| Name: Dorothy Van Egmond | Date: Jun 9th, 2006 3:04 AM |
| I was born with severely clubbed feet and had surgery 13 times. Children are resilient and recover quickly from procedures. My mother made many sacrifices to get me treatment and it was much harder on her than on me. Don't worry about your child. Get him every surgery, physical therapy, pairs of shoes that he needs, and make sure he does his exercises. He'll be fine. ↑ |
| Name: phreakyphatphuk | Date: Jun 9th, 2006 5:57 AM |
| I was born with severely clubbed feet and had surgery 13 times. Children are resilient and recover quickly from procedures. My mother made many sacrifices to get me treatment and it was much harder on her than on me. Don't worry about your child. Get him every surgery, physical therapy, pairs of shoes that he needs, and make sure he does his exercises. He'll be fine. = ↑ |
| Name: jill | Date: Jun 14th, 2006 12:59 AM |
| My daughter , now 22 was born with very severe clubbed feet. Her castings and surgery were successful, and she is now in her 3 rd year of medical,.She is a beautiful, brilliant girl, and very athletic too. ↑ |
| Name: Seona | Date: Jun 16th, 2006 1:37 PM |
| My daughter was born with with clubbed feet also. She is a month old now and in her fouth set of casts. We don't know if she'll need surgury or not yet but her feet look 70% better than when she was born. She had alot of other complications at birth and spent the first ten days of her life in the nicu- I didn't see or get to hold her for the first two days, so I didn't know what her feet looked like until my fiance showed me pictures. ( I was hospitalized, too.) I'll tell you what, though- at only 4 weeks old she is a tough cookie, home from the hospital, very alert, very strong, ahead of other babies developmentally(intellectually and physically), she's even trying to roll over already. She is so strong already we have our hands full. I guess I feel blessed that the least of her problems is her feet. They don't matter much in the grand scheme of things. I'm just so happy that she is healthy otherwise. I have alot of faith that her feet will turn out fine, she has one of the more severe cases, but even still.... I am head over heels in love with my daughter, I barely notice the casts when I see the rest of her, she is beautiful. We have fun decorating her casts, too.:) I hear more success stories than anything, so I'm keeping my head up. ↑ |
| Name: Amy | Date: Jun 22nd, 2006 2:42 AM |
| This is a great site.. I am 33 years old and have a right clubfoot. For me the down side to this is buying shoes. My sizes are 5 1/2 wide on my right foot and 8 on my lefy. I am the youngest of 4 and my parents would always tell me that the reason why I was the one with the clubfoot is because GOD knew that I would be the one to handle it. It makes me unique. I have had two operations, I use to wear corrective shoes, metal bar between my shoes, casts off and on for the first 4 years of my life. and braces on my legs. But I never let it stop me.... I never treated it as a handicap my parents would let me. I still don't -I work out at the gym and joined a dance class... sure I have arthritis and my foot aches most everyday.. But that is all I know... Best of Luck to everyone on this site. ↑ |
| Name: Jenalyn | Date: Jun 23rd, 2006 7:41 PM |
| I know a boy that was born with a clubfoot. I met him when he was 12. I had known him for about a year before I even realized he's had the condition. I only noticed when he was in a pair of shorts and his one leg looked a littel bit skinnier than the other one. I'm good friends with his big sister nad she said thatit's never benn much of a problem for him. He just had to go for surgeries when he was younger. Today, he is a very nice looking young man. It's tough to see your kids go through these kind of things though. My son has a seizure disorder and I've had the "pleasure" of watching him get poked day after day, being drugged up, etc. You just kind of take it a day at a time. Hope everything's fine. I'm sure it will be ↑ |
| Name: jc101 | Date: Jun 24th, 2006 5:49 AM |
| Name: Dixiemartin | Date: Jun 25th, 2006 8:13 PM |
My daughter son was born with Club feet and we never knew it till he was born. Once he came out I thought"OMG his feet are broken. I was scared to death. He is a perfectly nornal kid who loves people and is a little boy all the way. It was very hard for him as a baby with all the test and porking him with needles then the casting. He has surgery at 6 months and he is doing fine but they keep him going to have his feet checked.
