Tiny Feet

Libbie has the sweetest little feet ever... Well... Hoots are still pretty sweet too. When we met her in China I could not believe how tiny her feet were. I have shoes that probably won't fit her until she's 18! Her little foot is in a size 5 with her braces. If she were able to walk without braces she would only be in a size 3-4 at best. One of the common conditions of arthrogryposis is tiny feet. I love to rub her legs and feet after a bath and she enjoys it too. She is very ticklished and her feet are very sensitive, but she loves her feet rubbed. We've been on the surgery waiting list with Shriners since June. We are so thankful to the Shriners for taking such great care of our family. The Shriners are a wonderful organization that truly gives back to the community in a BIG BIG financial way. We have been blown away by what we have learned about the Shriners. I was hoping Libbie wouldn't undergo her first surgery until after her birthday and her first Christmas home... BUT... we received the letter last week that states Libbie is scheduled for surgery in late November. We visited Shriners yesterday and learned all about the upcoming surgeries... not fun. She will have surgery on her left foot first because it's the more affected foot. Libbie will have external pins that will be tightened after 6 weeks when her cast comes off. At that time they will put the left foot in a boot, mold her foot for a new AFO and perform the surgery on her right foot!! For 12 weeks she can not bear weight on her feet. This is going to be tough on our busy bee. I am so thankful that the pins will be under the casts so we won't have to worry with bumping them. Thank you Good Lord. The goal of the surgeries is not so that she can wear point shoes for ballet... but that her foot will fit in normal shoes with AFO's. Our doctor also told us that she will be able to walk barefoot for a couple hours a day while at home. This is awesome news, because at this point she can't walk at all without the AFO's. I know the procedure is going to be difficult, but I think about the freedom she's going to have once it's all over and that brings me comfort.