BJ Check Up- 3 Weeks

Today we went to see BJ.

He was THRILLED with what he saw when he took off Easton's helmet.

When we started 3 weeks ago his measurements were as follows:

Cranial Width: 140mm

Cranial Length: 144mm

Cephalic Index (width/length): 97%

Left anterior to Right posterior: 149mm

Right anterior to Left Posterior: 141mm

Cranial Vault Asymmetry (difference of L & R):  8mm

AND TODAY:

Cranial Width: 137mm

Cranial Length: 145mm

Cephalic Index (width/length): 94%

Left anterior to Right posterior: 142mm

Right anterior to Left Posterior: 144mm

Cranial Vault Asymmetry (difference of L & R):  2mm

This is such an encouragement to us!

We are SO thankful that we chose to have Easton in the helmet.

We're so thankful that he's responding so well to the remolding therapy.

We are also very thankful for BJ.  I'm so glad we chose to take him to BJ.

We go to see Dr. Kelly Wednesday so we'll see how he feels the progression is.

Back to BJ on the 17th of March

1 Day before his birthday.

His.1.year.birthday.

He's growing up way too fast.

3 Weeks

3 Weeks in the Helmet

2 weeks at 23 hours a day

We can tell a nice difference

It's not near as wide at his ears

And there's knots coming out on the back

We definitely feel we made the right decision

We go see BJ on Thursday for a check up and measurements.

Hoping for a big change in the cephalic index!

2 Week Check Up

Today we went to see BJ for our 2nd week check up.

He was very pleased with Easton's growth.

There are bumbs and knots coming out all over!

That sounds like a bad thing, but it's not, it's GREAT!

He will see us again next Thursday.

He'll take measurements of his head then for us to take to Dr. Kelly on March 2.

He's expecting 3-4% change on his cephalic index.

I'm anxious for those numbers!

So, here's the head pix for today.

2 weeks into treatment:

Look at that bump!

Now, that's what I call progress!

Easton continues to do wonderfully with his helmet.

He's napping and sleeping good with it and plays normally as well.

In fact, he's started trying to put it on himself when it's drying after we clean it.

We put it on the vent in the bathroom floor to dry and he'll go in there and get it and try to put it on his head!

Little stinker!

This has not been near as traumatic as what I thought it would be!

Such an encouragement to see this progress!

Happy Head Rounding!

Appointment with BJ

Our appointment with BJ went well yesterday.

He was pleased with Easton's head.

He could see a change in the bottom of his head...where most people have that bump that sticks out.

Easton didn't previously have that, but now he does.  It's coming out quite nicely.

He also cut the face part of the helmet out some so it opens up  his face more.

He looks like Easton again.

He also shaved some of the foam off the underside of the helmet around his face so it's more comfortable.

No more wonky eyebrow.
He can now look up and SEE you instead of his eyebrows pushing down.

We go back in another week.

We'll see how much progress is made then.

That will be a whole week of 23\1.

As for naps and sleep, those were my biggest concerns but he's doing well.

As long as you keep it cool (around 64-66) in his room he sleeps right through.

The helmet makes him really warm so to avoid overheating we keep it COOL.

Nevermind that Lance and I are fully clothed from head to toe all night!  ;)

23 Hour Day- SUCCESS

As far as the helmet goes, his first 23 hour day was a success. 

He slept fine with it, and played at school perfectly.

Easton....well, he's got a snotty nose, he's teething and tired...

so this afternoon was... well...exhausting.

But, we're praying for another good night's rest so we'll all be rejuvinated in the morning.

We've got our week appt with BJ tomorrow.

I'm excited to see what he thinks of Easton's head!



Night 1- Success

Easton slept just fine in his helmet all night!!!  :)

He was 'required' to wear it for 8 hours, but we left him in it all night. 
No need to wake a sleeping baby...right???

He wore it 10 1\2 hours.  That's the longest so far.

Until today.  Today is our first 23 hour day. 

Day 6- Night 1

Today was 8 hours day/ 8 hours night.

8 hours day went very well.

We went to church for the first time in his helmet.

The response was fine.  Not that I was expecting any different from my wonderful church family.

Helmet was on from 8-4

and on again at 7:45.

He nursed in his helmet tonight and I laid him down for bed...when normally my quiet baby drifts off to never never land...but tonight, up pops his little head in that big blue helmet.

I walked out of the room and the crying began.

It was short lived. 

3 minutes at most.

Right now he's asleep so we're hoping he stays that way.

IF by some chance he doesn't,

I'm blaming it on the snotty nose and the teeth about to make their way through. 

He was a little fussy tonight and didn't sleep worth a toot last night (without helmet) so I don't think we can blame the helmet IF he does wake up!

Here's hoping to a good night's rest.

Day 5

More of the same today.

Today's schedule was 6-8 hours on 1 hour off, twice.

Well...we kinda make our own schedule today

He wore from 8am-4:15pm

and

5:15pm-7:30pm

Today was our first 'outing'

He's worn it to school all week but today was the first day in stores.

We went to Hobby Lobby, Target and Joann's.

I didn't have any strange comments.

