Octavian Graduated !!!! (NOPCO Boston)

April 3, 2009

So we had a followup yesterday with the plastic surgeon and the orthotist. The

numbers the surgeon measured are wildly different than the orhotist.. he did

have a different calipers and who knows about the accuracy and do you believ the

person with the big MD degrees? He is actually older and has more experience

but.. there they are.

The numbers he had from the surgeon 6 weeks ago were 8mm cranial vault (CV) and

88% cehpalic index (CI). Yesterday we were down to 3mm CV and 86% CI. Visually

the plagio is gone. He kept explaining that what I see as " brachy " is really the

normal shape and curvature of the top of the head and he said that on its own

the head will round out to about 82% if left alone without the helmet. He said I

could easily graduate or continue to push the extra percent points. I was in a

frenzy last week but this week I am ready to be done with it all and I have to

say I am happy with his head shape. I did get a referral to PT and will go to

learn to do the tort stretches and will just that at home for a bit until I feel

his facial assymetry is sufficiently corrected (it is VERY mild but I see it).

The orhotist had different measurements and the CV was around 5 or 6 mm the

entire time... exept for yesterday when it was 4mm. The CI had gone from 96% to

92%. She was also of the opinion that I could stop now and go home and if I had

any second thoughts I could come back and wear out the helmet as it were.

That's the part that puzzles me... the mesurement error. The orthotist did do a

scan and she said that she would get the measurements from the computer and send

me that along with the screenshots. I suspect those will be closer to the

surgeon's or at least I wish that. A different orthotist did caution me that the

coputer scan resolution does not get finer than 3mm which can introduce some

error there even with the laser scan. I don't see why it can't be made better

but oh well.

Well in the end I chose to be done with it and I have mulled over whether I will

have regrets or not and I think I am confident that I am happy and my baby is

more symmetrical.

The surgeon also told me something interesting when I mentioned the 75% ideal

cephalic index that people talk about. He said that it was the normal CI in our

generation (the front/tummy sleepers) but in the back sleepers it starts around

80% which makes sense and it makes me feel better. (there are also ethnic and

gentic factors but both my husband,I and daughter have " skinny " heads and not

" wide ones " ).

I am so happy I found this group and I will definitely stick around and read it

occasionally. You guys are amazing and I think supportive and just great all

around!!!!

I am so ghiddy that we are DONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. I got him a red baseball cap

with two guitars that say ROCK STAR from Gymboree and I'm kind of excited that

he's going to wear it! I also kissed his head so much yesterday that I slobered

on it. ha ha ha... I missed his noggin! and now it smells CLEAN too ;-)

OK... I'm really happy!!!

April 3, 2009

congratulations to you and Octavian. Let us know what the scan numbers are. Our

ortho and doc did measure differently, but the difference was less. Kids never

really stay still, so that might be part of the difference. Both sets of numbers

are decent, and if he looks good that is what matters most.

-christine

sydney, 3 yrs, starband grad

>

> So we had a followup yesterday with the plastic surgeon and the orthotist. The

numbers the surgeon measured are wildly different than the orhotist.. he did

have a different calipers and who knows about the accuracy and do you believ the

person with the big MD degrees? He is actually older and has more experience

but.. there they are.

>

> The numbers he had from the surgeon 6 weeks ago were 8mm cranial vault (CV)

and 88% cehpalic index (CI). Yesterday we were down to 3mm CV and 86% CI.

Visually the plagio is gone. He kept explaining that what I see as " brachy " is

really the normal shape and curvature of the top of the head and he said that on

its own the head will round out to about 82% if left alone without the helmet.

He said I could easily graduate or continue to push the extra percent points. I

was in a frenzy last week but this week I am ready to be done with it all and I

have to say I am happy with his head shape. I did get a referral to PT and will

go to learn to do the tort stretches and will just that at home for a bit until

I feel his facial assymetry is sufficiently corrected (it is VERY mild but I see

it).

>

> The orhotist had different measurements and the CV was around 5 or 6 mm the

entire time... exept for yesterday when it was 4mm. The CI had gone from 96% to

92%. She was also of the opinion that I could stop now and go home and if I had

any second thoughts I could come back and wear out the helmet as it were.

>

> That's the part that puzzles me... the mesurement error. The orthotist did do

a scan and she said that she would get the measurements from the computer and

send me that along with the screenshots. I suspect those will be closer to the

surgeon's or at least I wish that. A different orthotist did caution me that the

coputer scan resolution does not get finer than 3mm which can introduce some

error there even with the laser scan. I don't see why it can't be made better

but oh well.

