My Little Astronaut

Just a little background on my very special little man. JD (AKA Stinky McStinkerson) was born on March 10, 2009 with sagittal craniosynostosis. He wasn't diagnosed until his 4 week appointment but Jeff and I both knew that something wasn't quite right about his head. The biggest indicator was Jacob's lack of a soft spot. Once we got the diagnosis, we went through the longest 6 weeks of our life. Jacob was diagnosed at 4 weeks and had a strip craniectomy at 9 weeks. One week after his surgery he was fitted with his first orthotic helmet.

There are two basic treatment options with cranio. If you're lucky, it's caught early enough and there is a qualified surgeon in your area, your child can get the less invasive endoscopic procedure. This procedure involves two small incisions through which the fused suture is removed. This procedure requires 9-12 months of helmet therapy to correct head shape. The other procedure involves an ear-to-ear incision and complete restructuring of the skull. Jeff and I chose to go with the endoscopic procedure and helmet therapy because we couldn't bear to even think about the other option.

When Jacob's first helmet was delivered, we put it on him and he fell fast asleep. We were so thankful that he didn't freak out! His transition into the helmet was much easier than ours. It took Jeff and I a LONG time to get past the staring. For those of you out there that don't know how to handle this situation, ASK IF YOU'RE CURIOUS!!! I would much rather explain why he wears the helmet than have you gawk at him like a freak. The idea of him wearing the helmet for a year was so daunting. It seemed like forever. As long as things continue as they are now, we are down to only 3 months left and we can't wait. I want to put hats on him and comb his hair. I want to be able to kiss his head and see his reaction because he can actually FEEL it. Mostly, I want to stop getting beat in the face with the darn thing!

Jacob is developing normally and even appears to be above the curve in some areas. In just 3 more short months, this will all be behind us. I. Can't. Wait.