Last Serial Cast

Charlotte and I returned to Walter Reed this morning for what we hoped would be her last cast before surgery! We removed her current cast and I nursed her in order to, as Dr. Jex puts it, fill the tank. I had also pumped some milk again and brought a bottle along to give her should she get fussy during the casting. Dr. Jex came in to evaluate and stretch her feet and our hopes were realized when he decided to schedule her for surgery next Wednesday! 

Charlotte's feet after the removal of her fourth cast. 

Her foot is looking great!

Dr. Jex placed her new cast and talked to me about her procedure next week. He explained that they will use a needle to cut the Achilles' tendon in her right foot and place her final Ponseti cast. She will wear that cast for about three weeks to allow the tendon to heal from the surgery. He also discussed with me the risks associated with this type of procedure and the possibility of relapse. While he said it's unlikely, if we slack on brace-wear, relapse is a possibility that I should be aware of. 

Charlotte's last serial cast!

After talking to Dr. Jex and filling out some paperwork, Charlotte and I headed upstairs for a pre-op appointment. It was pretty simple and consisted of meeting with an anesthesiologist and a pediatric nurse to discuss some little details of the procedure. 

I'm excited that she is "ready" to move forward in this journey (progress is always a good thing), but I'm also nervous about the surgery itself. My baby has to be under anesthesia and she can't nurse for 4 hours before the procedure. I'm worried about how she'll handle the "sleepy gas" and also how she'll feel afterward. I know I need to give these fears over to God and He will protect her. She is, after all, His child and He wants nothing but good things for her life. Knowing these things gives me peace in this situation and there really is nothing better than feeling God's peace. 

Just because I can, here is Charlotte's 2-month picture complete with stats!

As always, your prayers are appreciated so much! I'm so blessed to be surrounded (both physically and via the Internet) by such supportive and loving people! God bless you all!