Thank you!

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

I have posted here only a few times, but I have read A LOT of posts

over the past few months and I just want to say " Thank you " to all

of you here. The information that I gathered here and all that I

learned from you about clubfoot and its treatment helped me to open

up a dialog with my son's doctor and, ultimately, avoid major

reconstructive surgery for him.

My son, was born March 30 with a right unilateral clubfoot. We

went through all of the serial casting and he had his first tendon

release surgery in May. After getting the cast off, a series of

events resulted in a relapse and his foot and tendon were very

stiff. The next option presented to us was that of reconstructive

surgery. Reading the posts on this site combined with my own very

strong belief that my son did not have optimal conditions for the

first tenotomy to work, gave me the resolve to talk to my doctor and

explore the possibility of another tendon-release as an alternative

to major reconstructive surgery at this time. Well, my son's Dr. is

a true professional. She didn't let me just walk all over her. But

she openly and honestly discussed his situation with me. We took it

week by week beginning again with casts. And ultimately, she opted

for the second tendon release. It was done Aug. 27th and it did the

trick!! 's foot looked fabulous after 3 weeks when his cast was

removed. He's doing great with his DBB and we are feeling

unbelievable relief.

This positive outcome would not have come about without the

wonderful dialog that goes on at these bulletin boards. So thank

you thank you thank you to all of you who invest your time.

I also want to pass on a valuable lesson I've learned from this

experience. It is this: You are your child's best advocate. Never

forget that. You know him/her best. Go with your instincts and

never be afraid to ask questions. There is no one who looks after

the best interests of a child better than his/her parents. My

husband and I learned this lesson in a big way these past 7 months.

When faced with the possibility of surgery for our son, we decided

that whatever happened, we needed to be at peace with our decisions

because we are his guardians and protectors. What an awesome

responsibility. But I know that all of you here on this board are

up to the challenge and are succeeding at being wonderful parents

for your children. Keep up the wonderful work!

Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.