Chicago. Where exactly do you live? Bets of luck to you and your daughter and please keep us posted.!! Andreina (mom to Simon Andres unilateral clubfoot 10/04/2000) > > Hi, > > I was so happy to find this group on the internet. I only wish our computer had been fixed sooner so I could have been involved from the beginning of our daughters problems. > > Our daughter Brooklyn was born on 3/21/02 with severe bilateral clubfeet. When she was a week old she was put in small plaster casts that went from below her knee over her feet. These casts were changed weekly. After the 5th week of casts the doctor said her feet were not moving and they were worse than he originally thought. He referred us to Dr. Abraham a pediatric orthopaedic specialist and the head of the orthopaedic department at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. We live a bout 2 hours west of Chicago. Our orthopaedic doctor did his residency under Dr. Abraham and he said he used the Ponsetti method and got excellent results with clubfeet. > > When Brooklyn was 7 weeks old we had our first appointment with Dr. Abraham and he told us she had severe bilateral clubfeet and he thought he could fix them in 2 or 3 castings with the Ponsetti technique and then do a tenotomy. So Brooklyn got her first set of casts, only they were done with fiberglass instead of plaster. Dr. Abraham said he preferred fiberglass because he could mold it to the foot when it was wet and it held the foot better than plaster plus it was lighter than plaster. > > Brooklyn went back a week later to get her casts changed and we couldn't believe it but her feet were already straight. (Thank God for Dr. Ponsettis technique). Brooklyn had another set of casts on for a week and then had a tenotomy wich she handled very well. She was in casts for 3 weeks. We went for another cast change and Dr. Abraham decided to put her in casts for another 2 weeks with her feet at 70% rotation. At the last cast change she was then measured for her braces. They will be ready on July 23. We are so excited. I can't wait to see her beautiful feet again. > > When we saw the brace specialist I asked him whether they used the DBB or the AFO. He said that Dr. Abraham had actually created a new brace that was a combination of both. He uses the AFO with a bar attached to the bottom. Apparently so many parents were having problems with keeping the DBB on that he decided to create something that worked better. The brace specialist told us that Dr. Ponsetti saw Dr. Abrahams work and was so impressed with it that he asked for a report from him. I guess he liked the braces. If anyone would like I could take a digital picture of the braces when she gets them and send them to you by email. I am very curious as to what they look like. Which leads to my big question. I need hints and help for both the bar and the AFO. Can anyone help? Will Brooklyn fit in her carrier car seat with the AFO and bar? Has anyone had a problem with this. Any advice for making her comfortable for the long ride home and sleeping in her bed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. > > Thank you so much. > > & (mom & dad to daughters Sidney 3 yrs. and Brooklyn (bilateral clubfeet) 3 1/2 months > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 16, 2002 Report Share Posted July 16, 2002 Hi Shanon and Brooklyn and welcome to this group. I don't post very often but I do religiously read the messages in this board, there are always many good advices for us clubfoot-babies parents. I'm another Chicagoland area parent. Our son, who is now 21 months old, was born with unilateral clubfoot (right foot). He was born in Urbana-Champaign so we started treating his foot there. Like your daughter, he went from under the knees casts to over his foot casts and after about 4 casts we moved to South Elgin, IL, so started taking him to a Pediatric Orthopedic in the Chicagoland area. This Dr. put our son in about 4 more casts and tried the AFO for a couple of weeks; however, after a few months he wasn't really happy about the results, so scheduled our son for surgery when the baby would had turned 7 months (he was 6 months at that point). As many parents in this board, once we faced the fact of having surgery done we started looking around and that's when we found out about Dr. Ponseti (thanks God!!!). At that time we did not know about any Dr. doing the Ponseti's method in this area and since Iowa was just 3 hours driving away, we just took our son there; due to my baby's age we did not have time to waste. Dr. Ponseti put two more