shoes and AFOs

AFOs are in! Rhys opted for the camo look. He's cool like that. We are slowly introducing them to his feet. There are many pressure points with AFOs and the goal is to avoid skin break down. So he is wearing them for a few hours a day, for maybe a week or so. He doesn't seen to mind them unless he is on the floor trying to move around. They aren't super heavy, but I would definitely describe them as bulky on the feet.

Next thing to address are new socks. It may not sound important, but I think Rhys needs seamless knee-high socks. With no ribbing. Think of the impression left on your skin when something is firmly pressed against it. The fold-over ribbed socks we've been putting on Rhys's feet are leaving marks after the AFOs are removed. It might not make a huge difference but we want to make it as comfortable as possible for him since he already has a rigid brace to contend with.

Which brings me to shoes. Rhys's foot is a bit wide to begin with. I've tried several shoe brands that typically work with AFOs, but they still don't fit well. So, I googled it and there are several manufacturers who make orthopedic shoes for children and adults with AFOs. Score! I picked these out.

And Grammy was kind enough to buy them for Rhys! They are designed to fit around an AFO, so are deeper and wider than traditional shoes. I'm super excited about them. Surprisingly, they weren't outrageously expensive as most medical equipment related things tend to be.

Last piece of learning to walk is the gait trainer. I still have not heard from our rep despite leaving her a message requesting a call back. It's getting ridiculous and she is about to incur the wrath of Candice!