Reintroducing DBB

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

My name is Sandy and I have a baby girl who is now 4 months old -

Her name is Lola. She was born with congenital bilateral clubfoot.

Her treatment has so far been 5 plaster casts and we are now in the

DBB Boots and Bar. She was going OK - but then as time went on she

was getting a little crankier - and she kept getting her right foot

out! She was soon nicknamed houdini. I got told to go and get some

inserts which I did - however - one our weekly check up Dr Patel (My

Ortho Surgeon) became cross when he discovered that the bumper that

were put in were incorrect. He got some proper foam inserts put in.

He told me to keep a sharp eye on a blister which she had developed

and to return in one week. Well - our poor little baby was so upset

three days later - not eating, not settling - very out of character.

We had been out for most of the day so when we got home I told my

husband that's it the boots are coming off - she is just not happy.

When we finally got them off - to my horror through her bandaid was a

small spot of blood! We took it off and her blister was red and

oozing puss!! The poor thing had an infection!!! She was so relieved

when took them off that she actually gave us a beaming smile!! We

raced her to a Medical Centre (being Sunday afternoon no doctors

offices were open!) And we were promptly given antibiotics to clear

it. Well - as you can imagine I could not put the shoes back on and I

rang Dr Patel the next morning - he advised to leave them off until I

came back into the hospital to see him - which was four days later -

when we did go and see him it was still not healed and he advised we

keep them off for another week and them put them on once a scab

formed and fell off. This eventually happened - she has had them off

now for 2.5 weeks! Her feet look fine - i cannot see any obvious

signs of them turning in again. Anyway - today is day three of puttin

them back on - the first day I put them on for one hour off for one

hour on for our hour etc etc. Day two we did it for three hours and

today we have had them on all day and I will keep them on tonight -

take them off for a bath and check her heel. So far she has been not

too bad. Not as bad as the first time we put them on - however I am

dreading tonight and wondering if anybody out there went through a

similar experience - in having them on for a short while then off

then on again? She does keep waking herself up in her day naps and

gets angry and not able to sleep. It's annoying as she has been

sleeping through the night! Not sure how I will cope without her

sleeping through again!!

Geez - I have babbled on... any advise I would love to receive!!

Thanks all.

Sandy and Lola

Melbourne - Australia

2nd June 2004