worried about the fit......

[Guest guest]

Kel- it is a locally made helmet so I really have no one to compare progress with since I am sure all locally made helmets are so different. What did you do when you thought you were noticing that? I am sure the molding process of the head will make it seem different all the time???? --

[Guest guest]

Kel- thanks for the advice I just keep remembering how everybody says that if you feel like something is wrong then ask. I just feel stupid questioning him... isn't that awful? Do you have some good questions to ask? It is so hard to know the qualifications because they sent me to the best childrens hospital in town. People come from all over the world to go to this hospital so I figure he must know what he is doing. Plus the first time I went in there he was casting a baby and then the day we got her casted he had other people in line so I guess I just assumed that he knows what he is doing. I am feeling like a wuss for not pressing my questions! Thanks

[Guest guest]

Hi all- things have been going really well and then today I took

Graces helmet was off and I noticed that her skull seems to stick out

on both sides over her ears more now?? I of course was worried and

called my husband and he says that he didn't notice anything last

night. So now I am not sure if her head has always done that or if

there is something wrong with the fit of the helmet and it is causing

her head to jut out on both sides. We looked at the helmet itself

and inside there is a dip on both sides for her ears and we are

wondering if the dip is big enough that her skull is growing out on

both sides but then as her head is up into the helmet it is more

tight so it is holding it in place?? We go up tomorrow for her 2

week check with the orthotist and I will bring this up but I wonder

if he will know if that is bad or not, if the helmet is causing

problems. I feel like that maybe she has the helmet on so much now

that I forgot the shape of her head?? Ahhhhhhhh Also I was thinking I

am seeing a difference in her head shape now I am not so sure and I

feel like I am being to hard on the process since it has only been

two weeks and I am a " need fast results " person? My husband says you

can't be that way on something that takes 3-4 months to correct. If

anybody has advice or words of wisdom I would love to hear them!!

Thanks (sorry it is so long)--

[Guest guest]

, I too thought i was seeing worse then better,

then worse. Your little one's head is changing, and

if it's a doc/or star then it changes fast. Just

bring up your concerns with your ortho, they'll help

you out for sure.

kel

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi :

It really is so frustrating - one minute you think you're seeing good

improvement, the next your not. Now you're worried that her head

shape is changing for the worse. I highly suggest you talk in great

detail with the orthotist tomorrow (Thurs). Have you been taking

weekly pictures of Grace's head? If not, start now. I know how

frustrating it is. It's really too bad not all helmets/STARbands

would provide a head mold like Cranial Technologies does. That is

the one " true " piece of evidence that does not change, play mind

games on you, have hair interfereing with. Just keep taking pictures

of Grace and when you're not sure how the helmet is doing, go back to

the pictures.

Please, let us know what the orthotist says at your appt Thurs..

Debbie abby's mom DOCGrad

MI

[Guest guest]

yea, I love the head mold too. It tells everything

everytime you have an appointment. Thats why I never

got to overly concerned... i just told myself, just

wait, they know what they are doing... and boy is it

ever awesome now...sigh.

Hang in there...

kelli and emily DOC banded 10-05-01 soon to be graduate

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi . If you have a great Ortho... I wouldn't

worry overly about it. Just ask tons of questions!!!,

and of course... watch for those red spots. Does your

ortho offer finished client cases to look at so you

can rest assured that he/she knows what they need to

know? Before and after photos of finished clients...?

How long have they been doing helmets/bands? Just

remember, your the mom and you know what's best for

your child!!! Lots of pictures in here and out in

cyber to compare too, look and learn as much as you

can, then ask, ask, ask your ortho. Don't feel shy,

after all its YOUR baby...lol.

