This poor girl has bad feet. The worst in fact. After battling debilitating pain for 8 months, lots and lots of hours of research (both me and the surgeon) we decided to move forward with this massive surgery to rebuild her foot. This is how is went down.
I kept a timeline / journal in case someone else had to have this dreadful surgery and needs a reference. We went into this fairly blindly because there just wasn't much information or other patients experience with this surgery, especially on someone her age. Unfortunately, we are headed down the same path with HC's left foot and we will have this to reference.
Hassie Clare’s Flat Foot
Reconstruction Surgery (right foot)
10 years old – end of 4th grade
·
September
2016 – after several months of pain/discomfort (mostly when exercising) on the
inside on her right foot we took her to an orthopedic specialist. There was a visible
“bump” on the inside of her foot near her arch. It was swollen and inflamed. He
diagnosed her as having Accessory Navicular Syndrome (an extra bone in her
foot) and recommended better tennis shoes. After 2 weeks, her pain increased
significantly and he put her in a boot and referred us to Dr. David Richardson,
another orthopedic surgeon that specializes in feet. After checking around with multiple folks in the medical community, we realized quickly that he was the very best ortho doc for feet.
We were hopeful that the $150 specialty shoes from Fleet Feet would do the trick! If only.
September 13, 2016
- 1st appt with Dr. Richardson. Agreed with diagnosis of Accessory Navicular Syndrome and stated her foot was extremely flat. Wanted to tackle this aggressively. Put her in a walking cast for 6 weeks. Cast was changed out every 2 weeks. She continued to practice volleyball and tennis with cast on.
Quinn's personal touch
November 23,
2016
·
Removed
cast and put her in a boot for 3 weeks with 3 physical therapy visits and a
return visit to check progress in 5 weeks. She continued to play tennis and
practice volleyball with the boot on. Competed in the 10u state tennis tournament in her boot
and went undefeated in doubles with her twin sister. She is a determined little girl!
Stupid boot won't stop her!
December 28,
2016
·
Hassie
Clare was doing well. Released her to full activity and instructed her to go
back in her boot for 1-2 days if her foot flared up or she felt any pain.
January 2017
·
She
continued playing competitive volleyball and started wearing her boot 1-2 days
a week and icing after practices and games. Pain was escalating as the month
went on.
February
2017
·
She
continued playing competitive volleyball Friday through Monday every week. By
now, she was wearing her boot 5 days a week during school. Her pain was constant
and preventing her from enjoying daily activities. She hopped and crawled
around a lot at home. She begged for ice buckets once or twice a day. We were also giving her 200mg of Advil twice
a day, a multi vitamin and extra potassium and calcium.
March 1,
2017
·
Returned
to Dr. Richardson and he sent her for an MRI and CT scan of her right foot.
March 10,
2017
·
OV
with Dr. Richardson to go over possible treatment plans. After he reviewed the
scans, he felt like removing the accessory navicular would only be a temporary
fix of her foot issues because of her flat foot and abnormalities. He wanted
time to present her case to a panel of other surgeons for their opinion on
doing a “1 and done” flat foot reconstruction surgery on someone her age.
March 29,
2017
·
OV
with Dr. Richardson. After speaking with the panel and suggestions from a ped
ortho surgeon on how to avoid damaging growth plates, he suggested flat foot
reconstructions surgery with a strayer procedure. Basically, he would rebuild
her foot and break her heel to move into the correct position. This surgery should prevent her from having other foot surgeries down the road. It was not a tough decision to make. We trusted the doctor
April 11,
2017
·
SURGERY DAY at Lebonhuer Childrens Hospital. 6-hour
surgery.
My brave girl in pre-op waiting to be taken back to the operating room.
Day 3
Day 3 - first time smiling
Working bedside at the hospital was quite pleasant. Daddy and Quinnie came to the hospital every day and spent all day with us. They never wanted to leave. We got through this together … and with lots of good drugs for HC.
Day 4 - she wanted up and out of bed, clean clothes and her wheelchair decorated! This is what we were waiting for cause this meant it was time to go home!
Aunt Vicky decorated the yard for her return home. Her BFF Brianna got her a giant rabbit.
