To Plae or Not to Plae?

We've had our GoPlae shoes for a couple weeks now.

I hear of parents who are able to find cheap shoes for their kiddos' AFOs, and well, I've never had much luck with that.  They don't seem to be deep enough to fit the AFO, they slip off the heel, or they won't fasten over the AFO.  I searched high and low for a shoe to fit Kaison's teeny footsies, to no avail!  He is a size 5, and most shoes that small have Velcro fasteners, which aren't long enough.

So, since our PT recommended these, we gave them a whirl!  I'll be honest, I didn't find the website incredibly dumb user friendly :)   It took longer than I had anticipated to navigate it.  And then to figure out how to use the Tab Lab, well, don't even get me started.  BUT, they do offer live chat assistance, and "Marla" helped me tons!

I chose the style that seemed deepest because of Kaison's thick feet, and then chose 1.5 sizes above his shoe size.

Next I went to the Tab Lab and chose an extra pair of tabs in size Large.  Really, the longer tabs are one of the things that make this shoe so awesome!  Well, that and the fact that they are feather lite!!  Oh, and kinda adorable!

I was so excited when the shoes arrived, I couldn't wait to try them on him!  At first I didn't think I'd get the AFO into the shoe, even though it is more than an inch longer than his foot.  Alas, I remembered the trick of pulling the insole out!  I was able to gently stretch the shoe over the AFO, and Kaison has been on the move ever since!

This is the Ty in the color Fire.  If this shoe wears well, I will order them again!  With two in AFOs, I look for ease, quality and light weight.  Oh, and style, when possible!  I think I've found all four in GoPlae!

Check them out here: GoPlae

Happy walking!

A New Journey

 We are embarking on a new journey.  New for us.  Many have gone before us, and we are so thankful for their experience and wisdom.

These tiny feet get so many kisses!

Several years ago when we were going through the 'checklist' of medical special needs we thought we could handle in the adoption process, we added clubfoot to the growing list.  That never came to pass, until our newest treasure, who has bilateral clubfoot (BCF) and hip dysplasia, probably related to spina bifida (SB).

As a bit of background, on August 24, our little man underwent a lumbar spinal detether and debulking.  He has a lipoma that extended into his spinal column.  Our neurosurgeon didn't know exactly what he'd find in terms of the nerves, until he went in.  If the nerves were entangled in the lipoma, the outcome wouldn't be as good, and there would be more risk of damage.  

Fortunately, the nerves ran through the lipoma and the nerve endings came through the bottom of it, so Dr. M was able to remove the bulk of the lipoma that was against the spine and secure the integrity of the nerves!

Post-op recovery went better than expected, except 24 hours after discharge we were readmitted for infection.  The complications resulted in five weeks in and out of the hospital to treat the infection with IV antibiotics and finally a reaction to the antibiotics.

We are home now, and little man is doing amazing!  He's slowly regaining the strength he had prior to surgery, and he may have increased sensation in his legs and feet as a result of releasing the spinal cord!

But that's not the 'new' part.  We've been through that with another of our treasures.

Isn't she darling!

The new journey will begin this Friday.  Phase I in treatment of BCF for our treasure is serial casting.

Our orthopedic surgeon saw him while he was still in the hospital and would have begun casting then, but he still had the rash, so that wasn't an option.  We're experienced serial-casting parents :), but not with casts that go mid to upper thigh.

I decided to blog the series of castings to chronicle the treatment and outcome just in case my memory fails me.  

As I said, we are so grateful for other parents who have gone before us!  They have offered so much encouragement and wisdom as we begin this six-week journey right into December!

Life is chaotic and messy here, but it is life, and it is good, and I wouldn't change it for anything.  I don't take anything for granted.  I trust the Father, who has given life and given purpose.

We aren't scared, and we don't feel tied down.  We are incredibly blessed to have so much sweetness in our lives.

Whatever is heavy on your heart today, I'd like to encourage you that worrying won't change anything for the better.  Seek the best resources, build relationships, love well, and trust the Father.  Nothing escapes Him.  Not.one.thing.  And remember, that no matter how busy you are, it is well worth your time to stop and smell the roses.

TO GOD BE ALL GLORY!