Levi’s Clubfoot Journey

Let me tell you this.

There is almost nothing worse than handing off your little baby to a nurse as they prep him for surgery. It was definitely one of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to do. But I also knew that without this surgery, Levi wouldn’t be able to walk, run, or move properly. All things that a child should have the chance to do. It was scary, scary walking into the room with the small crib hospital bed. It was scary having nurses and the doctor come in to review what was about to happen. But the worst part for me was the fact that they would not allow me to go back into the operating room with them as they put Levi under. I felt terrible that I was not able to be there for that – and to be honest, it still kind of rattles my cage. I remember when Wyatt had his MRI, William was allowed to go into the room and hold Wyatt while they put the mask on his face as he drifted off to sleep.

We handed Levi over and he was wheeled away. We were given a little pager like the ones you get at restaurants. And when it beeped and vibrated we knew it was time to go back and see Levi. They paged us as soon as he started to wake up after surgery. He hadn’t had anything to eat after midnight the night before so he was starving. I peeked over the side of the crib and saw Levi in his diaper, wrapped in white hospital blankets, with a tiny IV in his arm. Within a matter of seconds of seeing him he ripped out his IV and blood was going everywhere – that was pretty terrifying. He was definitely stronger than the nurses gave him credit for. After he was cleaned up I was able to hold, kiss, and feed him. It felt so good to have him in my arms again. And as soon as he finished his bottle and they saw he was able to keep his food down – we were allowed to take him home.

For the next few days he was sore and fussy. He needed lots of snuggles and he ate more than usual – these were both comfort things for him and I was more than happy to help him feel comfortable. I got out the biggest, softest, quilt and snuggled him up.

Now we are waiting for his 3 week post-surgery appointment so he can get his new boots. These are special shoes that will help keep his foot aligned. But until then he was put in a new cast that he will wear for the next 3 weeks as he heals from his surgery. It is a bit bigger than the other casts and is bulkier and heavier.

I just can’t get over how fast his first 2 months of life have gone by because we’ve been so busy with doctors appointments and castings! And I’m excited for the future – to get rid of the cast and get the boots put on – I can’t even imagine how uncomfortable the cast has to be for him! No wonder he is fussy – I would be too!

So that’s where we are – the surgery was successful and now we’re just waiting for the next “step”. Thank you so much for all of your support in this journey. Throughout everything you all have been there with positive comments and inspiring messages and I appreciate it SO much. You are SO loved!