casts, then did a tenotomy, then another cast for 3 more weeks and my son has been wearing the DBB since then (for over a year now). We just went to Iowa about 10 days ago, got to see Dr. Ponseti and thanks God again my son is doing great. He should wear the DBB from12-14 hours a day, which is not a problem for us at all. If that is all what it takes to keep his foot from relapsing, we would gladly do it. Now I'm pregnant with my second child (24 weeks) and I'm just crossing my fingers (in our case is a genetic cause as my husband's brother was born with severe bilateral clubfeet), but if we happen to have another baby with clubfoot I think we are all prepared this time around. I'm glad you found out about Dr. Ponseti's method and that your daughter is progressing so well. It is also good to know that there is Dr. doing Ponseti's around this area. Like the other parents, I would be VERY curious to see the AFO/DBB combination brace. I'm sorry I can't be of much help regarding AFO/DBB issues as with our son it was a breeze, he never had any problems keeping the DBB on, he slept well with it on from the very first night (thanks God one more time), for us (and him) adjusting to the DBB was not a big deal at all, but I'm sure you will get all you need to know from the other experienced parents. I assume we live very close as we are 1 hour west of Chicago. Where exactly do you live? Bets of luck to you and your daughter and please keep us posted.!! Andreina (mom to Simon Andres unilateral clubfoot 10/04/2000) > > Hi, > > I was so happy to find this group on the internet. I only wish our computer had been fixed sooner so I could have been involved from the beginning of our daughters problems. > > Our daughter Brooklyn was born on 3/21/02 with severe bilateral clubfeet. When she was a week old she was put in small plaster casts that went from below her knee over her feet. These casts were changed weekly. After the 5th week of casts the doctor said her feet were not moving and they were worse than he originally thought. He referred us to Dr. Abraham a pediatric orthopaedic specialist and the head of the orthopaedic department at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. We live a bout 2 hours west of Chicago. Our orthopaedic doctor did his residency under Dr. Abraham and he said he used the Ponsetti method and got excellent results with clubfeet. > > When Brooklyn was 7 weeks old we had our first appointment with Dr. Abraham and he told us she had severe bilateral clubfeet and he thought he could fix them in 2 or 3 castings with the Ponsetti technique and then do a tenotomy. So Brooklyn got her first set of casts, only they were done with fiberglass instead of plaster. Dr. Abraham said he preferred fiberglass because he could mold it to the foot when it was wet and it held the foot better than plaster plus it was lighter than plaster. > > Brooklyn went back a week later to get her casts changed and we couldn't believe it but her feet were already straight. (Thank God for Dr. Ponsettis technique). Brooklyn had another set of casts on for a week and then had a tenotomy wich she handled very well. She was in casts for 3 weeks. We went for another cast change and Dr. Abraham decided to put her in casts for another 2 weeks with her feet at 70% rotation. At the last cast change she was then measured for her braces. They will be ready on July 23. We are so excited. I can't wait to see her beautiful feet again. > > When we saw the brace specialist I asked him whether they used the DBB or the AFO. He said that Dr. Abraham had actually created a new brace that was a combination of both. He uses the AFO with a bar attached to the bottom. Apparently so many parents were having problems with keeping the DBB on that he decided to create something that worked better. The brace specialist told us that Dr. Ponsetti saw Dr. Abrahams work and was so impressed with it that he asked for a report from him. I guess he liked the braces. If anyone would like I could take a digital picture of the braces when she gets them and send them to you by email. I am very curious as to what they look like. Which leads to my big question. I need hints and help for both the bar and the AFO. Can anyone help? Will Brooklyn fit in her carrier car seat with the AFO and bar? Has anyone had a problem with this. Any advice for making her comfortable for the long ride home and sleeping in her bed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. > > Thank you so much. > > & (mom & dad to daughters Sidney 3 yrs. and Brooklyn (bilateral