Helmet Head

Last Friday marked Will's first day wearing the helmet that will hopefully correct his misshapen head.  Now nearly a week later, Will seems accustomed to wearing it, and we have grown used to seeing it on his head.  He now looks "naked" without it!

Friday's fitting came about one week after a traumatic (probably more so for mom and dad) casting session during which Will's head was covered in netting and bandages to form a mold to use in creating the helmet customized to fit his head and promote growth where needed.  Though he screamed and cried throughout the process, Will's therapist, Karen, insisted that she had been able to achieve the perfect cast.  She praised all of us for helping her to do so; it was literally a four-person job!  Jim held Will while I sang to (I don't know how I found the strength to sing through my nerves!), held a pacifier for, and fed him with a bottle.  An assistant also took a turn feeding him.  Karen maneuvered around all of us to layer bandage after bandage on Will's head to make the cast that would later be sent to Arizona to be used in making his helmet.  While it was terrifying to watch, I knew that we were doing what we had to do to move forward in helping him. 

I wasn't able to capture any pictures or video of the process, as I was busy singing "The Wheels on the Bus" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" while trying to hold myself together, but you can watch the video below for an idea of what our brave boy experienced two weeks ago. 

 

After the casting session, last Friday's fitting was a breeze!  Karen walked me through the care of the helmet and taught me how to put the helmet on and take it off.  Surprisingly, Will didn't seem at all bothered by the helmet.  I expected that he would tug at it the way he has been doing with winter hats, but he didn't even seem to notice that it was there! 

 

Will will continue to wear the helmet for the next three months.  After three months of treatment, Will will be reevaluated.  *Hopefully* he will have a much rounder, more symmetrical head!

 

"Hey!  That helmet wasn't there this morning!"

"I think I like the way I look in this thing!"

 

"Who are you calling 'Helmet Head'?"

 

 

Initially, I thought that I might paint the helmet to make it look like a Packers helmet...but then I chickened out, afraid of making a mistake on a very expensive helmet.  So, I used stickers and Mod Podge to make a Badgers helmet instead. 

 

 

To learn more about plagiocephaly and helmet treatment, check out this video created by another mommy to a "Helmet Head":