Now my daughter is pregnant with a second child and I pray this child is normal with no club feet or anything else so she could enjoy and bond more.
I've looked on the web-site but I have no idea what the chances are.
My son in law's mother's brother has club feet so the doctors said that is how Christopher got his, he is going to be 3 in August.
Make sure the doctor knows about club feet and puts the baby in casting right away and if they really know what they are doing sometimes the child might not need surgery. My grandson's doctor wasn't very bright.
Hope that helps
Dixiemartin ↑ |
| Name: ANdre | Date: Jun 28th, 2006 5:08 AM |
| Name: Andew | Date: Jun 28th, 2006 2:57 PM |
| I am just looking around to see what to do. Because my sisters babysitter is coming over so at night when she goes to bed I can ask her if she wants one. ↑ |
| Name: Jaclyn Wynn | Date: Jun 28th, 2006 5:52 PM |
| My name is Jaclyn and I am on the same boat as you are right now I am 20 weeks pregnant and Just found out last week at 19 weeks that my baby girl (Isabelle) may have club feet as well as microcephaly (small head) I have not been to a specialist yet but am waiting for my appointment next week. I am so scared to find out what is wrong or if anything at all is wrong with my baby girl. It is good to know that there are other women out there that I can talk to I wish the best for your baby boy and good luck!! I am going to pray for you! ↑ |
| Name: stacie | Date: Jun 29th, 2006 12:17 PM |
| hi, i am 19 years old and 25weeks pregnant. i found out at my 20week scan that my baby will be born with a clubbed foot. it is really disheartening and scary for me as i am still really young, all my friends are having babies and they have no problems atall. the only thing that worries me really is what other people will say and do, because am sure there are really horrible people that wont think about our feelings. I also dont want my baby to be put in a cast straight away... it will be nice to spend some time without as my child will be wearing one for a long time, and it will be nice to feel normal for a short while, does anybody feel the same? or am i just young and naive ↑ |
| Name: Sharron | Date: Jun 29th, 2006 2:43 PM |
This letter is for anybody who has, or will soon experince Clubbed Feet in your life. I am a 39 yr. old woman & in the same boat as many--- born with severe Clubbed Feet (had more than 1 variety, both feet were severely deformed) & have always had difficulty finding information about it. I have been told by many doctor's that my case was probably the worst case of Clubbed Feet they have seen. For you young mother's who are now dealing with this, don't worry, your child will be fine! Just read Caroline's (in this forum) response & take it to heart---she is exactly right!!! The only additional advice I would add is not to spoil your baby. Of course, provide the attention & love necessary but don't treat him/her any different. Allow your baby to discover his/her own ways of getting about. They are more than capable of doing anything the set their mind to. It will make him/her stronger.
My story is rather long & complicated. Or maybe I just make it long....lol. Within 2 hours of my birth, both my legs were casted. My mother went through that process every 2 weeks of having to soak the casts & making the trip to the doctor's to be re-casted. This went on for the 1st yr. of my life but the casting didn't work. From the age's of 1 yr. to 16 yrs., I had 10 operations between both my feet. I had all the orthopaedic footwear.....the shoe's & the brace's. I was so happy when I got my first pair of running shoe's at the age of 9. In addition to the Clubbed Feet, I also had a naturally ocurring dislocated hip at the age of 10, which was corrected with 2 more operations. Later in life I began to experience problems with my knees, left being worse. To date I have had 3 arthroscopic operation's between both my knee's. I am holding off as long as I am able to before I get the knee replacement that I need in my left knee. I have a hole in the back of my left knee cap that is getting bigger & bigger, so eventually I will have no choice. I have been told that the problems I had with my hip & knee's are not related to my feet........but I sometime's question that. However, I also inherited the "bad knee gene" from my mother's side, so it's possible that it isn't related.