clubfeet) 3 1/2 months > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 16, 2002 Report Share Posted July 16, 2002 Hi Shanon and Brooklyn and welcome to this group. I don't post very often but I do religiously read the messages in this board, there are always many good advices for us clubfoot-babies parents. I'm another Chicagoland area parent. Our son, who is now 21 months old, was born with unilateral clubfoot (right foot). He was born in Urbana-Champaign so we started treating his foot there. Like your daughter, he went from under the knees casts to over his foot casts and after about 4 casts we moved to South Elgin, IL, so started taking him to a Pediatric Orthopedic in the Chicagoland area. This Dr. put our son in about 4 more casts and tried the AFO for a couple of weeks; however, after a few months he wasn't really happy about the results, so scheduled our son for surgery when the baby would had turned 7 months (he was 6 months at that point). As many parents in this board, once we faced the fact of having surgery done we started looking around and that's when we found out about Dr. Ponseti (thanks God!!!). At that time we did not know about any Dr. doing the Ponseti's method in this area and since Iowa was just 3 hours driving away, we just took our son there; due to my baby's age we did not have time to waste. Dr. Ponseti put two more casts, then did a tenotomy, then another cast for 3 more weeks and my son has been wearing the DBB since then (for over a year now). We just went to Iowa about 10 days ago, got to see Dr. Ponseti and thanks God again my son is doing great. He should wear the DBB from12-14 hours a day, which is not a problem for us at all. If that is all what it takes to keep his foot from relapsing, we would gladly do it. Now I'm pregnant with my second child (24 weeks) and I'm just crossing my fingers (in our case is a genetic cause as my husband's brother was born with severe bilateral clubfeet), but if we happen to have another baby with clubfoot I think we are all prepared this time around. I'm glad you found out about Dr. Ponseti's method and that your daughter is progressing so well. It is also good to know that there is Dr. doing Ponseti's around this area. Like the other parents, I would be VERY curious to see the AFO/DBB combination brace. I'm sorry I can't be of much help regarding AFO/DBB issues as with our son it was a breeze, he never had any problems keeping the DBB on, he slept well with it on from the very first night (thanks God one more time), for us (and him) adjusting to the DBB was not a big deal at all, but I'm sure you will get all you need to know from the other experienced parents. I assume we live very close as we are 1 hour west of Chicago. Where exactly do you live? Bets of luck to you and your daughter and please keep us posted.!! Andreina (mom to Simon Andres unilateral clubfoot 10/04/2000) > > Hi, > > I was so happy to find this group on the internet. I only wish our computer had been fixed sooner so I could have been involved from the beginning of our daughters problems. > > Our daughter Brooklyn was born on 3/21/02 with severe bilateral clubfeet. When she was a week old she was put in small plaster casts that went from below her knee over her feet. These casts were changed weekly. After the 5th week of casts the doctor said her feet were not moving and they were worse than he originally thought. He referred us to Dr. Abraham a pediatric orthopaedic specialist and the head of the orthopaedic department at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. We live a bout 2 hours west of Chicago. Our orthopaedic doctor did his residency under Dr. Abraham and he said he used the Ponsetti method and got excellent results with clubfeet. > > When Brooklyn was 7 weeks old we had our first appointment with Dr. Abraham and he told us she had severe bilateral clubfeet and he thought he could fix them in 2 or 3 castings with the Ponsetti technique and then do a tenotomy. So Brooklyn got her first set of casts, only they were done with fiberglass instead of plaster. Dr. Abraham said he preferred fiberglass because he could mold it to the foot when it was wet and it held the foot better than plaster plus it was lighter than plaster. > > Brooklyn went back a week later to get her casts changed and we couldn't believe it but her feet were already straight. (Thank God for Dr. Ponsettis technique). Brooklyn had another set of casts on for a week and then had a tenotomy wich she handled very well. She was in casts for 3 weeks. We went for another cast change and