Re: Re: Fitting, scan scheduled, but still many questions and doubts

[Guest guest]

Funny side-note.  This morning I asked my 7 year old daughter what she thought about her brother getting a helmet.  The look on her face...totally flabbergasted.  Her exact words were,  " No way, !  Why would you get him one of those?  His head is perfectly fine. "    She said his head is nice and round, and that he wouldn't like it, etc.

It really broke my heart.  I though that was sweet...and perhaps telling.On Sun, Dec 19, 2010 at 10:32 PM, helmetheadmomma <candicno@...> wrote:

I'm the same as you...I fixate and worry until it consumes me.  Although my son started much earlier, I went through the same questioning when we received our last band.  I finally made a decision to get that last band because I knew I would doubt myself for the rest of my life.  Could I have done more?  Could he had more correction?  If I didn't take the chance, I never would have found out.

Honestly, I don't think helmet therapy is that big of a deal for 95% of kids.  It's not painful and he will likely adjust just fine.  At his age you will be fighting him trying to take it off, but it's not like you are entering him into some sort of painful surgery or similar.  If it doesn't work you will be out some time and money.  Only you can decide if this time and money spent is going to be " worth it. "

Good luck.  I hope you can find an answer you can make peace with.

------------------------------------

For more plagio info

[Guest guest]

Don't have a lot of time, but do want to echo what the below and

other posters have said. I was in a very similar boat in that my

husband was very opposed to treatment, I have a similar tendency to

obsess, and I agonized - for more than a year (started treatment with

my daughter at 21 months) - over the decision. But now that we are 3+

months into it, it is seeming like no big deal (except for the 3-hour

drive to have check-ups). My only regret is not doing it sooner.

We are seeing results. We did have a problem with her taking it off,

but remedied it by adding additional velcro (might request that

proactively). She is not wearing it the recommended 23-hours-per-day,

mostly because at her age her interests (dressing herself) are

impeded by the helmet. Otherwise, she sleeps in it no problem and

mostly doesn't mind it when she wears it at other times. We have not

made it an object of a power struggle, and that has seemed to work

out well for us (i.e. not making her wear it when she absolutely

doesn't want to).

Hope this is helpful.

Good luck,

Amy

Zia, 2 years (today!), STARband since 9/16/10

Chico, CA

On Dec 20, 2010, at 10:16 AM, R wrote:

> I was planning a response to your earlier post about the problem

> that you wife was not on side about the helmet. It's a relief to

> hear that she gave in. Let her. Don't apologize and don't keep

> trying to convince her that it's the right thing to do. Just go

> ahead and quietly do it. If you have stresses and worries about

> the process, get right back on this group and post: you have many

> people here who can offer support.

>

> From what you wrote, I believe that you NEED to do this. Yes, it

> is partly to satisfy a compulsion of yours, and if you have a

> tendency to obsess you need to keep an eye on that kind of thing.

> However, this is a compulsion to fix something that is objectively

> wrong with your son and that can be fixed at relatively little

> expense and inconvenience. If you don't do it, you will keep

> thinking about it and it will drive you crazy and possibly harm

> your marriage. Three or four months will fly by. Even if the

> helmet helps only a little you will be able to rest assured that

> you did what you could.

>

> One last thought---if your son should inherit your tendency to

> obsess, then you wouldn't want to leave him with a physical defect

> that could have been fixed!

>

> Good luck! Stop trying to talk yourself out of following your

> instinct. Your son is lucky to have someone attending to the

> details for him.

>

>

>

>>

>> My son is having his DSI scan Wednesday at Cranial Tech after

>> which he will receive his DOC band. Something about it just feels

>> wrong, though. He's almost 18 months, full of talking, dancing,

>> and personality. I keep telling myself that it's no big deal, he

>> will get used to it. His mom has finally given in, though she

>> still says, soberly and with quiet conviction, " He doesn't need

>> it. " Basically, she's doing it for me, which also feels wrong.

>> At his evaluation the Cranial Tech clinician said, " Most likely,

>> no one will ever notice...but he is within treatment range (approx

>> 10mm). " She also characterized treatment at his age a " crap

>> shoot " for various reasons, not the least of which is that he

>> could remove the helmet if he wanted to.

>> I'm not sure if I've become so head-obsessed that I'm losing

>> objectivity. I'm trying to keep an open mind, looking at both

>> sides of the argument. I'm right at the doorstep of this thing,

>> but something is telling me that, though his head is flat in one

>> spot, I'm making way too big a deal out of this.

>> Not sure how anyone can respond to this. It's not really a

>> question per se. I'm just a bit torn. I really don't like the

>> idea of my boy in a helmet for four (or more) months, and I'm not

>> sure he really needs it.

>> I should add that I tend to fixate on things in a big way...to the

>> point where it's all-consuming. Always have. I don't want to

>> make the mistake of entering my son into a course of therapy to

>> satisfy my compulsion.

>> Words of wisdom?

