#2 visit and some good news

This last Monday, Hudson had his second cast put on his right foot. I couldn't believe the difference a week makes with just one cast. His right foot already looks totally normal. There was an adjustment to the treatment plan: he would wear only one more cast on the right foot and one cast only on the left foot. After that he would wear braces only at night. Such great news since we were expecting a much longer treatment plan. The braces will be worn until he outgrows the first pair which is usually 6-8 months. I feel like I can actually do this!

Hudson has been such a little trooper having double casts. Of course the first two days were difficult and he cried a lot but now he is doing great. I am hoping the braces won't be too much of a pain at night and he will be able to sleep somewhat comfortably. We go back next week for the fitting of the braces and then should follow up only every 3 months.

Sawing the cast off- we got to keep this cast as a keepsake.

Already the right foot looks so much better and normal too.

Getting a nice full bath since he can only take sponge baths with a cast. He was not a happy camper.

All sacked out on the table getting ready for casting. It was really busy that morning and we had a long wait before the casting was done.

Right leg done first. He screamed the whole time doing both legs. It was pure torture for him and mama.

Getting ready to start the casting on the left foot. This is the protective sleeve put on first before the actual cast.

All done. Looks awful but he is actually doing quite well with it.

How is HE doing?

It's been three full days since Hudson got his first cast. I'll be honest, the first two days sucked. He was very uncomfortable and cried a lot. The first night was spent with lots of cuddling and nursing to keep him somewhat happy. The second night was a bit better (although I found myself crying too...) and last night was pretty much back to normal (except my two year old decided that he wanted to party and stay up ALL night).

This has been tough for me and I'm glad Hudson won't remember this. It probably doesn't help with the post-partum hormones all over the place either. But I do know that any mother watching their baby have to go through pain is heart-wrenching. I'm thankful to know that this treatment plan is expected to be much shorter than the average.

The first of many visits....

Shriner's Hospital- Salt Lake City
How extremely blessed we are to have this facility so close to our home.

On the casting exam table

The casting beginning all the way down from the foot

to his groin area.

All tuckered out. The blanket was given us from Shriner's.

Yesterday was a long, hard, exhausting and emotional day for me. Hudson and I made the first of many visits to Shriner's Hospital to evaluate his feet. I was hoping that all we would need to do would be stretching exercises but I also knew there was a possibility he made need casting as well.

I dropped Ashtyn and Brice off at Grandma's house and made the 40 minute drive to Shriner's Hospital. We met with the pediatric orthopedic doctor, Dr. Hennessey. All of the nurses and doctors there are super friendly and fantastic. It was determined that he has a mild case of right clubbed foot and possible positional club foot on the left side. The treatment plan will probably be about 1 year long which is considerably shorter than the 3 year process for regular club foot patients. There is a 6-8 week casting phase and because Hudson's right foot is considered a mild case, he would start with phase 3. Dr. Hennessey believes it should only be about 2-3 weeks before he completes the casting phase and will move right to bracing. He will wear the braces for approximately 2-3 months, 23 hours/day and then just naps/bedtime. The doctor thinks the left foot will straighten out normally on it's own or just require some stretching exercises. She will re-evaluate the left foot next week to determine if casting will need to be done.

After the initial evaluation, we moved to the casting room. It was about a 10-15 minute process where his right leg/foot is turned at a certain angle and then casted all the way up to his hip. The cast is made of "plaster of paris". This was the hardest part for me since Hudson was extremely upset during the whole process. I didn't want to have a bawl fest in front of the doctors so I waited until I left. I was told that he could be a little fussy because of the pain from the turning of the foot and to give him Tylenol if needed. Sheesh, the poor little guy cried a ton last night and was so miserable. Kenny and I took turns holding him all night so he would be somewhat comfortable. He seems a little happier today now that he is getting used to this big ol' cast on his tiny little leg. We follow-up next week for re-casting of the right leg/foot and possible left leg/foot as well.

This was definitely not the news I wanted to hear but at least the course of treatment will be a lot shorter than a regular club foot patient. I'm purely in survival mode at the moment as I try to figure all of this out, but once we get adjusted to this new transition, things should hopefully be a bit smoother.

Clubbed foot.... or not?

That was the big question for us right after Hudson was born. And yes, the feet were turned in, but not as drastic as we thought they would be. We visited with the pediatrician the next morning, and much to our surprise, he did not think that Hudson had clubbed feet. He thought that his feet would turn out normally with some stretching exercises. Wow, a huge burden had just been lifted off my shoulders.

Fast forward to his two week check-up. Shriner's Hospital had called that morning prior to the 2 week check-up to see what the status was on the referral. I told them I was meeting with the pediatrician that afternoon to discuss what we wanted to do next and would call back if we decided to proceed with the evaluation. The doctor is still not overly concerned about his feet but was fine with going forward with an evaluation at Shriners. The pediatrician's initial diagnosis is metatarsus adductus- where the forefoot is twisted inwards relative to the hindfoot (or heel). This is usually caused from being "packed" in the womb in that position.

What's next? We have our first appt at Shriner's this coming Monday, 9/19, in the newborn- club foot clinic. Time is of essence since the sooner the babies can receive treatment, the better the outcome. Anxious... yes, but at peace knowing he will be receiving the best care.

Introducing...

Hudson Blaze Favero born on 8/31/11 @ 1:24 p.m.

7 lbs 10 oz and 21 inches long