April 14,
2017
·
Released
from the hospital. Pain was significant. Being able to stay in the hospital 4
days was gift. It was a long 4 days of pain management, nausea and vomiting. She
was sent home with lots of good meds – Torridol, Percocet, liquid Valium and a
few others. Also sent home with a walker
and wheel chair. Very rough week. Thankfully HC has very little
memory of the entire first few weeks after surgery. Finding the right combo of pain meds for her was key. Once she started feeling a little better, she wanted to get in her wheel chair more and more.
Easter morning. The Easter bunny brought them an Xbox. He must have known we would have several weeks of down time on our hands.
First outing outside. A Trip to the mailbox to get goodies from our beloved Hammer's.
April 26,
2017 (2 weeks post op)
·
Post
op visit with Dr. Richardson and removal of surgical cast and stiches.
Re-casted. Will remain non-weight bearing for the first 6-8 weeks. This was by far the hardest appointment on Hassie Clare. We tried to get her good a doped up for this appointment but I think the meds made her so out of it she couldn't keep her emotions in check.
May 3, 2017 (3 weeks post op)
·
Returned
to 4th grade for half days only for a few days and then started
whole days. She was still in a wheelchair and taking heavy pain medicine every
3-4 hours.
May 10, 2017 (4 weeks post op)
·
Cast
changed (moved foot into position - OUCH) and released to use crutches, still non-weight
bearing. Cast guy Kevin is our guardian angel. His experience, disposition with kids and empathy makes him the BEST around.
May 17, 2017
(5 weeks post op)
·
OV
with Dr. Richardson. Cast changed (moved foot into position). Meds evaluated
and changed pain meds to Hydros only. Encouraged her to start putting foot down
on ground without weight. Pain level was still constantly high.
May 24, 2017 (6 weeks post op)
·
Cast
changed (foot moved into position). Encouraged not to use wheel chair unless at school – use
crutches. Partial weight bearing.
Still managed to pull off honor roll despite missing 3 weeks of school.
June 7, 2017 (8 weeks post op)
·
Cast
removed. Put into walking boot with heel wedge (removed heel wedge after 2
weeks). Released for full weight bearing with crutches.
June 11,
2017
·
She
turned 11 years old.
June 20,
2017 (10 weeks post op)
·
PT
eval – RX for pt 3 times a week
·
Started
swimming daily.
June 20 –
July 31 (10 week - 16 weeks post op)
·
18
PT visits with 2 followup appts with Dr. Richardson. Xrays confirmed everything
in place and healing well.
·
After
3 weeks of pt, they took away one of her crutches. (3.5 months post op)
·
After
5 weeks of pt, they took away both of her crutches at the end of July. (4 months post op)
1st time in a shoe - attempting just to set it down on the ground.
Look at that tiny leg. Everything was tiny on her right side from her booty down.
Started with weight bearing of 2 pounds on scale. Goal is 35 pounds (half her weight).
Farm twins came with us to PT a lot to cheer her on.
She progressed significantly every PT visit.
August 3,
2017 (14 weeks post op)
·
Started
5th grade in boot and took 1 crutch to school just for stability and
safety reasons. Only used the crutch for the first 1-2 weeks and only at
school.
5th grade here we come!
Physical Therapy - mom's part time job
August 9,
2017 (15 weeks post op)
·
OV
with Richardson. Removed boot and put her in a regular tennis shoe with a lace
up brace and orthotics. Released to do all activities as tolerated. Continue PT
3 times a week. 400mg of Advil every 4-6 hours as needed. Refilled RX for hydros.
Her goal right now is to serve the volleyball at practice and keep working hard in pt.
Wearing the boot during a little volleyball scrimmage. She is walking fairly well for short distances without assistance. She is able to walk to the service line in volleyball and serve. Huge accomplishment for her!
She kept her sense of good humor and spirit throughout this entire process.
August 2017
·
12
PT visits. She worked so hard learning how to walk correctly and building her strength in all of her atrophied muscles. By the end of the month she was walking with only a slight limp. Taking it very slow.
·
OV
with Dr. Richardson. Pre-op appointment for removal of pin and internal brace
in foot. Outpatient procedure. 4 week recovery. 3 weeks of no PT. HC is having
issues with the protrusion of the pin – rubbing on brace and shoe and hitting
it on things. She is having some pain with tendinitis in the back of her foot
where her Achilles tendon meets her heel.
That little bump that is sticking out is a pin trying to work its way out.
September
2017
·
12
PT visits
·
At
5 month post op she is starting to feel like her old self and not asking for
pain meds or Advil as much (approx. 2 times a day). She started playing a little volleyball – no
jumping or running yet. Pain occurs
mostly first thing in the morning and at night after a full day of activity.
