We made it!

5 months.
22 weeks.
153 days.
June 21-November 14.

What a journey we've been on the last 5 months, (well, 6 years, really).
Though we're not done yet, we are blessed to be where we are today.

Josiah got his cast removed this morning.
Here's the last "cast shot"
He's happy that he won't have to use this Aqua Sock anymore (which is super cool by the way! You put it on, pump the air out of it, and it creates a water-tight seal enabling the cast-wearer to completely submerge the cast under water! Buy them here: http://www.ithacasports.com/wacaco1.html)

He had been getting around on the cast better and better.
I meant to post about this, but forgot.
For the first 3 weeks, he only walked using his walker. He was so stubborn! I knew he didn't need it, but it was a mental thing.
Here he is even using it on the playground!
He put it up there, climbed up, and then pushed it down the slide so it'd be waiting for him at the bottom. (I refused to help him... tough love... trying to get him to go without it).
After Dr. Nelson questioned Josiah about why he was still using the walker, Josiah decided he didn't need it after all. :) Lol...
He began to nearly run around the house without the walker, and was stoked to discover he could ride a Big Wheel at my moms. (He could have ridden his actual bike, but it was flat).


Here is Josiah with Dr. Nelson (our hero!)
He had literally just returned from Haiti (the night before). This is Dr. Nelson's blog (where he describes what he's up to over there). It is heart-warming and heart-wrenching at the same time. I can't imagine all he sees and experiences there. I wish I could help somehow. How blessed we are to be living in the states! My heart goes out to those living in such dire conditions and I thank God for Dr. Nelson, and others like him, who give of their talent, time, and resources, sacrificing their own comfort, health, and family-time to serve others so selflessly.
May God bless them abundantly!

We didn't have to wait very long to be seen today. I know better now & got the 1st appointment of the day... it just gets busier & busier there.
Josiah yelled a bit when they cut the cast off. He was really scared that it was going to hurt him, but it didn't and it was over quickly. He was not able to walk on it, so I had to carry him out of there (gonna break my back!).

Here it is in all its filthy, stinky, stiff glory:


BEFORE:

AFTER:


You can see how much the inside of the left foot has been stretched out to the left (right side of picture)... It's SO straight! If you compare the left to his right foot (left in picture) you can see the curve on the inside of the R foot. It's not severe, anymore, by any stretch of the imagination, but can see the difference between the corrected & uncorrected now.

What's "funny" to me is that when "relaxed" right now, his right foot falls in and his left foot falls out. They used to point towards each other.

The left foot is currently "over corrected," which is what we want. Clubfoot tendons want to tighten up and pull the foot back in (always)... so they over-correct to fight against that.
It won't stay that way, but the goal is to get it straight, and maintain the stretch as best we can.


Here he is in his first "normal" bath in many months (with Ava who "had" to join in)

Clean (wrinkly) feet & legs!






He is ecstatic to be done with the fixator & cast, but realizes that it's going to take time & effort to get his foot functioning again. It is super stiff and very tender.
Praise the Lord for his faithfulness to us these past 5 months, and praise God for Dr. Nelson & his team!

Next up... PHYSICAL THERAPY!