A Trip Down Memory Lane...

I am happy to announce that my foot is healed, and I no longer have to wear an air cast. Thank goodness because it was getting difficult to wear it, especially with the hot summer weather we have been experiencing here. I had a smile on my face as we drove home this afternoon. As I sit down to write this blog post, I am still smiling.

Today, I found myself looking back on the orthopedic surgeries I had as a child to improve my mobility and quality of life. As I took a trip down memory lane, I came to the realization that I have worn casts several times throughout my life, but this was never because of broken bones. One of the characteristics of cerebral palsy is that my muscles are stiff and weak, which makes movement difficult. In an effort to alleviate some of the spasticity in my legs, I had several tendon release surgeries, in which doctors would cut or clip certain tendons in my legs. Then, to top it all off, they would cast my legs to make sure they got a good stretch. When I was eight years of age, I had some of the tight muscles within my hips released.

I have a picture of my me in full leg casts with a thirty-six-inch bar in between after the surgery. As horrible as wearing a cast that literally made the bottom half my body look like the letter A was, there was some aspects of it that were thoroughly enjoyable. The cast was purple (my favorite color), and I will never forget how hard I laughed each time my parent’s had to lift me sideways through every doorway in the house because I was a wide load! After my letter A was removed, I had to relearn how to do almost everything again. Because the tendons in my hips were released, I can sit up on my own, and walk with a walker and braces. Getting my air cast off today was a reminder of how difficult it can be to move around after not using my foot for three months, but I know with hard work and determination, I will soon be back to my normal, ambulatory self.