Finally got appt w/Neurosurgeon! Questions

[Guest guest]

After 2 LONG months of repositioning my 4 month old has an appt with

the pediatric neurosurgeon March 24th. We have had CT scans and know

that she indeed has plagiocephaly and not something that will require

surgery...we have also seen a really good response to the

respostioning and PT in terms of her head shape.(She is in PT because

of her torticollis which is improving SLOWLY!)

Her ped feels like we could leave it alone and she would be fine

but I can't help feeling like I would be doing her a disservice later

if I didn't pursue EVERY avenue on this plagiocephaly journey. Her

original measurements put her in the mild catergory (8mm) her head

HAS rounded out along the top half but the bottom is still very flat

looking and her facial assymetry is still very apparent.

I have a fear the neurosurgeon is going to refuse to write us a

prescription for a helmet since it is so mild...and to be honest

maybe a helmet will do us no good BECAUSE of the mild nature of her

plagio but I WANT a helmet(we are paying for this out of pocket

because our insurance will not cover it). Even if the helmet does

absolutely nothing for her because it is mild, I want to be able to

tell her in the future that we did EVERYTHING in our power to correct

it...

Am I crazy? Is it possible we will be denied the helmet even though

we are not going through insurance? Is it true that a helmet will

not improve mild cases of plagio? I guess I just need a reality

check or some support

Thanks!!

Dawn

[Guest guest]

Hi Dawn-

If either the neurosurgeon or your pediatrician is willing to write

the script and you really feel strongly about it, I say go for it.

It can only help. Assuming the ortho will band. It might be

something where she would only have to wear it for a few weeks

(maybe a month or less?!?!) to correct a mild case. But if the ortho

is willing to do it and you feel like you should try everything,

than do it. You'll feel better knowing you tried, and best-case

scenario, she'll have a round head in the end!

Good luck with your decision!

Jake-18m (tort resolved/rt plagio/DocBand 2/11/08)

Jordan-4

>

> After 2 LONG months of repositioning my 4 month old has an appt

with

> the pediatric neurosurgeon March 24th. We have had CT scans and

know

> that she indeed has plagiocephaly and not something that will

require

> surgery...we have also seen a really good response to the

> respostioning and PT in terms of her head shape.(She is in PT

because

> of her torticollis which is improving SLOWLY!)

>

> Her ped feels like we could leave it alone and she would be fine

> but I can't help feeling like I would be doing her a disservice

later

> if I didn't pursue EVERY avenue on this plagiocephaly journey.

Her

> original measurements put her in the mild catergory (8mm) her head

> HAS rounded out along the top half but the bottom is still very

flat

> looking and her facial assymetry is still very apparent.

>

> I have a fear the neurosurgeon is going to refuse to write us a

> prescription for a helmet since it is so mild...and to be honest

> maybe a helmet will do us no good BECAUSE of the mild nature of

her

> plagio but I WANT a helmet(we are paying for this out of pocket

> because our insurance will not cover it). Even if the helmet does

> absolutely nothing for her because it is mild, I want to be able

to

> tell her in the future that we did EVERYTHING in our power to

correct

> it...

>

> Am I crazy? Is it possible we will be denied the helmet even

though

> we are not going through insurance? Is it true that a helmet will

> not improve mild cases of plagio? I guess I just need a reality

> check or some support

>

> Thanks!!

> Dawn

>

[Guest guest]

Dawn - You are NOT CRAZY!!!! You souns just like me back when we wer starting. I had to fight to get my dd a band - and it wasn't until I said I was going "out of network" to see a dr and get a script that suddenly they agreed and gace me a script. I, like you, wanted to make sure I was doing everything I could for my dd while I could... I did NOT want to wait and see only to have it be too late to treat. My dd was also mild (less than your dd) but we ended up with 2 bands! She out grew the 1st one and we still needed more correction. My dd had a lot of facial asy and that is what we really wanted help with - and it did help some.

Follow your gut - If this dr won't gove a script then take it into your own hands... go get an eval at a band provider - they will measure and tell you if a band will help. (CT does them for free) Ask them if they know of any band friendly drs and go to them... since you don't need to worry about ins. it's one less hurdle!

Jen and Luli - 27 months

Left tort - Right Plagio - Hanger Band Grad - CA

http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/j/jens5th/

Finally got appt w/Neurosurgeon! Questions

After 2 LONG months of repositioning my 4 month old has an appt with

the pediatric neurosurgeon March 24th. We have had CT scans and know

that she indeed has plagiocephaly and not something that will require

surgery...we have also seen a really good response to the

respostioning and PT in terms of her head shape.(She is in PT because

of her torticollis which is improving SLOWLY!)

Her ped feels like we could leave it alone and she would be fine

but I can't help feeling like I would be doing her a disservice later

if I didn't pursue EVERY avenue on this plagiocephaly journey. Her

original measurements put her in the mild catergory (8mm) her head

HAS rounded out along the top half but the bottom is still very flat

looking and her facial assymetry is still very apparent.

I have a fear the neurosurgeon is going to refuse to write us a

prescription for a helmet since it is so mild...and to be honest

maybe a helmet will do us no good BECAUSE of the mild nature of her

plagio but I WANT a helmet(we are paying for this out of pocket

because our insurance will not cover it). Even if the helmet does

absolutely nothing for her because it is mild, I want to be able to

tell her in the future that we did EVERYTHING in our power to correct

it...