Dr. Abraham decided to put her in casts for another 2 weeks with her feet at 70% rotation. At the last cast change she was then measured for her braces. They will be ready on July 23. We are so excited. I can't wait to see her beautiful feet again. > > When we saw the brace specialist I asked him whether they used the DBB or the AFO. He said that Dr. Abraham had actually created a new brace that was a combination of both. He uses the AFO with a bar attached to the bottom. Apparently so many parents were having problems with keeping the DBB on that he decided to create something that worked better. The brace specialist told us that Dr. Ponsetti saw Dr. Abrahams work and was so impressed with it that he asked for a report from him. I guess he liked the braces. If anyone would like I could take a digital picture of the braces when she gets them and send them to you by email. I am very curious as to what they look like. Which leads to my big question. I need hints and help for both the bar and the AFO. Can anyone help? Will Brooklyn fit in her carrier car seat with the AFO and bar? Has anyone had a problem with this. Any advice for making her comfortable for the long ride home and sleeping in her bed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. > > Thank you so much. > > & (mom & dad to daughters Sidney 3 yrs. and Brooklyn (bilateral clubfeet) 3 1/2 months > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2002 Report Share Posted July 30, 2002 Andreina: Hola como estas? soy Karin de Peru la mama de Max acabo de leer un mail tuyo donde cuentas que estas esperando tu segundo bebe te felicito!! y otra vez vamos a tener bebes casi de la misma edad por que yo tambien estoy embarazada tengo 7 meses asi que mi fecha probable es en 26 de setiembre y me voy a Miami en una semana asi que te felicito y como esta Simon Andres? Re: new member > Hi Shanon and Brooklyn and welcome to this group. > > I don't post very often but I do religiously read the messages in > this board, there are always many good advices for us clubfoot-babies > parents. > > I'm another Chicagoland area parent. Our son, who is now 21 months > old, was born with unilateral clubfoot (right foot). He was born in > Urbana-Champaign so we started treating his foot there. Like your > daughter, he went from under the knees casts to over his foot casts > and after about 4 casts we moved to South Elgin, IL, so started > taking him to a Pediatric Orthopedic in the Chicagoland area. > > This Dr. put our son in about 4 more casts and tried the AFO for a > couple of weeks; however, after a few months he wasn't really happy > about the results, so scheduled our son for surgery when the baby > would had turned 7 months (he was 6 months at that point). As many > parents in this board, once we faced the fact of having surgery done > we started looking around and that's when we found out about Dr. > Ponseti (thanks God!!!). > > At that time we did not know about any Dr. doing the Ponseti's method > in this area and since Iowa was just 3 hours driving away, we just > took our son there; due to my baby's age we did not have time to > waste. > > Dr. Ponseti put two more casts, then did a tenotomy, then another > cast for 3 more weeks and my son has been wearing the DBB since then > (for over a year now). We just went to Iowa about 10 days ago, got to > see Dr. Ponseti and thanks God again my son is doing great. He should > wear the DBB from12-14 hours a day, which is not a problem for us at > all. If that is all what it takes to keep his foot from relapsing, we > would gladly do it. > > Now I'm pregnant with my second child (24 weeks) and I'm just > crossing my fingers (in our case is a genetic cause as my husband's > brother was born with severe bilateral clubfeet), but if we happen to > have another baby with clubfoot I think we are all prepared this time > around. > > I'm glad you found out about Dr. Ponseti's method and that your > daughter is progressing so well. It is also good to know that there > is Dr. doing Ponseti's around this area. Like the other parents, I > would be VERY curious to see the AFO/DBB combination brace. > > I'm sorry I can't be of much help regarding AFO/DBB issues as with > our son it was a breeze, he never had any problems keeping the DBB > on, he slept well with it on from the very first night (thanks God > one more time), for us (and him) adjusting to the DBB was not a big > deal at all, but I'm sure you will get all you need to know from the > other experienced parents. > > I assume we live very close as we are 1 hour west