MAFO

Carl got his Molded Ankle Foot Orthosis (MAFO) today. This customized "spring-loaded"plastic brace fits inside a shoe and it makes Carl's foot lift upward when he walks. His limp is definitely less pronounced when he wears the brace. It will take a few days to adjust and to learn how to walk without pulling up at the hip as he has had to do in the past weeks.It is amazing what the medical world can do to help!

As I mentioned, the brace only works in tandem with a shoe. Unfortunately, because of the swelling and the nerve pain in Carl's right foot, he can not tolerate wearing a shoe for very long periods of time. So it's a bit of a catch-22 for the time being.

Tomorrow we will start the switch-over to a new medication which might help with the nerve pain. Our prayer is that we can get that under control so Carl can enjoy the benefits of the MAFO. In the meantime, he will wear the brace as much as he can.

He looks great walking, by the way!