But...I have discovered there are 3 different kinds of people

The NO LOOKERS- you KNOW they see you, but they look beyond you at all cost, not knowing

whether to smile or cry...so they just don't look

Then you've got the LOOKERS- these people look...but they look at you pitiful like they feel really sorry for you/and baby

Then you have the ACTIVE LOOKERS- these people WANT so bad to look that they strike up a converstaion with you about how cute your baby is and what a pretty smile he has or how sweet his eyes are...all the while really wanting to say 'why does he have that helmet on?'

It's funny, everyone I made eye contact with I wanted so badly to say, 'there's nothing mentally wrong with my child, he's perfectly fine- see he can wave, clap, smile on command, he's just got a flat spot on his head and we're fixing it'.

But, I can't. 

I just smile and hope they see that we are happy!

And don't need any pity. 

:)

Happy Saturday!

Day 4

Today went well.

Today was 6 hours on 1 hour off, twice. 

Because of our schedule, we did 6 hours and 5 hours.

7am-1pm

2pm-7pm

Naps were a little off today.

He took 2 back to back short naps and no afternoon nap so he was a little fussy tonight.

I considered pulling the helmet off to see if it was bothering him, but I restrained.

He just needed a little extra TLC tonight.

Also, his head is a hot sweaty mess when the helmet comes off so we're gonna have to go back to baths every night.

When we took his thinkin cap off...we REALLY could see a difference. 

He did have a pretty definite straight line on the top of his head, but tonight it looked a bit rounded!

HOORAY!

So, all in all, 4th day was a success.

Day 3 with 'my thinkin cap on'

I've decided that I will lovingly refer to his helmet as his 'thinkin cap'. 

Dang. 

That would have been a good blog title. 

Oh well...we're fixing a flat head so no use back tracking now. 

So, Day 3 went like this:

Today was 2- 4 hour segments with his helmet on.

Daddy put on his thinkin cap this morning.

It took twice to get it on where it wasn't sitting funny on his brow.

He wore it from 7-11 and napped from 9:45-10:25 {this is normal- he's not a big napper}

He wore it again from 12:30-5:00. 

 He napped from 12:35-1:30 and took a small cat nap in the truck on the way home.

He's really adjusting nicely to his helmet.

Ms. C at school is very impressed with how well he is doing with it.

She said today "I really thought Easton might scream all week, but he's perfectly content."

In true Easton fashion, he goes with the flow.

Moving right along.

Tomorrow is 6 hours!  Man, that's a long time!

Helmet- Day 2

Day 2 of the Helmet went good.

Today he wore the helmet 3 times for 2 hour increments each.

He wore it from:

7:00-9:00am

10:30-12:40pm

2:30-4:30pm

My first attempt to get his helmet on this morning wasn't pleasant.

I couldn't get it open wide enough to get it on his bean.

The first attempt brought screams.

I took it off and tried again in a few minutes.

The 2nd attempt went well.

Both times at school he did great.

It was nice to have it off for the night so I could snug his little head!

Soon enough I won't get to snug that head as much as I want too.

Temporary...this is only temporary.

Helmet- Day 1

Today we picked up Easton's helmet.

Here is Easton's BH (Before Helmet) pix.  The side view is not as bad as the top view.

Easton has Brachycephaly.

Brachycephaly in a nut shell is where is head is wide and flat across the back.

Easton's Cephalic Index (ratio of width of the head multiplied by 100 and divided by it's length) is 97.222

100 would be square- same width as length.

BJ's goal for Easton is 81. 

His other measurements are pretty normal.  We won't see much change in the facial measurements.

The measurement across the top of his head (front left to back right and front right to back left) is only 7mm off.  He's seen them as bad as 30mm. 

That would be plagiocephaly.

Plagio is the asymetrical distortion (flattening of one side) of the skull. 

So, Easton has Brachycephaly.

His helmet will have a hollow point in the top back of his helmet.

The 'pressure' will be on the sides of his head where it's a little wider.

There really is no pressure, just the foam of the helmet touching his head.

The contact encourages growth to the hollow part of the helmet to round out the flattness.

BJ brought out the helmet, without any cosmetic adjustments.

He then wrote on the helmet and cut it to fit around Easton's face, neck and ears.

At this point the helmet was VERY snug.

Now, after the cuts were made it was less snug and fit better around his face.

He's not crying here, though it may seem that way.

He's got a new smile where he scruntches his whole face up!

SO,  he's still smiling, even with the helmet!

And, he's STILL Easton, even with the helmet!

He did really well today.

BJ does a transition week to ease him into wearing it 23 hours a day.

Today it was recomended that he wear the helmet 3 times, an hour on and hour off.

We did 4.  4's better than 3 right??

In the helmet:

9:10-10:10

11:10-12:10

1:15-2:15

4:40-5:40

He did really well.  A few times he'd tug on it or let out a holler but never cried about it.

It is a little snug around his face but BJ will adjust next week when we go back for our follow up.

It bothers us more than him.  It kinda makes his left eye look 'off' but it's not.

SO, all in all Day 1 was not so bad at all.
I had my fears, but they were all for nothing.

Hopefully Day 2 is just as successful!