of Chicago. Where > exactly do you live? > > Bets of luck to you and your daughter and please keep us posted.!! > > Andreina (mom to Simon Andres unilateral clubfoot 10/04/2000) > > > > > Hi, > > > > I was so happy to find this group on the internet. I only wish our > computer had been fixed sooner so I could have been involved from the > beginning of our daughters problems. > > > > Our daughter Brooklyn was born on 3/21/02 with severe bilateral > clubfeet. When she was a week old she was put in small plaster casts > that went from below her knee over her feet. These casts were > changed weekly. After the 5th week of casts the doctor said her feet > were not moving and they were worse than he originally thought. He > referred us to Dr. Abraham a pediatric orthopaedic specialist and the > head of the orthopaedic department at the University of Illinois > Medical Center in Chicago. We live a bout 2 hours west of Chicago. > Our orthopaedic doctor did his residency under Dr. Abraham and he > said he used the Ponsetti method and got excellent results with > clubfeet. > > > > When Brooklyn was 7 weeks old we had our first appointment with Dr. > Abraham and he told us she had severe bilateral clubfeet and he > thought he could fix them in 2 or 3 castings with the Ponsetti > technique and then do a tenotomy. So Brooklyn got her first set of > casts, only they were done with fiberglass instead of plaster. Dr. > Abraham said he preferred fiberglass because he could mold it to the > foot when it was wet and it held the foot better than plaster plus it > was lighter than plaster. > > > > Brooklyn went back a week later to get her casts changed and we > couldn't believe it but her feet were already straight. (Thank God > for Dr. Ponsettis technique). Brooklyn had another set of casts on > for a week and then had a tenotomy wich she handled very well. She > was in casts for 3 weeks. We went for another cast change and Dr. > Abraham decided to put her in casts for another 2 weeks with her feet > at 70% rotation. At the last cast change she was then measured for > her braces. They will be ready on July 23. We are so excited. I > can't wait to see her beautiful feet again. > > > > When we saw the brace specialist I asked him whether they used the > DBB or the AFO. He said that Dr. Abraham had actually created a new > brace that was a combination of both. He uses the AFO with a bar > attached to the bottom. Apparently so many parents were having > problems with keeping the DBB on that he decided to create something > that worked better. The brace specialist told us that Dr. Ponsetti > saw Dr. Abrahams work and was so impressed with it that he asked for > a report from him. I guess he liked the braces. If anyone would > like I could take a digital picture of the braces when she gets them > and send them to you by email. I am very curious as to what they > look like. Which leads to my big question. I need hints and help > for both the bar and the AFO. Can anyone help? Will Brooklyn fit in > her carrier car seat with the AFO and bar? Has anyone had a problem > with this. Any advice for making her comfortable for the long ride > home and sleeping in her bed? Any advice would be greatly > appreciated. > > > > Thank you so much. > > > > & (mom & dad to daughters Sidney 3 yrs. and Brooklyn > (bilateral clubfeet) 3 1/2 months > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2002 Report Share Posted July 30, 2002 Andreina: Hola como estas? soy Karin de Peru la mama de Max acabo de leer un mail tuyo donde cuentas que estas esperando tu segundo bebe te felicito!! y otra vez vamos a tener bebes casi de la misma edad por que yo tambien estoy embarazada tengo 7 meses asi que mi fecha probable es en 26 de setiembre y me voy a Miami en una semana asi que te felicito y como esta Simon Andres? Re: new member > Hi Shanon and Brooklyn and welcome to this group. > > I don't post very often but I do religiously read the messages in > this board, there are always many good advices for us clubfoot-babies > parents. > > I'm another Chicagoland area parent. Our son, who is now 21 months > old, was born with unilateral clubfoot (right foot). He was born in > Urbana-Champaign so we started treating his foot there. Like your > daughter, he went from under the knees casts to over his foot casts > and after about 4 casts we moved to South Elgin, IL, so started > taking him to a Pediatric Orthopedic in the Chicagoland area. > > This Dr. put our son in about 4 more casts and tried the AFO for a > couple of weeks; however, after a few months he wasn't