Zoey Visits the Orthotist

I took Zoey to have her foot and leg fitted for her brace today. She was such a little trooper. Her leg was casted to make a mold so that they can make her brace. She cried when the cast was cut off and I don't blame her because it was pretty scary to have that blade so close to her leg. The guy was very nice to her and was very touched to hear that she had just been adopted. At the end of the visit, he gave her a balloon and then told me to wait a minute while he ran to the back and got a second balloon. He thought it was cool that he was the first to give her a mylar balloon and wanted to show her what would happen if you let one go. He had an old left-over Christmas balloon, so we went outside and he helped her let it go. He was more excited than she was. She kept looking at the balloon, then looking at him anxiously. I think she was worried that he would cry about losing his balloon!

Her brace will be a molded plastic that will go all the way up to her knee. This will not do anything to help her leg length difference (which is about two inches). The brace is to try to bring her foot under her leg as much as possible--rather than being totally sideways like it is now. The ligaments are tight, so they can't pull it all the way under her to make it straight, but it will be better than it is now. After they get her fitted with the brace, they are hoping to add a lift of some type to her shoe to help with the leg length. He said it is taking a tremendous amount of energy for her to walk with her longer leg bent so far. He was pretty amazed at how well she walks, though. That's our girl! I told him how she runs, climbs, and jumps off the furniture and he was quite surprised. He told me I might not like how much easier it is for her to be mobile after she has her brace and shoe lift! I will just be glad to not see her struggle.

Sitting patiently in the waiting room.

I just can't smile with this thing on my leg.

All done and ready to go home!
While I was there (an hour away from home) my cell phone rang with the news that Molly had thrown up on the playground at school. ARGH! She was home all last week with a stomach ache and a bad cold. I couldn't believe she was sick again! Enough with the stomach flu!! Taylor was babysitting and he called a friend who was kind enough to go pick Molly up so that she didn't have to wait an hour for me to get there. Thank you, Susie!!

Kate's heart catheterization is Friday and I am praying, praying that she doesn't get the flu. She has had a bad cold with a 102 fever for two days but seems slightly better today. She can't have a fever the day of the heart cath, so we are praying about that, too.