Kel

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I can't even imagine how frustrated you must feel right now. The

good thing is that you have an appt. with your ortho real soon. It

is so hard to tell sometimes if you are seeing things that are

actually there, or if your mind is playing tricks on you because you

see Grace's head shape day in and day out and it is hard to see the

changes in the shape of her head. But if you feel in your gut that

something is wrong, don't be shy to speak your mind to your ortho, or

maybe even request to see another ortho and get their opinion! There

is no better advocate for a child then their mommy, and since she

can't speak up, you'll have to do it for her. Don't leave that

office until your ortho has answered your questions to your

satisfaction. There is no such thing as a stupid question, so please

don't feel intimidated.

I highly suggest that you start taking pictures of Grace's head. The

truth is, most of us here have had wonderful experiences with the

bands, but some have had a rough start (right, Debbie?) You will

want to have pictures so that you can track Grace's improvemnet on

your own, and if you suspect that the helmet is doing more harm than

good, you will have evidence to back that up.

I hope you are able to get the answers that you need at your appt.

Please let us know how it goes! Good luck!

Niki

Kaylie & Danny (STAR grads)

Phila., PA

> Hi all- things have been going really well and then today I took

> Graces helmet was off and I noticed that her skull seems to stick

out

> on both sides over her ears more now?? I of course was worried and

> called my husband and he says that he didn't notice anything last

> night. So now I am not sure if her head has always done that or if

> there is something wrong with the fit of the helmet and it is

causing

> her head to jut out on both sides. We looked at the helmet itself

> and inside there is a dip on both sides for her ears and we are

> wondering if the dip is big enough that her skull is growing out on

> both sides but then as her head is up into the helmet it is more

> tight so it is holding it in place?? We go up tomorrow for her 2

> week check with the orthotist and I will bring this up but I wonder

> if he will know if that is bad or not, if the helmet is causing

> problems. I feel like that maybe she has the helmet on so much now

> that I forgot the shape of her head?? Ahhhhhhhh Also I was thinking

I

> am seeing a difference in her head shape now I am not so sure and I

> feel like I am being to hard on the process since it has only been

> two weeks and I am a " need fast results " person? My husband says

you

> can't be that way on something that takes 3-4 months to correct.

If

> anybody has advice or words of wisdom I would love to hear them!!

> Thanks (sorry it is so long)--

[Guest guest]

,

Don't worry too much about the fit until you have had a chance to talk to the

ortho. Express your concerns and see what he has to say. More then likely you

will feel much better about it after your appointment. It is a passive helmet

isn't it? If it is then it shouldn't be putting any real pressure on her head

at this point since she just started wearing it.

Let us know what you find out from your ortho.

Marci (mom to )

Oklahoma

[Guest guest]

,

That's right - it will look different all the time! The helmet will actually

fit differently all the time as well as the head adjusts and re-shapes.

Marci (Mom to )

Oklahoma

[Guest guest]

AnnMarie- Hmmmm that is interesting. That is what we kind of wondered was happening but when we saw the orthotist today he said that it is normal(?) and that they will go down. Makes me wonder if we should pay him another visit??? What do you think. How long did you leave the bulges before you talked to him about the spacers? He says we don't have to come back for a month now and that seems like a long time since she has only been in it 2 weeks. He did say that he is noticing nice rounding in the back but I don't think her head has grown all that much yet because he said that he does not need to take out one of the inserts yet. I think her head was around 42 cm when we sarted 2 weeks go and it was only 42 1/2 about at her 4 month check last week. I am going to print your note about the spacers and maybe give him a call. Thanks

[Guest guest]

Marci- actually it is a bit of both (style of helmet). It has space in the back for her head to fill in and then it applies pressure on the tort side where her head has drifted from her leaving it on her shoulder so much when she was smaller. He said today that the lumps were normal(?) and that they would go down eventually. He said he was seeing nice rounding but that her head has not grown enough to take out any of the inserts yet. After reading AnnMaries post about the spacers in the helmet though now I am wondering if I should talk to him about that or trust that he knows what he is talking about!!! Thanks

[Guest guest]

, from what you've said, sounds like he knows

what he's doing!!! lol. I'm not to good on

Questions.... such a blonde sometimes... I'm going

to pull in the moderators on this one.... Debbie???

and everyone??? What are questions that you should

ask to rest assure that an ortho knows their stuff???