really happy > about the results, so scheduled our son for surgery when the baby > would had turned 7 months (he was 6 months at that point). As many > parents in this board, once we faced the fact of having surgery done > we started looking around and that's when we found out about Dr. > Ponseti (thanks God!!!). > > At that time we did not know about any Dr. doing the Ponseti's method > in this area and since Iowa was just 3 hours driving away, we just > took our son there; due to my baby's age we did not have time to > waste. > > Dr. Ponseti put two more casts, then did a tenotomy, then another > cast for 3 more weeks and my son has been wearing the DBB since then > (for over a year now). We just went to Iowa about 10 days ago, got to > see Dr. Ponseti and thanks God again my son is doing great. He should > wear the DBB from12-14 hours a day, which is not a problem for us at > all. If that is all what it takes to keep his foot from relapsing, we > would gladly do it. > > Now I'm pregnant with my second child (24 weeks) and I'm just > crossing my fingers (in our case is a genetic cause as my husband's > brother was born with severe bilateral clubfeet), but if we happen to > have another baby with clubfoot I think we are all prepared this time > around. > > I'm glad you found out about Dr. Ponseti's method and that your > daughter is progressing so well. It is also good to know that there > is Dr. doing Ponseti's around this area. Like the other parents, I > would be VERY curious to see the AFO/DBB combination brace. > > I'm sorry I can't be of much help regarding AFO/DBB issues as with > our son it was a breeze, he never had any problems keeping the DBB > on, he slept well with it on from the very first night (thanks God > one more time), for us (and him) adjusting to the DBB was not a big > deal at all, but I'm sure you will get all you need to know from the > other experienced parents. > > I assume we live very close as we are 1 hour west of Chicago. Where > exactly do you live? > > Bets of luck to you and your daughter and please keep us posted.!! > > Andreina (mom to Simon Andres unilateral clubfoot 10/04/2000) > > > > > Hi, > > > > I was so happy to find this group on the internet. I only wish our > computer had been fixed sooner so I could have been involved from the > beginning of our daughters problems. > > > > Our daughter Brooklyn was born on 3/21/02 with severe bilateral > clubfeet. When she was a week old she was put in small plaster casts > that went from below her knee over her feet. These casts were > changed weekly. After the 5th week of casts the doctor said her feet > were not moving and they were worse than he originally thought. He > referred us to Dr. Abraham a pediatric orthopaedic specialist and the > head of the orthopaedic department at the University of Illinois > Medical Center in Chicago. We live a bout 2 hours west of Chicago. > Our orthopaedic doctor did his residency under Dr. Abraham and he > said he used the Ponsetti method and got excellent results with > clubfeet. > > > > When Brooklyn was 7 weeks old we had our first appointment with Dr. > Abraham and he told us she had severe bilateral clubfeet and he > thought he could fix them in 2 or 3 castings with the Ponsetti > technique and then do a tenotomy. So Brooklyn got her first set of > casts, only they were done with fiberglass instead of plaster. Dr. > Abraham said he preferred fiberglass because he could mold it to the > foot when it was wet and it held the foot better than plaster plus it > was lighter than plaster. > > > > Brooklyn went back a week later to get her casts changed and we > couldn't believe it but her feet were already straight. (Thank God > for Dr. Ponsettis technique). Brooklyn had another set of casts on > for a week and then had a tenotomy wich she handled very well. She > was in casts for 3 weeks. We went for another cast change and Dr. > Abraham decided to put her in casts for another 2 weeks with her feet > at 70% rotation. At the last cast change she was then measured for > her braces. They will be ready on July 23. We are so excited. I > can't wait to see her beautiful feet again. > > > > When we saw the brace specialist I asked him whether they used the > DBB or the AFO. He said that Dr. Abraham had actually created a new > brace that was a combination of both. He uses the AFO with a bar > attached to the bottom. Apparently so many parents were having > problems with keeping the DBB on that he decided to create something > that worked better. The brace specialist told us that Dr. Ponsetti > saw Dr. Abrahams work and was so impressed with it that he asked for > a report from him. I guess he liked the braces. If anyone would > like I could take a digital picture of the braces when she gets them > and send them to you by email. I am very curious as to what they > look like. Which leads to my big question. I need hints and help > for both the bar and the AFO. Can anyone help? Will Brooklyn fit in > her carrier car seat with the AFO and bar? Has anyone had a problem > with this. Any advice for making her comfortable for the long ride > home and sleeping in her bed? Any advice would be greatly > appreciated. > > > > Thank you so much. > > > > & (mom & dad to daughters Sidney 3 yrs. and Brooklyn > (bilateral clubfeet) 3 1/2 months > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2002 Report Share Posted July 30, 2002 Andreina: Hola como estas? soy Karin de Peru la mama de Max acabo de leer un mail tuyo donde cuentas que estas esperando tu segundo bebe te felicito!! y otra vez vamos a tener bebes casi de la misma edad por que yo tambien estoy embarazada tengo 7 meses asi que mi fecha probable es en 26 de setiembre y me voy a Miami en una semana asi que te felicito y como esta Simon Andres? Re: new member > Hi Shanon and Brooklyn and welcome to this group. > > I don't post very often but I do religiously read the messages in > this board, there are always many good advices for us clubfoot-babies > parents. > > I'm another Chicagoland area parent. Our son, who is now 21 months > old, was born with unilateral clubfoot (right foot). He was born in > Urbana-Champaign so we started treating his foot there. Like your > daughter, he went from under the knees casts to over his foot casts > and after about 4 casts we moved to South Elgin, IL, so started > taking him to a Pediatric Orthopedic in the Chicagoland area. > > This Dr. put our son in about 4 more casts and tried the AFO for a > couple of weeks; however, after a few months he wasn't really happy > about the results, so scheduled our son for surgery when the baby > would had turned 7 months (he was 6 months at that point). As many > parents in this board, once we faced the fact of having surgery done > we started looking around and that's when we found out about Dr. > Ponseti (thanks God!!!). > > At that time we did not know about any Dr. doing the Ponseti's method > in this area and since Iowa was just 3 hours driving away, we just > took our son there; due to my baby's age we did not have time to > waste. > > Dr. Ponseti put two more casts, then did a tenotomy, then another > cast for 3 more weeks and my son has been wearing the DBB since then > (for over a year now). We just went to Iowa about 10 days ago, got to > see Dr. Ponseti and thanks God again my son is doing great. He should > wear the DBB from12-14 hours a day, which is not a problem for us at > all. If that is all what it takes to keep his foot from relapsing, we > would gladly do it. > > Now I'm pregnant with my second child (24 weeks) and I'm just > crossing my fingers (in our case is a genetic cause as my husband's > brother was born with severe bilateral clubfeet), but if we happen to > have another baby with clubfoot I think we are all prepared this time > around. > > I'm glad you found out about Dr. Ponseti's method and that your > daughter is progressing so well. It is also good to know that there > is Dr. doing Ponseti's around this area. Like the other parents, I > would be VERY curious to see the AFO/DBB combination brace. > > I'm sorry I can't be of much help regarding AFO/DBB issues as with > our son it was a breeze, he never had any problems keeping the DBB > on, he slept well with it on from the very first night (thanks God > one more time), for us (and him) adjusting to the DBB was not a big > deal at all, but I'm sure you will get all you need to know from the > other experienced parents. > > I assume we live very close as we are 1 hour west of Chicago. Where > exactly do you live? > > Bets of luck to you and your daughter and please keep us posted.!! > > Andreina (mom to Simon Andres unilateral clubfoot 10/04/2000) > > > > > Hi, > > > > I was so happy to find this group on the internet. I only wish our > computer had been fixed sooner so I could have been involved from the > beginning of our daughters problems. > > > > Our daughter Brooklyn was born on 3/21/02 with severe bilateral > clubfeet. When she was a week old she was put in small plaster casts > that went from below her knee over her feet. These casts were > changed weekly. After the 5th week of casts