Joey's Feet

Joey just turned nine years old this month so that means eight years ago he took his first steps, and I was so happy to witness them. I thought it was adorable how he walked on his toes. He continued to walk that way for, well, eight years. I didn’t notice it all the time, but when I did I still thought he looked cute. Randy and I would comment on how he had calves of steel because of the way he walked. That was about the extent of our thoughts about the way he walked. That is UNTIL…

Since Joey has been home all summer he (all the other kids) enjoyed when Miles’ therapist would come to the house because they always bring fun toys. One day Todd, the occupational therapist noticed the way Joey walked on his toes. Todd didn’t explain his concern to Joey about the way he walked, but he asked him to do a couple of stretches. Todd didn’t really say much about it, but I did wonder why he took notice. Then, on a separate day JoBeth, the physical therapist saw Joey walking like that and made a bigger deal of it. She had Joey do some stretches and she stretched him herself like she does Miles. She told me that she was concerned for Joey. She told me that his heel cord was shortened. She also said that he doesn’t have any range of motion in his feet or toes. JoBeth also said that he didn’t have any muscle tone in the front of his legs. She thought it was a very big deal and she suggested that I make a doctors appointment for him.

JoBeth gave us some stretches to do with Joey. She also said that he could not wear sandals ever again! She told us to buy him some high top tennis shoes and for him to wear them all day long. I was surprised by her response, but she’s such a great therapist that she’s sometimes over the top. I’m used to it, but I put her advice through my laid back filter.

I already had a check up for Jocie scheduled last Monday so I just called and told them that I was bringing Joey as well. I figured Dr. Wiley would either tell me that Joey was okay and that he would out grow it or that, at the most, he would need to go to physical therapy for awhile to help him walk correctly. I was extremely shocked by his reaction.

Let me say first that I know Dr. Wiley very well. He’s been our pediatrician since Joey was born. We’ve been through an unthinkable amount of appointments with him because of Miles. I trust him, love him and I’m truly thankful for him. He’s extremely intelligent, but personal at the same time. Also, he’s not over the top. I like that about him. I actually don’t have one negative thing to say about him. So, with all that being said I couldn’t believe his reaction on Monday.

He checked Jocie out first. She was doing great. She had to get a shot…that was the end of her appointment. He was great with her. He was sweet and funny with her. Then I started to tell him why I brought Joey in. I explained about how he walked, and how both Todd and JoBeth noticed it at separate times. He turned very serious. He had Joey walk up and down the hall. He stretched his legs and ankles. Dr. Wiley also had Joey do some exercises on the floor. Like I said earlier, I thought that Dr. Wiley would either say that Joey was fine or that he would need physical therapy to stop his habit.

I was wrong. Dr. Wiley told me that the way Joey walked was a serious problem. He told me that usually a problem like this was neurological. He said that tone issues in the legs are usually because of the brain. You know, that’s why we’re always fighting with Miles’ muscle tone. That makes since to me about Miles, but not Joey. Joey is a genius boy. Dr. Wiley wanted x-rays of his hips, and an MRI done of his brain, and for Joey to start physical therapy immediately. Then he told me that he wanted to recheck Joey in six weeks after he began therapy and if Joey wasn’t any better then he was going to send Joey to see the same neurologist in Ft. Worth that Miles’ sees.
I was totally stunned. Then the day of the scheduled MRI I was really stunned. I found out that the doctor had ordered four MRIs for Joey. That meant that he had to lay perfectly still without moving for and hour and a half while the testing was going on. I was told that it would take even longer than that, but it ended up being shorter. I was thankful for that. Joey was crying when I explained the test to him. I was so thankful that the Lord put him to sleep during the test! When it was over I had to wake him up from a very deep sleep. It was such a comfort to me to know he had fallen asleep. It made me feel so thankful to the Lord. Joey does not fall asleep like that so I know it was the peace of the Lord over him.
Well, I will try to make this really long story much shorter. As I was thinking…this whole this was just a huge distraction for me. The tests came back all perfectly normal. He’s still the genius boy that I thought he was. He does have to have physical therapy twice a week for awhile. Hopefully that won’t be more than six weeks. He does need to learn to walk correctly so he will live pain free, and have correct muscle tone. I’m very pleased that he’s okay. I hate that we, mainly I had to deal with all that stuff unnecessarily, but it’s over, and the Lord took care of me and my son. I’m thankful for that.

Deep Breath of Relief.