Although I do experience difficulties with daily pain in one area or another, it's usually my feet that are the least affected unless I over do it. I experience more pain & discomfort with my knees. However, it is all a domino effect. But I am grateful that I am still able to walk & I feel blessed because it could have been so much worse. I am more grateful for what I am able to do rather than spending my time being miserable & bitter with what I cannot do! And as an end note, I have 3 son's who were born perfectly healthy, feet & all.
I am new to this site so I am not quite sure how it works, but if there is anybody who wants to talk about this, regardless on your situation, please feel free to email [email protected] (in subject bar mention Clubbed Feet plz. so I don't delete you, lol).
Thank-you,
Sharron ↑ |
| Name: dlenzen99 | Date: Jul 13th, 2006 6:58 PM |
I am a 45 year old man that was born with severe club feet (Both). I was in casts and braces from the time I was an infant, had multiple surgeries to correct for growth, and experienced alot of pain growing up (physical and mental). I can tell you it only made me a more determined person to succeed in life. I played sports (baseball, football, basketball, hockey, volleyball) at the Varsity level in high school and started on some very good teams. I was captain of the Varsity Baseball team and went on to play college baseball as a catcher. Obviously I had a physical handicap, and it caused problems with mostly speed and leg strength, but determination goes a long way in compensating for a physical defect. I have gone on to complete my MBA and have recently taken a position as a VP of a billion $ corporation.
The moral of the story is this.....treat your child like every other child...I never got, nor asked, for any free passes. I never viewed myself as a person with a disability. If you provide the proper care for your child at a young age and encourage them to be active and participate...everything will be fine. If anything, having this happen to me made me a more determined and strong-willed person.
I wish all of you well and encourage you to not view this as anything more than a setback for your child. Everything will work out for them and they will be fine. Just be there to let them know that they aren't the only ones who have gone throught this. Its up to them to decide how they want to deal with it.....an excuse for failure or a obstacle that WILL be overcome!!
GOOD LUCK
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.. [email protected] ↑ |
| Name: momofangels | Date: Jul 24th, 2006 3:35 AM |
| Hey,try giving your son benadryl for sleep.That was the advice our orthopedic surgeon gave us.My daughter has bilateral club feet,bilaterally dislocated hips and knees,shoulder,elbow,wrist,etc problems.She is severely affected.If anyone wants to talk email me at [email protected] put club feet in subject line. ↑ |
| Name: JamieU | Date: Aug 4th, 2006 6:35 PM |
| My son was just born with a right clubbed foot in April. We had no idea until he was born. After that I found out that my mom, aunt and grandpa had all been born with club foot on their right foot. Me, my sister and my two daughters were all born without it though. My son got his first cast when he was 2 days old. He was very cranky all the time when he had the casts. When he was about 8 weeks old they put the DBB on him. The doctors should have told us that the first day in the DBB would be the worst day of our life!!!! My sons knee and ankle couldn't bend well from being in casts for 8 weeks so every time he moved them he would scream out in pain. The shoes weren't broken in yet and we were still learning to put them on properly so it was like torture to our son. I held my son all day and just cried because it was so horrible. He's been in the DBB well over a month now and everything is great. They don't bother him at all. He even started rolling over this week with the DBB on!!!! I thought it would slow him down but he's a little trooper!!! If you have problems with the brace slipping off try thicker socks. That helped us at first. We couldn't get the buckle part or the shoe laces any tighter but thick socks or two pair of thinner socks helped. Now his foot has grown and he doesn't need the thicker socks though. Good luck to everyone out there. ↑ |
| Name: norah | Date: Aug 9th, 2006 11:47 AM |
| My baby is 7 weeks old and in treatment for club foot. I have 2 other 'normal' kids. They have to get a cast every week for 6 to 8 weeks and then they wear something called a foot abduction brace until they are about 4. She just got her brace yesterday and she is doing well. Also, many have to have their achilles tendon cut. You should look up the Ponsetti method of treatment and find a doctor that specialises in it. It is a pain, but it is the best course of treatment. ↑ |
| Name: norah | Date: Aug 9th, 2006 11:53 AM |