the doctor said her feet > were not moving and they were worse than he originally thought. He > referred us to Dr. Abraham a pediatric orthopaedic specialist and the > head of the orthopaedic department at the University of Illinois > Medical Center in Chicago. We live a bout 2 hours west of Chicago. > Our orthopaedic doctor did his residency under Dr. Abraham and he > said he used the Ponsetti method and got excellent results with > clubfeet. > > > > When Brooklyn was 7 weeks old we had our first appointment with Dr. > Abraham and he told us she had severe bilateral clubfeet and he > thought he could fix them in 2 or 3 castings with the Ponsetti > technique and then do a tenotomy. So Brooklyn got her first set of > casts, only they were done with fiberglass instead of plaster. Dr. > Abraham said he preferred fiberglass because he could mold it to the > foot when it was wet and it held the foot better than plaster plus it > was lighter than plaster. > > > > Brooklyn went back a week later to get her casts changed and we > couldn't believe it but her feet were already straight. (Thank God > for Dr. Ponsettis technique). Brooklyn had another set of casts on > for a week and then had a tenotomy wich she handled very well. She > was in casts for 3 weeks. We went for another cast change and Dr. > Abraham decided to put her in casts for another 2 weeks with her feet > at 70% rotation. At the last cast change she was then measured for > her braces. They will be ready on July 23. We are so excited. I > can't wait to see her beautiful feet again. > > > > When we saw the brace specialist I asked him whether they used the > DBB or the AFO. He said that Dr. Abraham had actually created a new > brace that was a combination of both. He uses the AFO with a bar > attached to the bottom. Apparently so many parents were having > problems with keeping the DBB on that he decided to create something > that worked better. The brace specialist told us that Dr. Ponsetti > saw Dr. Abrahams work and was so impressed with it that he asked for > a report from him. I guess he liked the braces. If anyone would > like I could take a digital picture of the braces when she gets them > and send them to you by email. I am very curious as to what they > look like. Which leads to my big question. I need hints and help > for both the bar and the AFO. Can anyone help? Will Brooklyn fit in > her carrier car seat with the AFO and bar? Has anyone had a problem > with this. Any advice for making her comfortable for the long ride > home and sleeping in her bed? Any advice would be greatly > appreciated. > > > > Thank you so much. > > > > & (mom & dad to daughters Sidney 3 yrs. and Brooklyn > (bilateral clubfeet) 3 1/2 months > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 12, 2002 Report Share Posted August 12, 2002 Hello, I am happy to hear that you found Dr. Ponseti before your grandson was treated the " other " way. A lot of parents/grandparents aren't as lucky and end up going through a lot of unnecessary treatments before they find the wonderful Dr. Ponseti! You will find this group to be very intellegent, helpful, responsive, understanding and loving as I have! I think we are just one big family, the Dr. Ponseti cf family! Glad to have you! Sincererly, & Breanna ugo2l wrote: Hello everyone I am a new member here and would like to introduce myslef, and tell everyone about my familys experince with cf. My name is Leora I live in NE. My experince started 21 years ago when my son was born with cf. At that time I knew nothing about cf and trusted my Dr to guide me in getting the treatment my son needed, we were sent to a sugeron. was in cast for about the first 6 months of his life and had his first sugery when he was about 14 months old. Scince then he has had 7 sugerys in all and his foot is scared and painful. I must say we have always be greatful for the treatment kevin recived. We did not know that cf could be treated and corrected without sugery. When My grandson Dylan was born in March 2002 with bilatreial clubfeet, My husban Tom got on the internet and found Doctor Ponseti. Dylan started treatment when he was 12 days old he had 5 sets of cast and then wore the dennis brown splint for three months 24 hours a day. Dylan is now 5 months old and wears his dennis brown splint while he sleeps, his feet look wonderful. You would never know he had cf just by looking at his feet. If only we had knowen about Doctor Ponseti when was born. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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