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

[Guest guest]

,Wow, you are in a tough situation. In my daughter's case, there was no question of whether to band. The neurosurgeon said she needed it(14.5mm) and the orthotist said that banding would help her(she was banded at 8 months.) At the initial consultation, I remember asking the orthotist where my daughter fell in the banding range. He said that he'd banded more severe and certainly banded less severe. I knew that banding was right for my daughter who had classic plagio from torticollis. Her head was deformed and it was evident to any lay person. She also had bossing and ear(6mm) and very slight facial asymmetry. After 15 weeks in a band, she was within normal measurements. She has continued to improve since the band came off and measures 1mm. She looks great. I think it is always a tougher

decision when cases are milder. However, at 10mm, I would say that's significant. If you don't band, are you always going to look at your son's flat head and think that you could have done better by him by giving banding a shot? Can you live with that regret? Kids can be cruel. Think about how your son would feel if he is teased by other kids or better yet, how you would feel if it were you.I can't tell you what is right for your family and son. That's a personal family decision. However, this is your last shot at banding b/c of your son's age(our provider would not band past 18 months.) Having your child wear a band is not that big of a deal (though it may seems so at first) and you as well as he will get used to it. I never cared what people thought in the short term. I looked at the long term benefits. If I were you, the only thing that would make me think twice about banding is his age. However, results really can vary based on each

individual child and some older children have gotten at least some improvement. You are very fortunate to have your insurance cover the band. Many folks pay out of pocket for the band entirely. When the time came to decide whether to discontinue the band for my daughter. She measured about 2.5 mm at the time and I asked the orthotist what he would do. He said that if she were measuring in the 5-6mm range he would say, let's continue treatment. Even though your son is older, he is well above that 5-6mm range. It seems like with the way you are agonizing over this decision, that if you don't band, you will regret not having tried to do something. In the band world, 1k for a band is a steal. Bands are safe and there's really no risks. It seems like you don't have much to lose. You shouldn't focus on how you feel about your son wearing the band. This decision is about him, not about how you feel about seeing him in a band.Good luck

with your decision and keep us posted. I'm glad that you are your wife were able to work this out. Compromise is a very important part of life and marriage.Best of luck!-Amy From: K <jasonkapell@...>Plagiocephaly Sent: Sun, December 19, 2010 7:39:39 PMSubject: Fitting, scan scheduled, but still many questions and doubts

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?

[Guest guest]

Pretty much, his age is the only thing causing hesitation.  On Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 9:39 AM, Amy McGinnis <mcg_woo@...> wrote:

,Wow, you are in a tough situation. In my daughter's case, there was no question of whether to band. The neurosurgeon said she needed it(14.5mm) and the orthotist said that banding would help her(she was banded at 8 months.) At the initial consultation, I remember asking the orthotist where my daughter fell in the banding range. He said that he'd banded more severe and certainly banded less severe. I knew that banding was right for my daughter who had classic plagio from torticollis. Her head was deformed and it was evident to any lay person. She also had bossing and ear(6mm) and very slight facial asymmetry. After 15 weeks in a band, she was within normal measurements. She has continued to improve since the band came off and measures 1mm. She looks great.

I think it is always a tougher

decision when cases are milder. However, at 10mm, I would say that's significant. If you don't band, are you always going to look at your son's flat head and think that you could have done better by him by giving banding a shot? Can you live with that regret? Kids can be cruel. Think about how your son would feel if he is teased by other kids or better yet, how you would feel if it were you.

I can't tell you what is right for your family and son. That's a personal family decision. However, this is your last shot at banding b/c of your son's age(our provider would not band past 18 months.) Having your child wear a band is not that big of a deal (though it may seems so at first) and you as well as he will get used to it. I never cared what people thought in the short term. I looked at the long term benefits. If I were you, the only thing that would make me think twice about banding is his age. However, results really can vary based on each

individual child and some older children have gotten at least some improvement. You are very fortunate to have your insurance cover the band. Many folks pay out of pocket for the band entirely. When the time came to decide whether to discontinue the band for my daughter. She measured about 2.5 mm at the time and I asked the orthotist what he would do. He said that if she were measuring in the 5-6mm range he would say, let's continue treatment. Even though your son is older, he is well above that 5-6mm range.

