May 2009
On May 4th, Lia turned 11 months old and became cast free.
The noisy sawing and removal of the cast was traumatic for
poor Lia, and emotional for me. In those first moments
unbound, Lia seemed vulnerable and tiny and so very
beautiful. She tentatively touched her legs, as if
discovering them for the first time, and looked at me for
reassurance. The nurses quickly placed a large pillow
under and between her legs to hold her in the splayed
position and she was whisked into radiology for x-rays of
her hips. Fortunately everything looked great and she was
ready to be fit with braces.
Lia now wears a Lorenz brace on her hips and a Ponseti-Mitchell
brace and shoes for her feet. For the next three months,
until she has her follow-up with Dr. Morcuende on July 27,
she’ll be wearing this gear 23 hours each day, 7 days a
week. After her follow-up, she’ll start reducing hours and
by the time she is walking, she’ll need it only while
sleeping. Walking is a natural stretch for the feet and
the likelihood of a relapse decreases with time.
As if cast removal was not exciting enough, the day
unfolded with several other wonderful moments and visits
with special people. It was my hope to meet Dr. Ponseti,
the 94 year old retired surgeon who created this method of
correcting club feet, during one of our visits to Iowa. He
happened to be in clinic that morning and asked to see Lia.
For 30 minutes or so, Dr. Ponseti and I discussed music,
the composer Dvorak, the cellist Pablo Casals, Lia’s
adoption and then he examined Lia’s feet and reviewed her
hip x-rays. He is truly an elegant, gentle, and caring
man. Fortunately, Dr. Morcuende is equally skilled, gentle
and caring and is transforming lives just as his mentor
has done throughout his life. We adore him and Nurse Maria
and feel so fortunate that Lia has been their patient.
Coincidentally, two other families with children adopted
from China were also in clinic for follow-up visits,
including a seven year old girl whose severe clubfoot were
corrected at the age of three by Dr. Ponseti. Reading the
account her mother wrote about this sweet girl’s
successful treatment with serial casting and no surgery
after another orthopedist had said she may need amputation
one day was one of the compelling stories that influenced
our decision to go to Iowa City.
That afternoon my dear friend, Joy, arrived from Kansas
City, a ten hour round trip, to spend several hours with
Lia and me. I was so grateful to see her and enjoy her
companionship for a few hours. With each trip to Iowa
City, not only has Lia been given treatment that will
enable her to enjoy complete and pain free mobility, but
we have been surrounded by loving and supportive friends
and family who are sharing this journey with us.
Perhaps it was simply a coincidence, but I could swear
that during those first few days of “mobility,” Lia made
major milestones in all areas of development. She gave her
first official bye bye wave the day her cast came off.
During our trip home, she learned the phrase “funny face”
and would scrunch up her little eyes, nose and mouth each
time I said it. It’s so cute and goofy that I laugh until
I cry when she does it.
In addition, she has started saying da da, wa wa, and mum
mum mum. She loves giving kisses, and will wave hi and bye
on command. Although her legs are very weak and she isn’t
weight bearing at all, she is delighted to kick them
around, pull her feet up to her mouth, pull her socks off,
and wiggle. On her tummy she can prop herself up for
several minutes at a time and will use her arms to pull
backwards and in circles but has not yet figured out how
to combine these actions with her legs and feet. Within a
week back at home, she gained core strength and balance
and she now sits independently quite well. Each day she
seems stronger and more excited by her new skills.
A team of early intervention experts visited our home and
evaluated Lia on all aspects of development. We are
delighted to hear that she is right on target
developmentally in all areas except gross motor. Although
she still needs time to recover strength and discover
mobility on her own terms, we plan to have a physical
therapist work with her in a few months to ensure she
develops well. In the meantime, we’re just enjoying this
new stage and marveling at all the challenges and changes
she has so beautifully adapted to in her first year of
life.
|
Final Cast Removal
Moments After Cast Removal
Lia’s New Gear
Our Beloved Clubfoot Team
Daddy, Frog, and Me
Should I Touch It?
Martinelli Stroller Perfect for Spica Cast and Hip Brace |