Kel

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

PS ... NO question is ever stupid!! lol.. that's

how we all learn. Anything, and I mean anything that

you don't understand, or are concerned about... ask

away... everyone on this board has been there, or are

currently going through what you are. I've learned so

VERY much in here, it's unbelieveable!!

Kel

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi !!

The helmet therapy does take time, but we also noticed good results very early into treatment. We kind of had the same problem with 's helmet. We noticed slight bulges above each of his ears. I called his orthotist. He told us that is why the helmet/band has to fit just above the tips of the ears and rest just above his eyebrows on his forehead. (When he first was fitted in his helmet, we questioned why the thing had to cover so much of is forehead. But there was also a little bit of a space above his ears and below the edge of his helmet.) The orthotist said that the head will push out anywhere that it can find an outlet. His orthotist then fitted arched spacers between the tips of his ears and the curvature of his helmet. The bulges disappeared and his head looks terrific!! You may want to ask orthotist about this -- they may just have to insert a couple of spacers on Grace's helmet!! Good-luck and hang in there!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me know what happens.

AnnMarie and (01/25/01)

worried about the fit......

Hi all- things have been going really well and then today I took Graces helmet was off and I noticed that her skull seems to stick out on both sides over her ears more now?? I of course was worried and called my husband and he says that he didn't notice anything last night. So now I am not sure if her head has always done that or if there is something wrong with the fit of the helmet and it is causing her head to jut out on both sides. We looked at the helmet itself and inside there is a dip on both sides for her ears and we are wondering if the dip is big enough that her skull is growing out on both sides but then as her head is up into the helmet it is more tight so it is holding it in place?? We go up tomorrow for her 2 week check with the orthotist and I will bring this up but I wonder if he will know if that is bad or not, if the helmet is causing problems. I feel like that maybe she has the helmet on so much now that I forgot the shape of her head?? Ahhhhhhhh Also I was thinking I am seeing a difference in her head shape now I am not so sure and I feel like I am being to hard on the process since it has only been two weeks and I am a "need fast results" person? My husband says you can't be that way on something that takes 3-4 months to correct. If anybody has advice or words of wisdom I would love to hear them!! Thanks (sorry it is so long)--For more plagio info

[Guest guest]

,

I'm not quite sure how long we actually waited until we talked to 's orthotist. Although we see him nearly every month to do follow-ups. So I am guessing that it was somewhere around a few weeks that went by before we could see the orthotist (it is an hour drive to the city, one way, to see him). He said that it is very common to use the spacers. is in a StarBand. I trust his orthotist completely, and would abide by any decision that he would make concerning the helmet therapy. I don't want to scare you but, I think I would schedule another appt., and bring up these concerns to your orthotist. You must speak for your child -- they certainly can not. Good luck!! Let us know what's going on.

AnnMarie and (01/25/01)

PS -- I made an unbelievable mistake on 's picture/post and the informal poll -- it will be 5 mos. (on Jan. 22nd) that has worn his helmet!!! How could I have that dumb to make that kind of mistake!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: worried about the fit......

AnnMarie- Hmmmm that is interesting. That is what we kind of wondered was happening but when we saw the orthotist today he said that it is normal(?) and that they will go down. Makes me wonder if we should pay him another visit??? What do you think. How long did you leave the bulges before you talked to him about the spacers? He says we don't have to come back for a month now and that seems like a long time since she has only been in it 2 weeks. He did say that he is noticing nice rounding in the back but I don't think her head has grown all that much yet because he said that he does not need to take out one of the inserts yet. I think her head was around 42 cm when we sarted 2 weeks go and it was only 42 1/2 about at her 4 month check last week. I am going to print your note about the spacers and maybe give him a call. Thanks For more plagio info