Adventures in Serial Casting

This blog entry should have published last Wednesday, the 10th but didn't for some unknown reason

So, the last time I updated about this was the morning before I went back to have the first lot of casts removed.

Those had been on for three days and when they were removed I had a small increase in the range of motion in my ankles - approximately five degrees which was described by the physio as small but I think actually is quite good.

I also had a substantially improved foot position, especially in my left foot as although both of my feet had turned in my left was the worst.  Ever since then I keep catching site of that foot and thinking it looks wrong and really weird to see it in a normal position.  I can't remember the last time it was like that.  You know you've got CP when...

I was put back into a second set of casts which were removed four days later (as they were on over the weekend).  I got on better with those although I did have a blind panic moment late on the Saturday night when my foot started hurting and I convinced myself that my toes were going a funny colour.  My parents came round and we decided it was OK to wait and see until the morning.  I could wiggle my toes as much as I always could, they weren't cold and when my mum pinched them they went white and immediately back to normal when she let go.  I still don't know what caused the pain (my physio had a really good look when she took them off but couldn't spot anything) but it had gone Sunday morning.  I'd been caught in the drizzle earlier that day and wonder if a touch of the dye on the cast shoes had ran onto my toes but I guess I'll never know.

When the casts were removed it was obvious I'd had no further improvement which was disheartening.  The physios (it takes at least two to do casting) got me up in a standing frame for a bit and then doing some walking.

There was some discussion about finding out if I'm a candidate for another tendon release on my ankle but I made it very clear that even if surgically it's an option for me (having had it done twice as a child there is a question mark over that I believe), it's not really one I'm prepared to consider.  If it comes to the point they think it needs more than mentioning in passing I'll go and discuss it but it would take a lot of convincing to get me to agree.

I asked if it was worth putting more casts on just to give it another shot and the answer to that was basically they didn't have time then as my appt time was nearly up.  I was told that if my feet had deteriorated by the time I went back later in the week they would recast me to ensure I maintained the improvement I'd had and asked to do as much standing and walking as possible before I returned.

I did absolutely loads of standing.  Not a level I can maintain regularly but I definitely gave it my best shot.