Anterior Tibial Tendon Transfer - Sept 2016

Eating yummy Maccas :D Thanks Aunty Nenette and Uncle Mike!

Joseph's surgery was very successful. On 8th September he had an Anterior Tibial Tendon Transfer operation at Starship Hospital here in Auckland, NZ.
Doctor Walsh and his team were excellent, the hospital staff were super helpful and the operation was smooth and relatively quick.

Joseph's left leg is in a full cast from his foot to his upper thigh. He will be in that cast for 4 weeks. Today is nearing the end of week 3. After getting out of the cast, he will wear a "boot" for another 4 weeks. He can walk in this boot, apparently, it's durable and made for walking. No doubt, Joseph will try running in his boot, haha!

He's been a real trooper, having high spirits. Still smiling, laughing, playing and talking. His siblings are super supportive of him and they help him out, picking things up or pushing him in his chair when he needs a hand.

Joseph's six years old next April. Thanks to the grace of God, a loving mother, helpful siblings, caring family, modern medicine, excellent doctors, kind nurses, and countless other blessings, Joseph is thriving and loving life.

No more shoes at night! Wahoo!

Yikes its been a long time since anything has been posted here! Well, I can definitely say that Little Joe's been persevering and putting up with wearing his shoes every night for the past 2 years. Since its so routine, every evening, he usually is quite compliant. He sometimes will throw a little tantrum about putting them on, but that's to be expected. I am happy to report though, that he's gotten the green light from his doctor! Let's hear it again: NO MORE SHOES AT NIGHT FOR LITTLE JOE! WOOHOO! The day: May 21 2013. Two days before the return of Elder C from the Philippines.

Danielle took the kids with her to Starship hospital and Dr Walsh said that his feet are great and he won't be needing to wear the shoes at night anymore! What a blessing! We're so happy that we kept to the plan as best we could and now we see the fruits of that labor and the blessings that follow. We noticed he sleeps just a bit more comfortably now and doesn't wake up in the middle of the night. He's doing great!

Naps and Nighttimes

It's official. He is onto naps and night times. He only has to wear his boots during the above. I am so excited for him! It has been a long 5 months but a totally worth it. I am so glad we stuck with the 23hr a day schedule and if anyone is struggling out there just know that it is so worth it to have the doctor say that his feet are so good.

 Check him out with his first really pair of shoes.

3 month appointment

It has been almost 3 months since he finished his surgery and has been wearing the boots. We haven't been to the doctors for that time. We have an appointment on the 16th of November to let us know how his progress is going. I know for myself that when his boots are not on you can't tell that he ever had club feet. His feet so look great and I am so so happy we kept up with it. Will let you know what happens at the appointment. I am hoping for a switch to nap and night time of shoes.

He crawls

His is little Joe crawling 4 days before his 7 month mark. He is wearing his ponseti boots. I am putting this up to let other know that they don't hinder progress. I think if anything that made him crawl faster because he could lunge forward with them.

Ponseti Shoes

Arrrgh! These shoes are way harder to get use to then the casts but on the other end I love love love that he can have time off from wearing them and I feel like his feet are so much better off in the shoes than the casts. He is actually pushing off his feet were as before he treated his legs like they didn't exist! I mean the shoes are only hard because you have to sleep your baby on his back so if you are just starting out with the casts train your baby to sleep on his back because I side slept mine and he is having a hard time adjusting to the back.

Also you really have to make sure that his feet are back up against the back of his shoe. For the first week and still now I have to adjust his shoe if his heel is not in the "view window". I love seeing his face when he takes his shoes off. He kicks for about the whole half hour and I love giving him baths and just snuggling him.

Rocking his ponseti shoes with his cute grandpa socks! 

Enjoying his solids are his kick around!

The casts come off!

3 weeks later..... The casts have come off. I called the hospital to see if I could take the casts off and give him a real bath. They said yes and to not be shocked at the appearance of his legs (after 3 weeks they would look really white). He was so happy to have those casts off. He just kicked and kicked and kicked.

 

Unwinding the reinforced blue casts

Getting ready for his bath

His right foot after taking the casts off

The cast mess... so long!

 

Kisses from Nanny after her bath

 

Kicking away now that both casts are off!

He was fitted for his boots and he starts those on Friday.