Her other foot has taken a beating through all of this and she stated the other
day that her “good foot” hurt worse than her “surgery foot.”
September
16, 2017
·
She
suddenly started running / jogging around a little bit. She is also walking
barefooted without a major limp. She is jumping on the trampoline with 2 feet
and doing flips. Crazy!
October 9,
2017 (6 months post op)
·
SURGERY DAY – outpatient. Removal of pin and
internal screw/brace (looks like a thimble on xrays). This surgical procedure
took place almost 6 months after her major surgery. Will miss 1 week of school.
Will be in boot for the first 2—4 weeks. Will miss 3 weeks of PT.
October 10,
2017
·
DAY
1 POST OP FROM HARDWARE REMOVAL - Pain ranges from a 1-5 on 1 day post op with
pain meds. Laying in bed with foot elevated for first 48 hours. Pain is easily
controlled with pain meds.
·
DAY
2 POST OP FROM HARDWARE REMOVAL – Pain ranges from a 1-4. She is not liking the
effects of the pain meds which tells me her pain levels are lower. She is
constipated and sleeping. Her goal today is to get her boot on and go outside.
October 25,
2017
·
Post
op visit with Dr. Richardson. Removal of stiches. Minimal pain. 1 more week in
a boot.
·
Resumed
pt 3x a week until the end of the year.
·
After
1 week of PT, HC was walking well and working on balance.
·
Week
2 of pt, progressing to more advanced movement.
·
Week
3 pt, progressed to side to side movement and working hips and quads to get
ready to jump and run. Pain free. Taking Advil twice a day and some days no
Advil.
·
Week
4 – 8 – no meds. Very little discomfort. They are really pushing her in PT and
working on jumping and side to side movement. She also started practicing club
volleyball. Some running. Little pain.
Her BFF's (Quinn, Emily and Elaina) doing wall squats will HC is working on balance with George.
Checking herself in at PT. I took this picture because she looks so grown up and is so independent and head strong.
December 27, 2017 - LAST PHYSICAL THERAPY APPOINTMENT.
- I can't say enough wonderful things about the staff at Campbell Clinic's PT department in Southaven. They were so nice and welcoming. HC's team was Adam and George and they were the perfect therapist to get our girl up and walking. They built up her confidence, her strength and kept her on the right track.
HC with her ROCKSTAR therapist Adam on her last day of PT and his last day at CC.
Side note - The night before her last PT visit, HC missed a few steps at her Uncle David’s house and hurt her GOOD (left) foot. She pulled the ligament attached to her accessory navicular. This is the reason she is on crutches in the pic above at her last PT visit. She spent the next 3 weeks in a boot. Her good foot (non-surgical foot) hurts on a daily basis. Back on Advil twice a day. Good news is that she is pain free in her surgery foot.
April 11,
2018
- 1 year surgery anniversary and 1 year post op follow up appointment with Dr. Richardson. Still pain free and xrays look perfect! Dr. Richardson is a kind, brilliant, gifted man and we are so thankful for him.
We promised her that once she reached the 1 year mark post op we would buy her any pair of shoes she wanted. Of course sassy pants picked out her first pair of heels. Happy girl!
Dear Hassie Clare,
We absolutely hate that you had to go through all of this but God always has his reasons. God never gave you more than you could handle. Always trust him! Your good nature, funny sense of humor and your ability to pull the positive out of EVERY situation made this unfortunate adventure a heck of a lot easier on everyone around you. When you hurt, we hurt. When you smile, we smile. Somehow you managed to smile even when you were hurting … most of the time. You had a huge fan club that extended to your school, your sports teams, your grandparents, your aunts/uncles and bunches and bunches of friends. The winner of your biggest fan (mom and dad aren't eligible) goes to your twin sister. Your Quinnie Ray. Your ride or die. Your best friend since ya'll were embryos. She stood by your side as your advocate and cheerleader. She cried with you and for you. She went to every doc appointment, surgeries - never wanting to leave your side, PT appointments, not leaving the house weeks on end and never once complained. She pushed you when you needed it and slowed down for you when you couldn't keep up. Never take her for granted cause you owe her! :)
You made it! Enjoy your new foot!
I love you disco,
Mommy
You made it! Enjoy your new foot!
I love you disco,
Mommy
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