PT, Pediatric Orthopedic dr, and Orothotist appointments....

I took Ethan to the orothotist today (leg brace Dr) as he has been complaining that his brace hurts. He takes off his leg brace as his first opportunity... especially in the car when he knows Mommy can't reach him to stop him. The orothotist said that he is definitely outgrowing his leg brace and stretched it to give him a couple more months of use. They are so good to him at the office.

His physical therapist (pt), Cece, is new to him for about 2 months. His previous pt left to get married and moved out of state. The first day Cece saw him she asked me if he was going through or has gone through a growth spurt recently. I said yes and that all his shirts are becoming belly shirts on him. She said he is really high on his toe. She attempted to stretch him but didn't get much results. She said his leg is really tight. She went back to her office and got this machine. It is called an EPTS tens 1000. (electro point tens stimulator) She used it on him for about 10 minutes. Ethan didn't even know what she was doing. She kept telling him it was a tickle machine. After 10 minutes it had relaxed him to the point where she could get a thorough stretch from him. She put his leg brace back on and he walked flat foot (no toes) for the rest of the day. Can we say Holy Cow! The next couple of visits, once a week, she continued to use it with the same results. I told her that I didn't want to, but was afraid it was coming down to it, that I was going to have to serial cast him again this year. Every growth spurt makes his leg tight. I asked if she could write down exactly what the EPTS is so I could go to Ethan's Pediatric Orthopedic doctor the following week to ask for a script. She wrote it all down for me. My occupational therapist, OT, even began using the EPTS on his hand and thumb with great results. This machine is golden! (I can also use it on Evan when he comes home. She even showed me that it works on pressure points, like accupuncture, and used it on me. She put it on the pressure point for calming someone. I had to admit it worked.)

I went to his Pediatric Orthopedic Dr last week. She said he is extremely tight. She said my options are serial casting again or Botox shots. I told her about the EPTS unit from the PT and the results I've seen. I asked if she could/would write me a script. She said she will with the understanding that I will return in 3 months time (October). If there is no results from the EPTS then I will either serial cast or Botox shot him. She said she saw Ethan three months ago and she could get his foot/ankle 10 degrees past neutral. She said today she could barely get him to neutral position. She didn't want him to get so tight that he can't walk or our only option is surgery. I agreed. Right now I am fighting with the insurance company to get the EPTS unit. Please pray that all goes well and we get the machine. Another positive aspect with this unit is I can use it on a daily basis so even when Ethan goes through a growth spurt I/we are not set back to serial casting. (serial casting was done last summer with huge results. the process is the pediatric Dr stretches his foot as far as it will go without pain then immediately cast it in that position. We return 4-6 weeks later. They cut off the cast, wash the leg, immediate stretch the foot further then previously and immediately recast it in the new position. We wait 4-6 weeks again then they cut it off. The results are positive and the foot stays flat/level for many months or until another growth spurt. The process is painful, at times, and he gets a "charley horese" from time to time. I demaned pain medicine for such times or no serial casting. The dr was nice enough to agree. Thankfully we used very little pain medicine. I just didn't want to put him through that again. We definitely don't want to do Botox at this time or even last time. Long story and even more painful than serial casting.)

The orothotist (leg brace Dr) that we saw today wanted to make him a new brace today but after I told him about the EPTS unit he said there is no point in making a new brace. He said if he gets serial casted then after cast is removed then he will have to make new leg brace for new foot position. He then stretched the leg brace and said to come back if either the EPTS worked and he'd make a new brace or after serial casting when he wouldn't have an option but to make him a new leg brace.

Please pray for Ethan that he gets the EPTS unit and that he is successful with it. Please, please pray for this.