Clubbed Feet Update

The Clubbed Feet Journey Continues

A couple weeks ago, we drove to Phoenix to visit Tobias's orthopedic doctor over at Phoenix Children's Hospital.  We need to see that doctor every 6 months so he can keep an eye on how Tobias's feet are looking.  My hopes for that appointment was to get his time in his braces and bar dropped to 12 hours a day.  He currently wears them for 14 hours a day.  For those of you who do not know, 12 hours a day is the least amount of time a clubbed foot child wears their shoes so that is the ultimate goal.

After the doctor assessed him he did decide to leave him in 14 hours for another 6 months.  I was disappointed, but I know it is best for him.  I had a brain fart and didn't ask him why, but we are assuming it is because he is not walking yet. Supposedly when a child is walking, that helps keep their feet corrected.  Constantly putting pressure while walking helps keep them straight. 

He also said Tobias has something called Metatarsus Adductus.  It is when his toe curves in, so his foot isn't completely straight.  I was not surprised when his doctor mentioned this because I have done my fair share of research on clubbed feet and noticed myself that his feet were looking like that condition.  That being said, not all kids who have clubbed feet get MA.  The doctor was not concerned and it s a condition that doesn't usually affect balance or walking, from what I understood.  Only time will tell how it affects him.  Since that diagnoses, I did do some more research and found that one hassle it causes is pain in the feet while wearing shoes.  So that means we will probably have to get wide sized shoes for Tobias.  But since I have fat feet, I already knew that would be a possibility. LOL.

I linked a couple images below to show what MA is.  I definitely think Tobias has more of a mild case...

Here are some images of Tobias's feet.  You can definitely see that his toe does turn in.
If you ask me, it looks more turned in when he curls his toes or doesn't have his foot relaxed.  I also think his left foot looks a little more severe than his left. 

(Right Foot)

(Left Foot)

(Right Foot)

(Left Foot)

I did reach out to a facebook group I am in, and a couple moms have said to get a second opinion because their doctor wasn't concerned.  But when they got a second opinion, that doctor wanted to recast and do the tendon release surgery to help straighten the foot out.  :(. So right now I am stumped on what to do.  It is times like this that I wish we lived in a larger city with multiple doctors.  I selfishly don't feel like dragging the whole family back up to Phoenix for another 3 hour drive to talk to a new doctor. Since baby brother is coming in less than 2 months, we are really crunched for time.  A part of me wants to just wait and see if this affects him, but then the other half of me is worried that if I wait I will regret it.   

We also brought up that Tobias still turns his right foot out while standing and walking.  The doctor hopes that over time it will turn in like normal, once he is walking on it a lot more.  He also drags that same foot when he is walking while tired, but the doctor also didn't show any concern about that.  I guess we all walk a little sloppy when we get tired...

All in all, it was a good appointment.  In the end he didn't get more time out of his boots and bar, but his feet look awesome.  He still has great flexibility in his feet, which is wonderful and important because that still means no surgery on his achilles.  

Thanks for taking the time to read about our Clubbed Foot Cutie!!!