Sure Step!

Our Sure Steps have arrived! I took Sweets for her fitting on Friday for her new SMO orthotics. The Sure Steps are made especially for her based on the measurements the orthotist took on her a few weeks ago. We got the flowers and bugs pattern and they are definitely nice. We also bought the Sure Step shoes to go with them, because I had heard that it can be hard to find shoes that fit over orthotics. These have a wide toe box and wide heel to accommodate the orthotics, and there are two insoles that are removable to fit with or without the orthosis.

We arranged the payment so that the insurance will be billed first. They will charge us a deductible (around $300-350) and then they cover 60%. What's left will be charged to the state early intervention, and they will pay 60% of that. In the end, I expect that we will have to pay about $150, but we'll see how it ends up.

I expected Sweets to fuss when we put the Sure Steps on for the first time, but she really didn't at all. She even seemed to like them right away! The orthotist showed me how to put them on her feet, pushing her big toe up and to the side to get her heel in deeply. The velcro strap is supposed to be pulled tight - "Snug is not enough" - so she made a mark on the outside so that we would be sure to pull it to the right amount.


SureSteps on, without shoes



SureSteps on with shoes

She is supposed to wear them for 1 hour the first day, 2 hours the next day, 3 hours the next day, etc until after 1 week she will be wearing them full-time. Today is day 3 and she seems to do really well in them. She is walking well, and best of all - she isn't falling down a lot! The reason we got them in the first place is because Sweets pronates her feet when she walks, causing her to fall down frequently. These are supposed to help with that, and they seem to already! They should also help her learn to run and climb.