He’s getting a helmet.
When Stryder was in the womb, he decided to be head down and lay essentially on his right side for about 10ish weeks. Therefore, when he was born, his neck was very tight.
In the first few weeks of life, we noticed that he didn’t turn his head left and wanted to constantly lay on his right side. We discussed this with our pediatrician and discussed various things we could do.
We didn’t notice much improvement, so we signed him up for physical therapy at our next appointment. (I was very okay with the fact that Stryder may need to be in a helmet).
Stryder was officially diagnosed with torticollis and plagiocephaly. These are just fancy terms for a tight neck (torticollis) and a flat head in one area due to pressure on that side of the head (plagiocephaly).
We worked hard on all of the at-home stretches PT gave us so that we could do everything in our power to help him get stronger. Putting the helmet on as soon as possible is recommended, as the head can go flat quickly and take a lot more to round it out. A child has the most significant head growth spurt between 4-6 months.
As the weeks went on, we did see improvement in the torticollis; however, we didn’t see much progress in the plagiocephaly. I was starting to get nervous about what getting a helmet would look like. My stomach would feel like a pit…
Thinking back to Archer, we went to the ER for something we thought was a simple illness that needed to be checked out. Then, after scans, he was admitted and had a horrible diagnosis and outcome. I was just worried that getting a simple scan for Stryder would lead to awful outcomes.
It didn’t – he still has plagiocephaly, and that’s all. Not dealing with it now could have potential consequences, so Theo and I decided to do everything possible to correct what we can now.
Then I thought back to Archer having an NG tube on his cheek and how I had a hard time not seeing all of his face. He was still handsome, but I felt I was missing a piece of him. I worry that I would also start missing a piece of Stryder with his helmet on for 23 hours daily. (I still don’t know about this, as he doesn’t have it yet.)
Now, all of this, and we still have a bit to go in the process, like getting the pictures/mold for the helmet and then getting it fitted. (Then I am going to decorate it so it’s ‘fashionable.’)
I’m not ashamed that he will be wearing a helmet. It’s the decision we felt was best for Stryder today and his future. I know he is going to still be handsome in it, too. (I’m sure I’ll update the blog on how it feels to finish this process and see him in his helmet down the road.)
Who ever thought that something so ordinary as a child needing a helmet could bring up so many feelings and emotions as it did? Some people may think these comparisons are nothing alike or that I should get over it, but this is how real trauma can manifest in small, everyday ways.
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