Brachycephaly

Well... our journey started when we were referred to the Children's Hospital in Omaha for Landon to get a consultation at the Helmet Clinic.  When he was first born he would only turn his head to the right, lay to the right, and look to the right; which then caused a flat spot.  No matter what we did he would not look to the left.  Finally around 3 1/2 months he started looking both ways but by then, his head was already flat.  All summer I have worked with Landon trying to get him sitting up as much as possible and laying him on his left side when lying down.  However, you can't force your child to sleep on the same side the entire night.

When we went to Children's Hospital we were very pleased with what we experienced; however, we were disappointed with the facts.  They did not give us any concrete answers to whether he really needs one or not.  They basically left it up to us. (For a person who doesn't make decisions this was hard) They did talk about insurance a lot and the cost of the treatment.  It is very very pricey.  I left with a sick stomach for sure.  The entire drive home all I did was question.  To top it all off they were only giving us 48 hours to make a decision since the scans are only good for so long.

I really look up to the parents that have children with more severe conditions, this is something minor but it was one the of toughest decisions we had to make as parents. I couldn't even imagine what other parents go through. Yes, we could have not gone through with it but then what are the chances of it getting better on its own (probably slight)?  What if we don't go through with it and wish we would have and our window of opportunity passes? (which would be a in a few months), what if we go through with it and insurance doesn't pick up the costs?, am I being selfish for worrying about the costs?, shouldn't I do what's best for my child? and the list goes on.

When I got home I contacted my friend Wendy whose son went through the same thing.  She ended up going to a doctor in Kearney.   So, Landon and I headed to see Dr. Vyvlecka the next day for a 2nd opinion.  The doctor did the same scan that they did in Omaha however, he provided us with the actual scan and data which is what I was wanting to see, he is closer to home, and is cheaper.  The doctor called the condition Landon had  Brachycephaly; which is flat head or widened head.  They looked at many different measurements but the one that makes the most sense to me is when they looked at his diagonals from the front left to back right, and front right to back left. There was about an inch difference between the two diagonals.  That is huge.   The volume in the quadrants were also completely different showing his forehead is larger on one side as well.

It finally came down to a classification scale.  They looked at five different areas and rated that area on a scale from 1 to 5.  Scoring a 1 or 2 means they could monitor it without a helmet.  3 and above they recommend treatment.    Landon scored 3's and 4's in the majority of the categories.  He isn't as severe as some kids; however, it probably wouldn't change without treatment.

After an evening of talking about it and sleeping on it Kurtis and I decided to go through with the treatment.  We want to help Landon if we can and I don't want to regret not doing it down the road.  With me going back to school I will feel confident knowing that it is being treated and not have to worry about how much he is on the back of his head.  Now we are just praying that the doctor can prove to insurance that it is medically necessary.  However, with the numbers they showed us they should be able to.

Landon will head back to Kearney in 7-10 days to get fitted for his helmet and then we'll head there once a month for checkups.  Dr. V said he will probably wear it at least 3 months if not longer.  Just depends on how fast things work.  I am so thankful that our decision is made.  A huge stress has been lifted off my shoulders and I'm not staying up worrying anymore.  Thanks to everyone who was thinking of us and praying for us during the process and decision.  We'll keep you updated on the progress.