And The Results Are In…

L.J. had his third physical therapy/head scan appointment yesterday morning. I was pretty certain what the outcome of the appointment would be, and I was correct. L.J. will soon be sporting a helmet.

We started off the appointment with PT and received a glowing report from the therapist. L.J. has increased his left head tilt by another 10 degrees and it now falls in the “normal” range. See ya later, torticollis!

I like doing these periodic physical therapy appointments because the therapist gives me a great picture of where L.J. is developmentally. She points out interesting things I would never think to look at. For example, I asked about sitting up and she showed me how to hold him so that he can develop the core strength muscles he needs to sit independently. She was also able to tell me where he is in the process (a ways off!) based on what he did with his arms when put into a sitting position. I find it all quite fascinating. (In case you are wondering, PT/OT is a career I *wish* I had considered pursuing. Hindsight is 20/20.)

After his PT appointment, we took another head scan. If you want to see how this scan turned out, just reference the previous head scan picture I posted. There is almost no difference between last month’s scan and yesterday’s scan. As soon as I saw the image on the screen, I knew we were getting a helmet.

I selected a solid light blue helmet for L.J. and I’m curious to see what it looks like when it arrives. They all look a little different depending on each baby’s individual needs. He will wear it full-time for 12-16 weeks, and then I think he will probably wear it at night only for a while after that. The only downside to his helmet is that he’s getting it right before summer starts. I hope that he doesn’t get too hot wearing it!

It’s really hard to capture L.J.’s plagiocephaly on camera, but the picture below gives an idea. You can kind of see how his head is wide and flat in the back. Regardless, I’m hoping that I can take periodic pictures of his progress and be able to share a nice round head later this summer!

Day 1: Helmet Ordering Day