My sweet Kylee girl has walked on her tip toes a lot of her life. I never really thought anything of it, it wasn't all the time and she didn't ever complain about pain or anything so I just figured it was her being her. Then she started complaining about leg pain all the time and so I figured we better get it checked out. Come to find out she has VERY short Achilles tendons in both legs, which was why walking flat footed hurt and why she would naturally go up on her toes. Her pediatrician suggested she go to PCH for physical therapy. The PT said her tendons were too short to physically be able to do the exercises they do to help lengthen the tendons and that we had to fix that before we could even do pt.
Instead of doing surgery to lengthen the tendons we decided to try a different treatment called serial casting. They basically stretch her foot as far as they possibly can to stretch the tendon and then cast it that way. Every week they would take the casts off and recast them again, stretching it as far as possible each time. The idea is to naturally help lengthen the tendon and avoid surgery.
It was not a fun process
but this sweet girl handled it like a champ.
The first day of a new cast was always the most difficult.
I thought these snapchats she took were pretty dang cute.
But soon she was in them like they were no big deal.
And we learned that they could be a lot of fun to draw on
The day finally came that she got to get her casts off permanently and we were both VERY excited.
Seriously love this girl so much.
She said it felt so weird to walk on the ground for the first time.
Even though the casts were off she still has braces she has to wear every night and lots of exercising and physical therapy weekly still but she is doing amazing.
She hardly complains and is so good at doing her exercises and stretches and wearing her braces without me even reminding her. I love how responsible and sweet this girl is. I am so proud.
