ok, where to start. Yesterday was physio day again. we'll start with the cast removal and testing...

The cast removal was pretty standard for a fibreglass cast, they used the saw connected to a vacuum, she was really good about it, even though she was a little afraid of the noise she just let them do it. once we got to wash the stinky feet she got to hop down and have a walk around.... and she was pretty much FLAT footed. most of the steps she took were heal toe, which nearly made me cry, before the casting the best we could get was flat straight down, never heal toe. the casting had done what it was supposed to. she could even, for the first time in her life, stand flat footed and bend over and look at me between her legs. it was amazing! i didnt realise how much she couldnt do till now. because she was always on her toes, she would get off balance if she tried to bend over like that. now she can play tunnel ball!

next came the testing. they got charlotte to lay on her stomach like last time, and pushed her toes up towards her knees and used their little instrument to see how much range of motion she had, and she had gained 15 degrees in one week! it was amazing, totally worth it. hearing that she had made so much progress was just what i needed to keep me strong for the next week of casting, maybe even her last week depending on how well this one goes.

Then we had to re cast. this time it was a more uncomfortable one for charlotte, she had to wait for what seemed like half an hour for all the extra padding to be put in place, then the casting was more uncomfortable and tighter. they pushed her foot to it's limit, and it looked painful, then hold it there untill the cast had set. my poor little girl was laying there, clearly in discomfort, and i  couldnt do anything about it, i had actually taken her there to get it done...

So now, Charlotte has purple casts, that hold her toes off the ground, she is litterly being forced to walk on her heals. and the count down begins again... while i was at the physio i asked again how common this condition is, as i have been continually told that it is quite common, and was promptly told that the paediatric physio does on average 4 per YEAR! at a teaching hospital, they only do 4 a year... how common is that? to me i would say it's rare. the treatment is done for club feet aswell, so those 4 they do a year is for toe walking, and club feet put together.... talk about misinformation. no wonder i cant find anyone else who has had to do this