Re: Questions about a 3rd band

[Guest guest]

Honestly - only you can answer that question. What you need to know

is, if there is no more improvement, will you be happy with his head?

If it is something you will worry about then you know the answer. Now

is the only time you can fix this issue. Obviously, with a few weeks

left you will see more improvement. And it is something you can revisit

after he is out of the band for a bit to see how you feel. At 9 mo. you

still have wiggle room... some don't even start this soon!

Jen

Mom to Luli - 3 yrs old

Torticollis, Plagio, Syringomyelia

Questions about a 3rd band

My son Ellis (9mo yesterday) has been in a DOCband since early

September. He's nearing the end of his 2nd band with likely another 4-6

weeks left. He had severe plagio with a CVA of 17mm to start and some

facial asymmetry (cheek and ear). At our visit last week the CVA was

down to 6mm. Our therapist mentioned that she didn't think a 3rd band

would be necessary as he'll likely get some continued improvement in

his last weeks in the band and his facial asymmetry is mostly

corrected. She asked me how I was feeling about how Ellis' head looks.

I hadn't even thought a 3rd band was an option so was a bit surprised.

Now I'm trying to weigh whether I think a 3rd band would be something i

want to advocate for...

Generally i am thrilled about the improvement that we've seen. Ellis'

head looks so much better than it did, his ears are pretty much aligned

and the asymmetry in his cheek is not noticeable to someone who doesn't

know about it. There is definitely still some room for improvement

though, the back R side of his head is still a bit flat and the L

forehead is filling out but still slightly angled. And this is why i'm

slightly torn. I'm leaning towards not banding again, but wanted to

make sure I considered all sides before making a decision. When I weigh

another 3-4 months in a new band vs. the way Ellis' head is now, I

don't know if it will be worth it. What have your experiences been with

a 3rd band at this age? Will the amount of improvement be worth the

additional time? Cost is not realy an issue to me, we've been lucky

that our insurance has covered the bands thus far and paying out of

pocket for a 3rd would be manageable. I'd really appreciate your

thoughts and experiences as i weigh this decision.

Best regards and Happy New Year.

Ophelia ( 3.3 with a perfectly round head and Ellis 9mo DOCband

since 9/2009)

NYC