happy feet

Since Robb's accident, his doctors and therapists have been perplexed by the fact that he is unable to point his toes. Robb isn't bad at lifting his foot up toward his body, but cannot support any weight when he tries to go up on his toes.

Usually, people with Robb's type of spinal cord injury have the opposite problem, experiencing something that I believe is called "foot drop." Robb has also heard that his condition is often seem among children with spina bifida.

Yesterday, Robb met with an orthotist, who will be making an experimental set of leg braces that should assist him to bend his foot and ankle with greater strength. The orthotist seemed really excited by the prospect of creating this brace because, in his whole career, he'd only ever seen one brace that was somewhat similar.

I would like to point to this as just one more example of the superlative health care that Robb is receiving. I just cannot say enough about how wonderful everyone who has been working with Robb has been during this process.

And now, someone is inventing a device that may help Robb walk better.

(Today's photo are of pigeon tracks in San Francisco's Chinatown. When I see evidence of pigeons walking in fresh concrete I always wonder: Were the pigeons too stubborn or merely too stupid to flap their wings and fly out of the wet cement?)