>>

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> For more plagio info

[Guest guest]

Older siblings can really help with the helmet transition too if you do decide to band. My 4 year old doted over my younger one with us when she she received both helmets and told her how pretty she looks. She will actually say pretty when we put her "hat" on and sometimes takes it off and then brings it to me to put back on her. I was also so upset about the helmet at first but she has done so well - we had one during the hottest months of the summer and we are in a second one now (side note go with CT, not Hanger). I agree with others that if you are agonizing this much over the decision I would just go for it and see how it goes. $1K is well worth it for your child's head - especially with the window of opportunity closing! Good luck...

From: Kapell <jasonkapell@...>Plagiocephaly Sent: Mon, December 20, 2010 9:29:26 AMSubject: Re: Re: Fitting, scan scheduled, but still many questions and doubts

Funny side-note. This morning I asked my 7 year old daughter what she thought about her brother getting a helmet. The look on her face...totally flabbergasted. Her exact words were, "No way, ! Why would you get him one of those? His head is perfectly fine." She said his head is nice and round, and that he wouldn't like it, etc.It really broke my heart. I though that was sweet...and perhaps telling.

On Sun, Dec 19, 2010 at 10:32 PM, helmetheadmomma <candicno@...> wrote:

I'm the same as you...I fixate and worry until it consumes me. Although my son started much earlier, I went through the same questioning when we received our last band. I finally made a decision to get that last band because I knew I would doubt myself for the rest of my life. Could I have done more? Could he had more correction? If I didn't take the chance, I never would have found out.Honestly, I don't think helmet therapy is that big of a deal for 95% of kids. It's not painful and he will likely adjust just fine. At his age you will be fighting him trying to take it off, but it's not like you are entering him into some sort of painful surgery or similar. If it doesn't work you will be out some time and money. Only you can decide if this time and money spent is going to be "worth it."Good luck. I hope

you can find an answer you can make peace with.

------------------------------------For more plagio info

[Guest guest]

,

You have to do what feels right to you. I decided to go with the band because I knew I would kick myself in the butt if I didn't do all I could now beore it was too late. I know it is alot of money and nobody wants to see their child in a band. I too went back and forth about what was the right thing to do, but now that my little girl has the band my fears have been put to rest about the band. She doesn't mind the band at all and sleeps well after adjusting to it after the first 2-3 nights. I have seen an improvment and am really satisfied. Again, you have to do what you feel is right, but remember there is a time window that you can do anything about it before it is too late and I would hate for you to regret your decision later on. Good luck.

Jill

> Plagiocephaly > From: dlcfamily1@...> Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:20:03 +0000> Subject: Re: Fitting, scan scheduled, but still many questions and doubts> > ,> I was sad to read that you cancelled your appointment yesterday. Not because I think I am right and you are wrong, but because you write with such anguish in your emails. I honestly hope that you are able to make peace with this decision because the regret definitely stinks. > Our plagio story is much longer than I posted previously and I won't get into all the details, but I will say that I wish I had done a lot of things differently. Hindsight is always 20/20.> > The times that my son's plagio glares back at me now, is when I am bent over the tub washing his hair or when he gets out of the swimming pool. He has beautiful hair and wears it a bit longer than most, and honestly, unless he asked me to, I don't think I would ever consider a buzz cut for him. Also, we are a Hockey loving family and I wonder if a heavy hockey helmet will hurt his head......or even fit properly, once he is old enough to get out on the ice. I imagine it resting on the side that is a bit more prominent and causing him pain because the weight isn't evenly distributed.> > So, there is a partial list of my regrets. I hope and pray that in time, you won't feel the same way.> If you reconsider your decicion and choose to move forward with this opportunity for your son, please keep posting. We will support you to the end.> > > > > > > >> > > > My son is having his DSI scan Wednesday at Cranial Tech after which he> > > will receive his DOC band. Something about it just feels wrong, though.> > > He's almost 18 months, full of talking, dancing, and personality. I keep> > > telling myself that it's no big deal, he will get used to it. His mom has> > > finally given in, though she still says, soberly and with quiet conviction,> > > "He doesn't need it." Basically, she's doing it for me, which also feels> > > wrong. At his evaluation the Cranial Tech clinician said, "Most likely, no> > > one will ever notice...but he is within treatment range (approx 10mm)." She> > > also characterized treatment at his age a "crap shoot" for various reasons,> > > not the least of which is that he could remove the helmet if he wanted to.> > > > I'm not sure if I've become so head-obsessed that I'm losing objectivity.> > > I'm trying to keep an open mind, looking at both sides of the argument.> > > I'm right at the doorstep of this thing, but something is telling me that,> > > though his head is flat in one spot, I'm making way too big a deal out of> > > this.> > > > Not sure how anyone can respond to this. It's not really a question per> > > se. I'm just a bit torn. I really don't like the idea of my boy in a> > > helmet for four (or more) months, and I'm not sure he really needs it.> > > > I should add that I tend to fixate on things in a big way...to the point> > > where it's all-consuming. Always have. I don't want to make the mistake of> > > entering my son into a course of therapy to satisfy my compulsion.> > > > Words of wisdom?> > > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > ------------------------------------> > >> > > For more plagio info