It feels like maybe things are starting to fall into place for Sporty. After 2 years of not being comfortable with her treatment, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders and that sick feeling has disappeared.

Today we met with a local orthopedic surgeon that was referred to us by the doctor in Salt Lake City. They took a TON of x-rays, I think he got more images of her feet today than they have her entire Clubfoot existence. He even watched her run. Her walk gait is good. Her run gait is better, no shock there, she was made to run after all. He said her feet actually look great for clubfoot feet. After his examination the doctor agreed that guided growth was a great option for Sporty. He did say that a tendon lengthening can’t be written off quite yet. It’s not the right route for her right now but we need to keep it in mind for the future. As of right now he thinks we’ll have success with guided growth as she has over a year of growth left on her growth plate in her ankles. He’s done 4 of these, it’s not common in the US, but the 4 he’s done have been successful. And there’s really nothing to lose by trying this. It’s so minimally invasive that if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t change anything, they just take out the screws.

Now we wait for scheduling to call and get us on the schedule. He said she can return to softball on day 2 following the procedure!!! And at the end of the appointment, he turned to Sporty and said “Remember, I work for you so if you’re ever in pain or something isn’t working out, you need to let me know.” 🙌🏻 Added bonus he’s local! I had some serious anxiety about traveling with her alone across country or even from California post-op.

We told her coaches this week that she’ll be needing this procedure and Sporty was very adamant that I tell them they’re not allowed to go easy on her because of this. ❤️ her grit and work ethic.

And it’s all falling into place because I followed my gut and reached out to Dr Fluffy Unicorn and asked him to think outside of the box.