Kolby's Club Feet Part 1

I started writing this post last August. I want to finish it. Someday. Even as I read through it today, I cried. Not out of sorrow. But out of the reminder that God is good. He has brought Kolby through so much in such a short 4 years.

Tomorrow is Kolby's birthday.

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Here I am checking out my sweet babe for the first time. I'm pretty sure at this point, I was saying his feet look clubbed. I was right.

Our little Bo at home within the first week. We used this picture as one for his birth announcement and took the opportunity to tell friends and family about Kolby's club feet. We also thought that this was probably the way he sat in the womb. Which also explained why I didn't feel kicks but more pushes.

Kolby is 6 days old getting his first set of casts. We went to Yale New Haven Hospital expecting the best, top of the line care. I believe, had we stayed with that doctor and his care, Kolby would not be the same little boy as today. This doctor claimed to practice the Ponseti method. We had researched the Ponseti method and knew it is the best, most non-invasive treatment of club foot. And it is proven. This doctor assured us that he practiced Ponseti's method. He told us he still treats the same patients, 18 years later. (Um, yikes) Then he started manipulating Kolby's feet. Kolby screamed. He applied casts up to Kolby's knee. The Ponseti method talks about applying the cast to the thigh to ensure that it doesn't slip and cause further damage. As we questioned him and I cried as my 6 day old screamed and had casts applied, he looked at me, looked at Drew and said "See why we don't put casts all the way up the thigh?" As if to say, the mothers can't handle it. We spent time talking to the resident. When asked the question, "Would you bring your own child here for treatment?" He said "No." (Um, huge yikes!) Most likely, Kolby would have seen a different resident and a different doctor every visit resulting in inconsistent care and probably surgery with a lifetime of pain and problems.

Here is Dr. Thomson our beloved doctor at Connecticut Children's Hospital in Harford, CT. This is the first time that Dr. Thomson applied Kolby's casts. He was so good with Kolby and with me. So much more gentle. Each and every time they gave me sugar water to dip Kolby's passy into. It helped sometimes and others not so much but at least I could do something besides watch my babe scream. They kept his diaper off so they could get the cast nice and high. As a side not, we drove 45 minutes each way to see him. Most of the visits were me, Sage and Kolby. It was hard, it took our whole day, it caused us to eat out for lunch and pay for parking. I would do it all over again in an instant.

First set of correct casts.

What a difference one week makes in the right kind of correction. After taking off the casts, which they did by soaking them, Kolby's feet and legs were so tender. We were extra careful holding him while we waited for Dr. Thomson. And he was extra careful as he applied the new casts. I remember one time a resident coming to look at how Kolby's feet and he grabbed it normally and twisted it around. As Kolby immediatly began screaming. And Dr. Thomson calmly explained the amount of pain that he had just caused my little one. The resident quickly apologized. I don't think we saw him again.