| We didn't put the first cast on until she was one week old. We have a wonderful specialist, and it is very important to get someone very experienced in the specific treatment of club feet. They do much better if you follow the strict Ponsetti treatment and not have surgery. They do cry a lot the first day of the foot brace because their legs are sensitive from beingin the cast. I used Pure Lanolin on my daughter (its what they use for breastfeeding moms in pain) and by the next day she felt a lot better. Still a little fussy, but doing okay. I also propped her up on a pillow with a rolled blanket under her knees to make her sleep more comfortably. she sleeps well that way. ↑ |
| Name: heatherrenee | Date: Oct 11th, 2006 4:35 PM |
My name is Heather. I am the mother of a 10 month old child
born with club feet. I had no idea she had club feet until she was born. She has went through the Ponseti Method to correct
her club feet. I am currently having trouble keeping her DBB
boots on. For the past 3 months she has been kicking her
right boot off just immediately after I put it on her. I have
taken her numerous times to the person who fits her for her
shoes. He has put extra padding in the back of her shoes, but
it hasn't made a difference. She wore the shoes good when she was inactive. Since she has gotten stronger in her legs
and crawling it's been impossible to keep them on. I am getting
very frustrated as well as depressed over the situation. Can
anyone out there please give me some advise and help? I
would really appreciate it. My email address is [email protected]. ↑ |
| Name: deedeesgang | Date: Nov 20th, 2006 6:37 PM |
| My granddaughter Isabella just had her 1st birthday. She was born with Clubfeet. She started treatment at Shriner's hospital when she was 8 days old. Her feet look perfect now. They followed the Ponseti method. Go to yahoogroups.com, and there are groups on their you can join. The info you get is incredible ! ↑ |
| Name: dogsam23 | Date: Nov 22nd, 2006 12:13 AM |
I am expecting my first child on Dec. 8th and we are expecting my child to have a clubbed foot. I live in the Los Angeles area and was wondering if anyone knew of any good Dr.'s out here. I plan to meet with a Dr. at Shriner's which I hear has some incredible Dr.'s but I want to meet with a few if possible.
I must say that I am very suprised to hear how common club feet are. It sounds like depending on the severity, it is very fixable. I think the name itself sound scary that what it really is. Let me know if anyone has any advice and I hope all your little one's are doing well.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
DOGSAM23 ↑ |
| Name: s_mo | Date: Nov 25th, 2006 1:18 AM |
| I am 20 weeks pregnant and just found out at my ultrasound that my baby "might" have club feet. This is my first baby and I am freaking out. The doctor's say that the problem can be corrected, but I still can't stop crying over it, thinking about it, trying to figure out what I did to make it happen. I feel so helpless and don't know what to do. ↑ |
| Name: deedeesgang | Date: Nov 25th, 2006 3:14 AM |
| Just get educated, and I think that will help relive your fears & stress. It is so correctable, and they babies seem to do so well with it all. The key is finding the right doctor and using the right method. ↑ |
| Name: Diannelynne | Date: Jan 15th, 2007 3:06 AM |
Hi , I am guessing your child has been born by now as the dates on the replys that I see are 2005 and it is now jan 2007 . Only you know what you are goin through and how you will choose to deal with the choices in your life that you will have to make . My First born daughter was born with severe bilateral club feet . I had two other daughters that were born without a physical disabilitiy . My first child was born in 1985 , they started casting when she was a week old and had her first surgery at 4 months of age . As she grew she had difficulties with the left foot as one is usually worse than the other . As she had her major growth spurts her left foot would pull up and in and would result in more surgery untill she stopped growing in her teens . My daughter is beautiful you would not know that she went through the things that she did . Most people don't even realize that she has a slight limp but walks fine . She has some pain in her feet and back . Unless you were told or saw her feet you would have no idea . In 2005 she gave birth to her first child , a son who was diagnosed with bilateral club feet . We had a difficult time gettin him in to a specialist dealing with children ( orthapedic surgeon ) as waiting lists are long . Which suprised me as it is not as common or so they say , lol as it was 20 some odd yrs ago . He had the serial casting , and braces and had his first surgery in Nov of 2006 . Now they are suggesting that it is possable that it is mild cerebral palsy , or Idiopathic toe walking . I have mixed feelings in regards to this and will follow up with another medical opinion . I see that you have had lots of responses to your original post but if you would like to chat , i would to . All the best with the joy of raising your child .
