What is Craniosynostosis and spring surgery

My son Weston has craniosynostosis of the right coronal fissure in his skull. Which means the fissure on the right side of his head is prematurely fused. A babies skull fissures are open to allow for head growth. Craniosynostosis can affect any of the skulls fissures. There can be a family link but it is often a random occurrence. If left untreated the fused fissures do not move as the head grows which will cause the head to become deformed.

We where lucky that we discovered his condition very early in his life., because it need to be corrected when the skull is growing, and the spring surgery has to be done when the baby is very young. In Weston's case four months old. The cut off age is different for each case. People often ask us how we discovered that Weston had this condition. Weston was a C section baby, so we were a little worried that his head was not round. His Daddy (Steve) noticed that one eyebrow was flat, and I noticed that one eye looked larger than the other. We asked our Pediatrician Dr Rodgers about it at our first appointment. He said it was most likely just from the birthing process, however that we would check if it looked like it had rounded out by our next appointment. I was having difficulty with breast feeding at first so I we were scheduled to come back the next week, to check to make sure Weston was thriving and I was scheduled to see a lactation specialist right before the pediatricians appointment. She also noticed that his head was still asymmetrical, she had noticed on the day of his birth, as did his Pediatrician but all where thinking that it was form being squished inside of me.

Because there had been no rounding out of Weston's eyebrow our pediatrician decided that it was time to see a specialist, at this time he was thinking that it could be something that could be fixed with a special kind of helmet, as he did not think it was Craniosynostosis because he could feel the fissures through Weston's skin, but with out CT scans and such there was no way of knowing. He sent us to a plastic surgeon named DR. Kilen who as soon as he saw Weston said that he thought it was Craniosynostosis because although he had a flat spot over his forehead his ears matched. He said if it was just misshapen from the birthing process his ear would of also been mashed back. He the explained a very scary sounding surgery, which was the traditional cranioplasty. He was very good at answering all our questions. He referred us to Dr Glazier a neurosurgeon ( who would of thought I would ever have to know a plastic surgeon or a neurosurgeons name) Who gratefully told us that Weston was a candidate for Spring Assisted Surgery which is why less invasive and also lessens the chance of follow up surgeries. Some thing that is quite the norm with the traditional surgery.

The prep in the months before the surgery was kind of cool they put this little sock on his head and taped a little box to that, then using a laser scanner (Like a bar code reader) they scanned his head from all sided as the did a 3-D animation of his head popped up on the screen and the tech could move it any way. Very cool. Then from his CT scan the made an actual 3-D model of his head, which the used to make the surgical springs. When it is all over with I am asking for the skull model after all I know our insurance paid for it, and being the boy that he is he will probably like to see it when he is older.

Spring-assisted cranioplasty they cut a centimeter of his skull out over the effected fissure and use medical springs to help the skull move to the correct position. In four months the springs will come out, and his new “fissure” will close along with the rest in his head, and his head should be nice and round. He will have a big zig zag scar but it will be covered with his hair, when he gits hair that is :) This condition in no way affects his cognitive development.

Weston's craniosynostosis surgery

Weston had his surgery on Friday, It went well but he was not a happy baby after. His IV got out of the vein somehow filled his arm up with fluids until it was tight and heard. :( , He got a fever and had a lot of swelling. His eyes swelled shut at one point. He also had some very painful gas. (poor little tooter) form the anesthesia. His surgery is on the side of the head so he is not allowed to lie on his back or right side. only on his left. He still has one eye mostly swelled shut, but he is feeling better, and the fever finally broke.
They sent us home with his protective helmet. I did not think it would be so big! poor little guy is kind of new at holding his head up now he has this big ol thing to hold up as well.
They’re where two other babies on the 8th floor that where crano kids. They were lucky to have almost no swelling and where up and playing in no time. I was happy for them but it made me feel worse for my little guy.
Hopefully the worst is behind us now, as we got our first big smile today. He is a very smiley guy and we sure did miss them. I am taking lots of photos to post on cappskids.org since he is bald, it will be easy to see the improvements in his melon:) I know that it was comforting to me to see before and after photos. I will also add some photos one here.

I WANT

My mind is like a loto machine with ping pong balls bouncing inside. Oh the things I need and want to do! how to start and how to stay on task has always eluded me. I am sure this is a common theme for many a creative person add motherhood into the mix and my ping pongs balls are really just a flying!

I am just going to write what is in my head so this is just a little exercise in free writing something I do now and then to try and focus.
Things I want and/or need to do. The things that cause guilt in my worried bouncy brain.

I need to clean this house I mean really clean with nothing but seasonal stuff in boxes! This task is so overwhelming that it makes my heart race. It would be more than lovely to have an organized home with places for everything and my art on display. I want the tables in our house to be clean and the dressers and the floor and everything! I want a good looking home that is a pleasure to have guest in. I has struggled with this my whole life. If I could change one thing about it it would be this I would be an organized neat person. It is the place that I most lack.

I want to finish my baby quilt, quilted purses, mosaic table, Ruthies mosaic cat and the sculptcher of Magic. Other projects I need to finish hanging the wall jewelry box, I got months and months ago and getting my jewelery off the dresser: also finish putting my silver charms in a shadow box and hang that on display also. It would be so nice to get all the wedding pictures in an album. I want to take photots of all my work and make a art book out of it. I would love to have a studio space again in which to do my thing. I am scattered here and there, but I know that is not the reason I am not completing my projects of stating new ones it is not the space but the mind that is causing my woes.

I want to get myself to the gym to swim laps and zumba, what is keeping me away! I want to make freeze ahead meals so that I can always have things on hand to make for dinner. For the last three years I have wanted to take riding lessons to brush up on my riding skills. How will I work this out. I would like to trail ride again. I want to find activities that my husband and I can do together, and then I want to do them.

I want to better use my God given talents.

I want to practice what I preach and be an example of togetherness for my son. I want to write things down in his baby book and actually print out some pictures. I don't want to be a scatterebrain where he is concered!

I WANT to stop dwelling all of this . I need to dewll on the light in my life for it is wonderus everything else will work it's way out I just have to make one ping pong ball of thought make its way into the hopper and work on that.