Ding-Dong! The Helmet is Gone

The last 4+ months have been quite the ride for us as a family. At Cruz’s four month well child appointment, Cruz was diagnosed with torticollis and plagiocephaly. Looking back at old photos of Cruz, it’s clear that if Cruz had been seen by a proper pediatrician this would have been diagnosed at his two month appointment or earlier. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s hard to see the incompetence in a medical provider from the beginning. It’s even more challenging when you live in a small town with very few options for medical care. Since he wasn’t able to be seen by a physical therapist from the start of life, he developed a very severe case of torticollis which most likely brought on his moderate case of plagiocephaly. At six months Cruz was fitted for a helmet to work on his plagiocephaly. Since his case was not severe, we were told the process should take between two to four months with some children being done as quickly as one month. We all felt confident that this was the right decision for Cruz, but we were overwhelmed as this was something we never encountered with the girls.

The last 4+ months have been hard. The stares were hard. The comments and questions were hard. Hygiene was hard. At home physical therapy was hard. Trying to keep Cruz from becoming overheated was hard. Turning down play dates, because of constant medical appointments and the heat, was hard. Getting Cruz comfortable enough to get quality sleep was hard. It was hard.

This morning Cruz’s head was measured, and he was released from having to wear his orthopedic helmet. This helmet has been a part of him, 23 hours a day each and every day, for nearly half of his life. I’m filled with joy that I can now nuzzle my baby boy and feel his soft fluffy hair rather than a rough and heavy helmet. I can kiss his forehead immediately when he’s sad, rather than making a few attempts to get his skin rather than the helmet. He can swing at the park without fear of heat related problems. He can be the active baby he wants to be without the additional strain on his already weak neck. He can charge up to his sisters without angering them with scratches or bumps. I can hold him close without fearing I’ll be smacked by his helmet and given a swollen lip.

Today I have a happy heart. I can’t wait to see this little guy take on his world, prosthetic-free.

 

Heading out

Happy to be heading home, helmet-free