Annette's Story
i have club feetWhen i was born the Doctor came in and said to my mother, there was something wrong. My mother always blamed herself, as she thought it was something she did wrong when i was in her womb. But this is not the case, it is a gene that is yet to be explained. Developed around 8-12 weeks gestation. No one else in my family has this condition. It's just me!
At 6 months old, i had my first surgery, then 13 years of plaster casts, night boots, crutches and kids at school saying to me 'why is one of your legs thinner than the other?' This certainly is an issue, and at 37 years old now, still is.
I played squash for many years, and my knee and ankle would give way. So much so, i was told that i needed a knee re-construction. I went to see the best surgeon there was in Victoria (Australia) at the time (1992) and he suggested a Triple Arthodesis on my ankle, as this would aline my walking right, and not to upset my knee anymore.
I had this operation, having three staples fusing my ankle together, I was unable to walk for 12 months, having plaster casts for 3 months, then crutches for the next 6 months, then learning to walk again for the last 3 months of the 12 month recovery period.
My right calf is smaller again, as my weight is distributed to my left side, my legs are nearly 2cm in height difference, i have to have every pair of shoes i buy adjusted by a shoe maker, or have shoes made to order. I can't run, or if i do the pain isn't worth it. I can't walk far without heels or my ankle freezes up. I'm embarrassed about my leg, and wonder if i should get a implant in my calf to make it look the same as the other leg.
Now in 2008, some 16 years later, and after being in pain for many years, my ankle giving away all the time, and falling over. The morning pain in the worst, i feel quite cripple. I've finally taken myself off to another Orthopedic Ankle Surgeon. Had some ex-rays, and my new Ankle expert tells me that the one of the three fusions didn't work all those years ago, I have a staple inside my ankle not doing anything at all. This is what is causing the pain. So he wants to perform more surgery to right this wrong. He's going to take out the ineffective staple and fuse was hasn't been fused, this time using screws.
My fingers are crossed that this one works out well.
I do feel lucky having gone through all this, that i can walk, that i do have a leg and a foot. I do push myself at times as at other times i feel down about it all. But, life has brought my two beautiful children, who are not effected by this gene (or Clubfoot). I have heard that this gene can be carried and affect the next generation. Has anyone heard of this?
Look forward to hearing and reading more from Club Foot sufferers.
Added on 24 Jun 2008