How our pink helmet journey began...

When Morgan was 7 weeks old I noticed a spot on the back of her head that just didn't feel right to me. At her two month well check appointment I mentioned it to the pediatrician. He assured me this was normal in infants and as she started moving around more it would round out. However as Morgan got older the back of her began to flatten out on the back of her right side. I mentioned it at each of her appointments but was always assured that it would round out as she became more active. In October we requested to see a specialist, but after talking with our pediatricians we felt that wasn't really necessary. Yet, over the next two months we became more and more concerned with the flatness. In November we once again asked to be referred to a specialist. And as a result, the first of December we had an appointment to see a pediatric physical therapist. She has been an answer to our prayers. She noticed that Morgan had a mild case of torticollis. Basically torticollis is a tightening of the muscles in an infants neck. Some babies are born with this and through physical therapy it can be corrected. The torticollis may have caused the flatness on her head due to her favoring one side of her body over the other. She preferred to lie on one side verses the other. She preferred to use one arm over the other and rolled in one direction over the other.
We have met with the therapist several times now and we have seen much improvement. We have stretches that we do on her neck several times a day and activities that we do to encourage her to roll both directions as well as reach and grasp things with both arms. Our Physical Therapist recommended that we get a 3-D cat scan of Morgan's head to confirm that her sutures were still open allowing the skull to continue to grow. She also referred us to Dr. Kelly the director of the Craniofacial Surgery Center at Vanderbilt Medical Center. We had the cat scan done in mid December- which was a very emotionally draining day. Morgan had to be sedated during the scan to insure that she was perfectly still, and she did great but it was very hard to see her in that type of situation.
Our appointment with Dr. Kelly was on January 3rd. He reviewed the scan and assured us that her sutures are still open and her head is continuing to grow. Big Praise!!!! He confirmed the flatness in her head and recommended helmet therapy to correct the flat areas and to prevent her forehead from shifting and causing her eyes and ears to eventually become off set. Dr. Kelly told us that at this point it has improved on its own as much as it can it due to the torticollis it will probably only worsen with out the helmet. The helmet is traditionally used to treat children with Plagiocephaly. Plagiocephaly is the flattening of the skull usually related to positional problems or torticollis. Her official diagnosis is Anomolies of the skull and face bone. We are so thankful that we were able to get in to see him and to catch this problem in time.
We left his office and went straight over to the Restorative Health Services office for her casting. We were told that we might have to wait all day and that the casting would be a very emotional process for Morgan and us. Once again Praise God! We only waited for about 2 hours and Morgan was great during her casting. The casting takes about 15 minutes once it begins. They put a stocking over her head and then cut out the face. Then they applied very messy strips of plaster one at a time until her head was covered. Once it hardened they removed the cast and we were left with one messy little girl. She just set there and smiled. The only time she fussed was when we were finished and had to clean her off. She was amazing and it was very evident to us that God was in control of that day from the beginning to the end. Morgan will be wearing a cranial helmet. A common question is will the helmet apply pressure to her head and cause discomfort. A very MINIMAL amount of pressure will be applied. In this practice they do not modify the positive mold taken of her head so that the helmet will "squeeze" the high points of her head. Instead they create "relief" in the desired areas and allow the natural growth of the cranial bones to take over. Morgan will be wearing her pretty new PINK helmet 23 hours a day for 3 to 4 months. Every few hours we will have to take the helmet off to allow the skin time to breath and check for any skin irritations. She will learn to eat, sleep, and play in her helmet. Some people have asked, "Why Pink?". We were given several color options including yellow, green, and white but Will and I both agreed that she needed to be girly. So, why not Pink?
Will and I are both overwhelmed by the amount of support we have received from family and friends since announcing that Morgan would be needing this treatment. We are very thankful and blessed by your friendships and your prayers for Morgan and our family. We will be traveling back to Nashville on the 18Th to pick up her helmet. The first 48 hours will be scheduled to allow her time to adjust and after that she will start the 23 hours a day routine. After a brief time we pray this will just become a part of our "normal" life and we will all be use to the changes it will bring.
We will keep this blog updated as a way of keeping everyone informed about her progress. We will be taking Morgan to Vanderbilt once a month for the next 3 to 4 months. At this time we ask you to pray for the adjustment process for us all. We would also simply pray that this works. In the very small 5% chance the helmet therapy does not work Morgan would need surgery to correct the shifting and flattening of her skull to prevent any facial problems later on. We are resting on our assurance that God is in control. He has already been with us every step of the way and we know that he will continue to walk along side of us.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, Plans to give you a hope and a future.
I am sorry for the long post but wanted to update you on where we are at this time and how we got here.