>

> Well in the end I chose to be done with it and I have mulled over whether I

will have regrets or not and I think I am confident that I am happy and my baby

is more symmetrical.

>

> The surgeon also told me something interesting when I mentioned the 75% ideal

cephalic index that people talk about. He said that it was the normal CI in our

generation (the front/tummy sleepers) but in the back sleepers it starts around

80% which makes sense and it makes me feel better. (there are also ethnic and

gentic factors but both my husband,I and daughter have " skinny " heads and not

" wide ones " ).

>

> I am so happy I found this group and I will definitely stick around and read

it occasionally. You guys are amazing and I think supportive and just great all

around!!!!

>

> I am so ghiddy that we are DONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. I got him a red baseball cap

with two guitars that say ROCK STAR from Gymboree and I'm kind of excited that

he's going to wear it! I also kissed his head so much yesterday that I slobered

on it. ha ha ha... I missed his noggin! and now it smells CLEAN too ;-)

>

> OK... I'm really happy!!!

>

April 3, 2009

I went to my follow up with the neurosurgeon yesterday. I only met with the nurse practitioner. All she did was look and feel his head. She asked for nothing, not even numbers. She told me that I don't need to come back. Is this normal. This was the original office that we went to to see if my son needed a helmet. They don't seem to recommend it often but had no problem giving us the RX. Should they be following him more closely? Should they be the one to discharge us? She told me I could stop when I was happy with the results.

Missy

From: anadashmaria <anadashmaria@...>Subject: Octavian Graduated !!!! (NOPCO Boston)Plagiocephaly Date: Friday, April 3, 2009, 9:18 AM

So we had a followup yesterday with the plastic surgeon and the orthotist. The numbers the surgeon measured are wildly different than the orhotist.. he did have a different calipers and who knows about the accuracy and do you believ the person with the big MD degrees? He is actually older and has more experience but.. there they are. The numbers he had from the surgeon 6 weeks ago were 8mm cranial vault (CV) and 88% cehpalic index (CI). Yesterday we were down to 3mm CV and 86% CI. Visually the plagio is gone. He kept explaining that what I see as "brachy" is really the normal shape and curvature of the top of the head and he said that on its own the head will round out to about 82% if left alone without the helmet. He said I could easily graduate or continue to push the extra percent points. I was in a frenzy last week but this week I am ready to be done with it all and I have to say I am happy with his head shape. I did get a referral to PT

and will go to learn to do the tort stretches and will just that at home for a bit until I feel his facial assymetry is sufficiently corrected (it is VERY mild but I see it). The orhotist had different measurements and the CV was around 5 or 6 mm the entire time... exept for yesterday when it was 4mm. The CI had gone from 96% to 92%. She was also of the opinion that I could stop now and go home and if I had any second thoughts I could come back and wear out the helmet as it were. That's the part that puzzles me... the mesurement error. The orthotist did do a scan and she said that she would get the measurements from the computer and send me that along with the screenshots. I suspect those will be closer to the surgeon's or at least I wish that. A different orthotist did caution me that the coputer scan resolution does not get finer than 3mm which can introduce some error there even with the laser scan. I don't see why it can't be made

better but oh well. Well in the end I chose to be done with it and I have mulled over whether I will have regrets or not and I think I am confident that I am happy and my baby is more symmetrical. The surgeon also told me something interesting when I mentioned the 75% ideal cephalic index that people talk about. He said that it was the normal CI in our generation (the front/tummy sleepers) but in the back sleepers it starts around 80% which makes sense and it makes me feel better. (there are also ethnic and gentic factors but both my husband,I and daughter have "skinny" heads and not "wide ones").I am so happy I found this group and I will definitely stick around and read it occasionally. You guys are amazing and I think supportive and just great all around!!!! I am so ghiddy that we are DONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE . I got him a red baseball cap with two guitars that say ROCK STAR from Gymboree and I'm kind of excited that he's

going to wear it! I also kissed his head so much yesterday that I slobered on it. ha ha ha... I missed his noggin! and now it smells CLEAN too ;-) OK... I'm really happy!!!

April 3, 2009

Congratulations! Ditto what said!

Jake-2.5 (DOCBand Grad 9/08)

Jordan-5

> >

> > So we had a followup yesterday with the plastic surgeon and the orthotist.

The numbers the surgeon measured are wildly different than the orhotist.. he did

have a different calipers and who knows about the accuracy and do you believ the

person with the big MD degrees? He is actually older and has more experience

but.. there they are.

> >

> > The numbers he had from the surgeon 6 weeks ago were 8mm cranial vault (CV)