Thursday, January 14, 2010
Too Long Between Posts!
As I have started this new year I have thought about the many things I have to be grateful for. Here are just a few and in no particular order:
1) We didn't have to do surgery!
2) We didn't go over the allowable for physical therapy!
3) The insurance paid 90% of the helmet!
4) I have a healthy and happy 15 month old baby girl!
5) I have a healthy and happy 4 year old big girl!
6) I have a healthy and happy 9 year old boy who thinks he is an adult!
7) I have a healthy and happy 10 year old boy who changes more diapers then his big brother!
8) I have a healthy and happy 13 year old boy who doesn't complain about babysitting! (Maybe that is because he gets his little brother to change the diapers!)
9) The helmet did it's job!
10) I have a wonderful husband who loves being a dad!
11) I can kiss my baby's head!
12) Maycie's wonderful sense of humor! She is always smiling!
13) All of our family and friends who have been so helpful and supportive!
14) A good team of doctors! Especially our pediatrician who got the ball rolling in the first place!
15) My Father in Heaven who has watched over me and my family!
I know there are a few things in there that might seem silly. I included all of my children separately because I couldn't have done it without them! They were so wonderful! I know kissing her head seems silly but that was one thing that I really missed while she had her helmet. Her sense of humor was what made it all possible! I don't know if I could have handled it if she wasn't so easy going about EVERYTHING! I also know that my Father in Heaven was there with me the whole way helping me do the things I needed to do. Not to mention that He was with Maycie holding her in the palm of His hand.
I hope this is helpful and I will figure out something to write about next month! If you have an idea or a question that you think I might be able to answer let me know! I would love the help!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Graduation Day!
We have come so far in the last 8 months. In some ways it is hard to believe it has been that long. In others it feels like an eternity! I remember our very first appointment and our therapist looking at Maycie and the shock in her voice when she said what a tilt we had going on! And then when I told her it was actually an improvement and that it had been worse, wow! I look back at the pictures and it is the same kind of thing.
Today I talked with our therapist about how glad I am that we did this. When I came home from Maycie's 4 month well visit and had to tell people we were going to have to do therapy I couldn't say it without bursting into tears. I remember how the thought of a helmet at that point made me sick to my stomach. And what in the world could they do with a baby for "physical therapy" for an hour?! And at our first therapy appointment I remember our therapist going over the steps and mentioning a helmet and thinking "please, please, please don't let her have to do a helmet!" I remember an overload of information! The x-ray's of her neck and head just to be sure. The first visit with the Plastic Surgeon. Getting the helmet process started. By this point praying the insurance would cover the helmet. Funny how I had come full circle from, please don't let her have to have one to please let her get it. The awful absess on the back of her head and then a scan to make sure we didn't need to do surgery. By the time we got the second helmet I was so grateful that was all we needed to do that it really seamed like no big deal! And helping me through it all was our physical therapist! Our pediatrician is amazing and so is our Plastic Surgeon. But when you start out seeing someone every week and end up with only once a month they are more like a friend.
Our therapist kept saying today that it was all me and my hard work that got Maycie where she is now. I have to say a great big NO to that! We had a wonderful team that made sure we covered every base and kept me doing what I needed to do. We had an amazing support system of friends and family that never quit praying for us. Who, when they would hold her would ask me if she was looking/tilting the right way! Who helped me realize and understand this was not my fault. And most of all there was Maycie! I have to say (again!) she really has been a trooper through all of this! She has worked hard and it shows! The last big piece of the puzzle was my Father in Heaven. His peace was with me continually and I know the reason she did so well with everything was because He was with her, helping her with this.
I know one thing that helped me work through this was talking about it. Not being afraid to say this is what we are going through and then finding a way to try and help other people who might be going through the same thing. Starting this helmet blog was one of the best things I did! I think it taught me a life lesson to not try and hide my problems away and pretend they aren't there but to face them head on and then mow them over! You never know who you are going to meet that can help you (or that you may be able to help) if you just let it out there!
Thank You again for all of your prayers, love, support, I could go on all day! I have felt it lifting me continually! We could not have done this without you all! I hope this blog has been able to find someone who has needed it. I hope it has helped someone, anyone in some way! Again, if there is something you would like to add make a comment and share with us! We would love to hear!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A Year Different From Any Other!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Portraits!
One thing I would highly recommend is having some professional pictures done! We had some family pictures taken and had her do some pictures of Maycie in her helmet. I am so glad that we did! They are so wonderful and I am so glad that we will have these forever.
You don't have to spend alot of money on them. Even some place like Target or Wal-mart, but something to make it special. You want them to know about this part of their life. And at least for me, embracing it has made it so much easier!
Ours were done by a friend and she really is amazing and does a wonderful job with all kinds of portraits! If you are interested in seeing some more of her work you can find her at: http://portraitsbyemily.blogspot.com/ Thanks again for everything Emily!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
There is Life After The Helmet!
This is Maycie at our first appointment at Fit Well.
She was about 5 months old.
This is the back of her head now! I should have taken it from the side! But you can't even tell anymore! The plastic surgeon was telling the intern (I think it was an intern!) with him today about the bump on the back of her head because they wondered why we were so excited over the back of her head!
Everything looks so much better it is almost hard for me to believe! It has been a long road. I will not deny that. This has been the last 6 months of my life and almost 2/3 of hers! We are still doing physical therapy. I am hoping we will see a drastic improvement there now that the helmet is off. I will go and do until we are done. I don't want to give up and then have her regress. Besides that therapy hasn't been bad! They are more like a friend then anything else!
Thank you to everyone for visiting and your comments! I think I am going to add a new gadget so we can "converse" a little easier! If anyone else has wisdom ideas for decorating the helmets anything else they would like to share I would be glad to do a post with your insights. Please e-mail them to me at the address on the right! Also is there anything specific that I should be blogging about? Keep the comments coming! I need your help to know if this blog is helping! Thank you!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Make it Yours!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
THANK YOU!
I would like to thank you for your comment! It is so good to hear from someone who is done and can say that this is but a moment and it will seem so short in the big picture of it all. I would like to know how you found us! I hope this means that this is getting out there! If you know of others in your same situation please let them know about it also. I really feel you can help us! So again, thank you, thank you, thank you. I just can't say it enough!
To Chelsea,
I hope all is going well with you and that you are adjusting to life with the helmet. Keep it up! And my advice to you is the same as Inquiring Mind's was to me, don't be so hard on your self! Find the humor in all of this. It is those things that will help get you through.
I would love to hear from both of you. Please e-mail me. It would be really great to be able to "talk" with you!
Thank you again for helping to lighten my load a little!