Talipes Information and Parental Support Group

Cheyenne's Story

Date:    21 May 1999
From:   "Melissa D. Braddock" <braddockm@uthscsa.edu>

Hi, I'd like to share our story and some tips that might comfort other families dealing with club foot. I was 20 weeks pregnant when my prenatal sonogram showed both feet to be clubbed. My OB sent me to a genetic specialist to rule out possible chromosome problems. I did not know at the time I had a maternal uncle born with talipes. The aminio (the waiting period was cruel) showed everything to be normal. I searched for information on club foot. I ended up at our medical school's library reading medical books with terms that scared me. I wish I knew about this website then. I really had no worries. I was told by the doctors (OB, genetic specialist, pediatrician) that talipes was very common and correctable.

It was the minute she was born that really hit me. I did not want anyone (other than professionals) to see her feet. I was not going to satisfy ignorant people's (including family and friends) curiosity. I was not ashamed of her feet at all. Just the annoyance of ignorant others.
She was casted the next morning; wore them for 6 weeks (changed weekly) until the doctor decided she needed surgery. The casts were a plus with the day care. She got special attention (more liked spoiled rotten).

We planned surgery at 7 months. Poor baby was diagnosed with asthma around that time and had an episode so we has to post pone. Next schedule was at 9 months - again asthma episode. She finally had surgery last January. We had to do it twice. The first was her right foot. The doctor found she was missing an ankle joint that moves the foot side to side. It took him long to find it. With her asthma history, he didn't want to keep her under too long. We went back two weeks later for the left foot. Same thing, only half the joint was missing.

Casts (plaster), up to the top of her thighs, were worn for 3 months (changed every month). The annoying ignorance came back. I got over the hiding of the feet part about a month after she was born. I think if I forgot about it, others didn't notice kind of thing. But I did not experience any cruel people (thinking I abused my child or something), just the curious ones. I refer to them as ignorant which is unkind of me, because a lot of the inquiring ones were very nice. I just got tired of repeating myself. I figured if people had to ask then they probably aren't smart enough to comprehend the medical reason so I played off my answer with, "She had surgery to correct her crooked feet." Then when your are in a crowd of people and they ask one by one, I wished they would just group together so I can say it once. Then if I was in a rotten mood, and someone clearly ignorant asking just to ask (a few encounters with young men probably without children of their own), I would say, "She wouldn't stop crying one day so I pushed her down the stairs." I would get a laugh with their reaction. I guess it is hard for me because I would not approach someone, in my situation, and ask them what people ask me.

A tip for bathing -- get a shower hose that attaches to the bathtub faucet. Buy small trash can bags. Put over each cast and tape (masking tape) as high above the cast as possible tightly around the leg. The shower hose makes it nice because you can rinse and move it away without it being direct or having the cast immerged in water.

We got out of casts May 4, 1999. She stared with the brace (shoes attached to 12" bar) at night. She had done great with them. The first night was rough, but soon after she figured out how to flip over. And a couple of times she has slipped one foot out of a shoe. We put them (my husband puts on shoes, I hold her in lap or lay with her on sofa) when she is ready for "night, night." She's been great. We are told we have to wear them for 3-4 months.
I am wondering when she might start walking. She will be 16 months at the end of this month, June. She tries to stand, but you can tell it is uncomfortable. How long does it usually take? I know every child is different.

I want to tell new parents to relax. It has been 16 months for us, but the time flew by. She was crawling and standing up on her feet prior to surgery. She probably would have started walking on the sides of her feet. She knew nothing to be wrong. She is our special angel. Through your child's strength you will get yours. The curious, ignorant friends/family members will get used to your child’s feet so don't let that get to you for long (if it does). Every non-curious person I have encountered that was either born with club foot, has a child born with club foot or has known someone with club foot has mentioned that the child was athletic. That is interesting with me, and gives me much reassurance. I heard Kristi Yamaguchi (the olympic gold metalist ice skater) was born with club foot. I don't know it to be true, but isn't that hopeful if it is. A friend of my sister recently told my sister that she had corrective surgery for talipes (in the early sixties). An old boyfriend that she lived with for 4 years (not too long ago) never knew. He never noticed scars. So what may seem devastating now, will clear up for you in no time.
Good luck!

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