January 29, 2015 "Casting #1"

Michael and I took Rayden to get his intial casts on today. We did not know what to expect. We were filled with worry and fear. The last thing we wanted was pain for Rayden. Dr. Narotam is a wonderful Pediatric Orthopaedic. He explained the entire process to us and then met Rayden.

Clubfoot is the result of muscle and connective tissue imbalance in the lower leg and foot. The tendons on the inside and back of the foot are too short. The foot is pulled such that the toes point down and in, and it is held in this position by the shortened tendons. The foot is stiff and the calf muscle is generally small. In order to help Rayden be ready to walk Dr. Narotam would need to stretch his feet with a series of casts that remain on his legs for about a week at a time, on average four to six casts are required. The position and timing of each cast is intended to stretch and rotate the feet into a proper position. He may even have to release the Achilles tendons to allow the feet to assume their normal position. This is typically performed in the clinic as an outpatient surgery. A final cast would then be placed for about a month to allow the tendons to heal. Once that cast is removed, Rayden will be fitted for shoes that have a connecting metal bar between them.

Before he began Dr. Narotam asked if we had taken pictures of Rayden's feet. He said we will never believe the transformation. (Of course, I had taken pictures, haha!) He was so gentle and kind with Rayden. The entire casting process took about 20 minutes. I held Rayden's hands to prevent him from getting the plaster all over himself. Michael held one leg while the doctor and his assistant worked on the other. The amazing thing is that Rayden did not cry a bit! He acted as if nothing was happening. He is such an amazing little fellow!!!