2nd Cranioversary!!

3rd Birthday! 

This post is just shy of a month overdue but I was motivated to write after receiving a message from a fellow cranio mom last night. The main point of this blog was to keep friends and family updated on Finn's progress. But I also wanted it to serve as tool for fellow cranio parents and I am glad it is doing that. Receiving a diagnosis that you've never heard of can feel very lonely at first! I found reading stories of what others had been through very reassuring. I am thankful we live in an age where Google can link someone to this blog and Facebook can allow them to message me... especially when that someone is seeing the same doctors we did!! I am so glad a cranio mom found me and I hope I can ease the anxiety she is experiencing.

Anyway, as the title mentions, we just celebrated Finn's second cranioversary. It's hard to believe that two years have passed. Before I give the medical update, I will gush for a second about how smart I think he is, how independent he has become and how much he loves (or has grown to love :)) his baby sister.

We've been busy chasing these two around but we did make it in to see Dr. Williams (plastics) last month for Finn's annual check up. It was pretty consistent with his one year post op appointment but we are leaning a bit more towards the likely-hood of a 2nd surgery. I know that probably seems crazy and well it is... but probably not as crazy as you think. From a neurological standpoint, there is no ICP (intracranial pressure), no developmental delays, etc. But from an aesthetic standpoint, there is room for improvement. A second surgery would be nowhere near as invasive as the first. Very minimal cutting of the skull... if any at all. The primary focus would be softening the cone-like appearance of his head and building out his temples. If you look back at this post showing what was done during his original surgery, you can see where they cut into his skull to pull his forehead back. Well a ridge has formed where the cut was made and Dr. Williams believes they will be able to shave that down a good bit. You're probably thinking that you've never noticed that before... and most of the time you don't. But it's pretty obvious to me! His temples were also corrected during the first surgery but the improvements didn't seem to stand the test of time. I don't blame the doctors for this. It's hard to predict how heads will change and his surgery was done much later than it probably should've been.

At Dr. Williams's office for check up with sissy
(Don't compare your kids but notice the difference in head shapes)

Now there is still a chance that things will change over the next few years. (A second surgery wouldn't be done until he was at least 5 years old.) And at that time, it would ultimately be our decision to go ahead with the surgery or not. I struggle with the fact that it would be for aesthetic reasons and that it shouldn't matter what he looks like. I do think he is pretty perfect as is but you know what I mean. It puts us in a tricky spot. At first, it was impossible to think about ever having to go through anything remotely like that again. Well time has eased that anxiety ever so slightly and I think we trust his doctors to advise us on what is best. But he will also be much older and more aware and probably able to remember it.

So we will wait. We will give him time to grow. We will give his face some time to change and in two more years his head shape may seem less severe. For now we will just be grateful we have a happy, healthy, smart boy... even if he snores like an old man.

And fellow mom, if you are reading, don't let this post scare you. All cases are unique and your little one is in the best hands!! You too will be on the other side soon enough!!