Am I crazy? Is it possible we will be denied the helmet even though

we are not going through insurance? Is it true that a helmet will

not improve mild cases of plagio? I guess I just need a reality

check or some support

Thanks!!

Dawn

Supercharge your AIM. Get the AIM toolbar for your browser.

[Guest guest]

Dawn,

My son was 8mm and I am SO glad we banded. Our insurance (UHC) even

paid for 80% of it!!! Our insurance denied but we won on appeal...so

unless there is an exclusion then I would appeal. I would demand a

prescription from the neuro since you aren't happy with the

headshape and this is YOUR child.

>

> Dawn - You are NOT CRAZY!!!!? You souns just like me back when we

wer starting.? I had to fight to get my dd a band - and it wasn't

until I said I was going " out of network " to see a dr and get a

script that suddenly they agreed and gace me a script. I, like you,

wanted to make sure I was doing everything I could for my dd while I

could... I did NOT want to wait and see only to have it be too late

to treat.? My dd was also mild (less than your dd) but we ended up

with 2 bands!? She out grew the 1st one and we still needed more

correction.? My dd had a lot of facial asy and that is what we

really wanted help with - and it did help some.

> Follow your gut - If this dr won't gove a script then take it into

your own hands... go get an eval at a band provider - they will

measure and tell you if a band will help.?(CT does them for free)?

Ask them if they know of any band friendly drs and go to them...

since you don't need to worry about ins. it's one less hurdle!

>

>

> ?Jen and Luli - 27 months

> Left tort - Right Plagio - Hanger Band Grad - CA

> http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/j/jens5th/

>

>

> Finally got appt w/Neurosurgeon! Questions

>

>

>

>

>

>

> After 2 LONG months of repositioning my 4 month old has an appt

with

> the pediatric neurosurgeon March 24th. We have had CT scans and

know

> that she indeed has plagiocephaly and not something that will

require

> surgery...we have also seen a really good response to the

> respostioning and PT in terms of her head shape.(She is in PT

because

> of her torticollis which is improving SLOWLY!)

>

> Her ped feels like we could leave it alone and she would be fine

> but I can't help feeling like I would be doing her a disservice

later

> if I didn't pursue EVERY avenue on this plagiocephaly journey. Her

> original measurements put her in the mild catergory (8mm) her head

> HAS rounded out along the top half but the bottom is still very

flat

> looking and her facial assymetry is still very apparent.

>

> I have a fear the neurosurgeon is going to refuse to write us a

> prescription for a helmet since it is so mild...and to be honest

> maybe a helmet will do us no good BECAUSE of the mild nature of

her

> plagio but I WANT a helmet(we are paying for this out of pocket

> because our insurance will not cover it). Even if the helmet does

> absolutely nothing for her because it is mild, I want to be able

to

> tell her in the future that we did EVERYTHING in our power to

correct

> it...

>

> Am I crazy? Is it possible we will be denied the helmet even

though

> we are not going through insurance? Is it true that a helmet will

> not improve mild cases of plagio? I guess I just need a reality

> check or some support

>

> Thanks!!

> Dawn

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Dawn,

My daughter has been in her CT DOC band for six weeks tomorrow. She

was at 8mm when we started, and I swear it's down to zero now. (We

haven't measured, I'm just going from the visual.) I can't even see

the plagio anymore. Her ortho at CT says we have to wear the band

another two weeks, but if we took it off today I would be thrilled.

BTW, my daughter is 6 1/2 months old, so we began the process when

she was 5 months old.

So, my recommendation is to definitely go get an evaluation.

Obviously I can't speak for the StarBand, but I can highly recommend

the DOC band and Cranial Technologies -- even for mild asymmetry.

And, like others have said, the evaluation from CT is free. If they

don't think you'll get improvement from banding they won't recommend

it.

Good Luck and let us know what you decide to do.

>

> After 2 LONG months of repositioning my 4 month old has an appt

with

> the pediatric neurosurgeon March 24th. We have had CT scans and

know

> that she indeed has plagiocephaly and not something that will

require

> surgery...we have also seen a really good response to the

> respostioning and PT in terms of her head shape.(She is in PT

because

> of her torticollis which is improving SLOWLY!)

>

> Her ped feels like we could leave it alone and she would be fine

> but I can't help feeling like I would be doing her a disservice

later

> if I didn't pursue EVERY avenue on this plagiocephaly journey. Her

> original measurements put her in the mild catergory (8mm) her head

> HAS rounded out along the top half but the bottom is still very

flat

> looking and her facial assymetry is still very apparent.

>

> I have a fear the neurosurgeon is going to refuse to write us a

> prescription for a helmet since it is so mild...and to be honest

> maybe a helmet will do us no good BECAUSE of the mild nature of her

> plagio but I WANT a helmet(we are paying for this out of pocket

> because our insurance will not cover it). Even if the helmet does

> absolutely nothing for her because it is mild, I want to be able to

> tell her in the future that we did EVERYTHING in our power to

correct

> it...

>

> Am I crazy? Is it possible we will be denied the helmet even

though

> we are not going through insurance? Is it true that a helmet will

> not improve mild cases of plagio? I guess I just need a reality

> check or some support

>

> Thanks!!

> Dawn

>