To old battles fought and one ↑ |
| Name: christi Lykins | Date: Feb 12th, 2007 8:01 AM |
| I also have a daughter born with clubbed feet, we tried the casting but had no improvement and she had surgery when she was 4 months old. The surgery went wonderful and she is now 14 years old. We have not had to have anymore surgeries, thank god!!! We have never treated her any differently than any other child as she has a "normal" older sister and a "normal younger sister. She has been extremely successful at sports. She has played fastpitch softball(pitcher), basketball and cheerleading. She is now getting to an age though where she is embarrassed of the way her feet look. They are very small in length and very thick and she has scars. I am really not quite sure how to handle this at her age. Teenagers are tuff anyway, if anyone out there has any suggestions?????? ↑ |
| Name: dogsam23 | Date: Feb 12th, 2007 4:00 PM |
Dear Christi,
It's so nice to hear a success story. My son was born with one clubbed foot... his right. We are on his 8th cast and the Dr. says that the progress is "moderate". He will have his surgery at 4 months old.... he is 2 now. I hope it is successful and won't require any more surgeries throughout his life. Wish us luck and thanks for telling your story!
DOGSAM23 ↑ |
| Name: lena | Date: Apr 12th, 2007 8:20 PM |
| dont worry about your babys feet my child was born with both his feet facing the sky he is now two and a half and after one year of cast's and 2 op's his feet are fine he has to have special shoes for bed but he is like any other 2 year old ,when he was born he did not have cast's on straight away he was 6 days old and when he had cast on i could still cuddle he like i did my other children, your child should be perfect no mater where his feet faces ↑ |
| Name: pwheatle | Date: Apr 13th, 2007 3:52 AM |
My five month old has one club foot. I know what you are feeling for sure but you really get used to the casts and then the boots and bar that I assume your baby will wear. My baby's doc has them wear the boots and the bar for a year. My daugter is rolling over now and thus far is not being slowed in her gross motor skills. Good luck.
Tricia ↑ |
| Name: bedazzled | Date: Apr 26th, 2007 5:30 PM |
Hello,
I am new here. I just found out less then 2 hours ago that my grandson is going to be born with a clubbed foot. My daughter in law is almost 5 months pregnant. What I have read here about the foot has eased my mind. We will love him. and care for him as any blessed new addition.
But the ultra sound also showed a cyst on the baby. I don't even know where it is yet, as my husband told me the news and he didn't know either. The doctors are going to check and see if it is cancerous though. I guess my daughter in law had a relative with a clubbed foot, I'm guessing it's hereditary?
Does anyone know of any correlation between the two?
She is going to Pittsburgh for more tests soon. Thankfully, we have a Shriners hospital just blocks away from us.
I was told other worries may be spina bifida.
Do you think she'll have to have an amneosyntesis?
I am probably here prematurely, but I'm a concerned grandma.
I do feel better after reading most of the posts though.
Is it best to cast the baby right away after birth?
Any information will be greatly appreciated! I can be reached at [email protected] please put club foot in the subject.
This is just my start of trying to gather information, and it seems like the best place so far!
Sincere thanks,
Tina
They are going to ↑ |
| Name: feet | Date: Jun 12th, 2007 1:03 PM |
| Name: Pauline | Date: Jun 17th, 2007 7:04 PM |
| I am 39 years old and was born with club feet and am in a lot of pain after years of operations does anyone know any painkillers or treatments that may help me or any doctors that can help me? ↑ |
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