It seems like with the way you are agonizing over this decision, that if you don't band, you will regret not having tried to do something. In the band world, 1k for a band is a steal. Bands are safe and there's really no risks. It seems like you don't have much to lose. You shouldn't focus on how you feel about your son wearing the band. This decision is about him, not about how you feel about seeing him in a band.

Good luck

with your decision and keep us posted. I'm glad that you are your wife were able to work this out. Compromise is a very important part of life and marriage.Best of luck!-Amy

From: K <jasonkapell@...>

Plagiocephaly Sent: Sun, December 19, 2010 7:39:39 PM

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

 

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?

[Guest guest]

,Not sure when you actually posted this . . . Hopefully you have seen the posts that I have sent through to you (and the rest of the group). We started treatment of my just-turned-two daughter at 21 months. We are seeing notable but subtle progress. I am very pleased with the results thus far, and feel nothing but relief having moved forward.I feel your agony in making this decision. I too agonized - for more than a year. What finally made me move forward, with clear conviction, was the thought that on her wedding day (assuming that she will have one and that I will be there for it) I would notice her head shape rather than simply experience the joy of the occasion. I also imagined that I would resent my husband, who was also adamantly opposed (it is still a tough topic to discuss, though he is involved with ensuring that she wears it and that it gets cleaned daily). And I imagined the years of noticing her head shape, and the guilt/regret that would go along with it, and realized that the rest of my life is much longer than any amount of time that she might be in a helmet, even if it is relatively - for a helmet - a long time.Again, not sure if this is helpful but I hope so as I so much relate to your situation.AmyZia, 2 years, STARband since 21 monthsChico, CAOn Dec 22, 2010, at 6:08 PM, Kapell wrote:Pretty much, his age is the only thing causing hesitation. On Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 9:39 AM, Amy McGinnis <mcg_woo@...> wrote:,Wow, you are in a tough situation. In my daughter's case, there was no question of whether to band. The neurosurgeon said she needed it(14.5mm) and the orthotist said that banding would help her(she was banded at 8 months.) At the initial consultation, I remember asking the orthotist where my daughter fell in the banding range. He said that he'd banded more severe and certainly banded less severe. I knew that banding was right for my daughter who had classic plagio from torticollis. Her head was deformed and it was evident to any lay person. She also had bossing and ear(6mm) and very slight facial asymmetry. After 15 weeks in a band, she was within normal measurements. She has continued to improve since the band came off and measures 1mm. She looks great. I think it is always a tougher decision when cases are milder. However, at 10mm, I would say that's significant. If you don't band, are you always going to look at your son's flat head and think that you could have done better by him by giving banding a shot? Can you live with that regret? Kids can be cruel. Think about how your son would feel if he is teased by other kids or better yet, how you would feel if it were you.I can't tell you what is right for your family and son. That's a personal family decision. However, this is your last shot at banding b/c of your son's age(our provider would not band past 18 months.) Having your child wear a band is not that big of a deal (though it may seems so at first) and you as well as he will get used to it. I never cared what people thought in the short term. I looked at the long term benefits. If I were you, the only thing that would make me think twice about banding is his age. However, results really can vary based on each individual child and some older children have gotten at least some improvement. You are very fortunate to have your insurance cover the band. Many folks pay out of pocket for the band entirely. When the time came to decide whether to discontinue the band for my daughter. She measured about 2.5 mm at the time and I asked the orthotist what he would do. He said that if she were measuring in the 5-6mm range he would say, let's continue treatment. Even though your son is older, he is well above that 5-6mm range. It seems like with the way you are agonizing over this decision, that if you don't band, you will regret not having tried to do something. In the band world, 1k for a band is a steal. Bands are safe and there's really no risks. It seems like you don't have much to lose. You shouldn't focus on how you feel about your son wearing the band. This decision is about him, not about how you feel about seeing him in a band.Good luck with your decision and keep us posted. I'm glad that you are your wife were able to work this out. Compromise is a very important part of life and marriage.Best of luck!-Amy From: K <jasonkapell@...>Plagiocephaly Sent: Sun, December 19, 2010 7:39:39 PMSubject: Fitting, scan scheduled, but still many questions and doubts 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?