Re: please answer if you have had a starband

[Guest guest]

I had trouble putting on Jenna's STARband the first day. I went

back to the ortho and she showed me an easier way to put it on. I

dont know if i can explain how i did it or not. I would put one

thumb on each side of the opening toward the bottom. I would put my

other fingers at the top where the hole is. Then i would open it

that way. I would also put Jenna in her highchair while putting it

on. This way she wasn't moving everywhere. After the first few

days i could get it off and on quickly without her minding one bit.

Jenna's STARband did have sideburns. Please check out her photos.

Jenna's band needed a few trims to get the fit just right at the

beginning.

Can you post any pictures of in his band? Please keep us

posted.

Angie and Jenna(STAR grad 1/21/03)

> Hello,

>

> Today is Stepehen's first day in his Starband! i need some

answers

> please! Right now i just want to cry and throw it away. is it

just

> his helmet or are all of them hard to put on. i didn't know i

would

> have to pull it apart and tug it on over his little head? also he

is

> a brachy and although it doesn't move side to side it does slide

> forward and back! Is that normal? He is sweating pretty bad but

> from all the posts i have read i was expecting that and being in

Ga

> it is hot. He screams bloody murder when i put it on (stops after

5

> min). With the hour on hour off schedule today that is alot of

> crying, and it is so darn hard to get it on and off that i dread

it

> every hour. One more thing ( i know i am going on and on) should

> there be sideburns on the starband that come down to their

cheeks?

> Please answer! I need reassurance.

>

> Thanks,

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My son wore his STARband for 21 weeks and it does get easier to put

on and take off as you go. On the first day I was all thumbs, and

the band was much more stiff than I expected. The easiest way to do

it is to place the kiddo in a secure location, high chair,

exersaucer, on another persons lap, etc and then put the band on. To

put the band on, place your thumbs on the ear openings and your index

(first) finger on the top of the band at the opening. Pull the band

as far apart as you can pull it, and then slide it over the top of

the head making sure that the ears are centered. If you put it on

all off whack, off centered, just pull it apart by the ears and

wiggle it if you can til it is centered.

There are sideburns on the STARband and how low they go can depend on

the fit. Feel free to take a look at my son's pictures, Aidan K.

As for crying for 5 minutes as you put the band on, he may be

simply reacting to your nerves. I was so incredibly uptight about

putting the band on in the beginning, I know I made my son more

upset.

Just take a deep breath, kiss him on the forehead and give it another

try!! The best thing about the STARband's graduated start schedule

is that you get a lot of practice taking it off and putting it on the

first few days and that is also the worst thing about the start

schedule!!!!

It will be OK.

- mom to Aidan

--- In Plagiocephaly , " roguem22 " <MICHELLE@C...>

wrote:

> Hello,

>

> Today is Stepehen's first day in his Starband! i need some answers

> please! Right now i just want to cry and throw it away. is it

just

> his helmet or are all of them hard to put on. i didn't know i

would

> have to pull it apart and tug it on over his little head? also he

is

> a brachy and although it doesn't move side to side it does slide

> forward and back! Is that normal? He is sweating pretty bad but

> from all the posts i have read i was expecting that and being in Ga

> it is hot. He screams bloody murder when i put it on (stops after 5

> min). With the hour on hour off schedule today that is alot of

> crying, and it is so darn hard to get it on and off that i dread it

> every hour. One more thing ( i know i am going on and on) should

> there be sideburns on the starband that come down to their cheeks?

> Please answer! I need reassurance.

>

> Thanks,

>

[Guest guest]

,

My son has been wearing his STARband for about a week now. I have

no problems putting it on, but I do use the method that has been

explained. My husband and mother were putting it on by pulling on

the front and back and that is definitely more difficult, so . . .

As for the sliding, Austin's helmet moves both back and forth and

side to side. The orthotist said that as his head grew that would

become less and less. I sure hope so because as of now it pushes one

ear or the other forward while he is sleeping (he is a side sleeper).

Finally, the sideburns. Yeah, pretty goofy eh? However, they add

to the stability of the band I am told.

Hope this helps. You can look at pics of Austin and his band in

the photos.

Molly Yi

Austin, STARband since 5/3/04

> Hello,

>

> Today is Stepehen's first day in his Starband! i need some answers

> please! Right now i just want to cry and throw it away. is it

just

> his helmet or are all of them hard to put on. i didn't know i

would

> have to pull it apart and tug it on over his little head? also he

is

> a brachy and although it doesn't move side to side it does slide

> forward and back! Is that normal? He is sweating pretty bad but

> from all the posts i have read i was expecting that and being in Ga

> it is hot. He screams bloody murder when i put it on (stops after 5

> min). With the hour on hour off schedule today that is alot of

> crying, and it is so darn hard to get it on and off that i dread it

> every hour. One more thing ( i know i am going on and on) should

> there be sideburns on the starband that come down to their cheeks?

> Please answer! I need reassurance.

>

> Thanks,

>

[Guest guest]

Hi -

First of all I am so sorry you are having a hard time with all of this. It is

very difficult to get

use to this whole process. My son is also more Brachy. His helmet shifts also.

The helmet

is very hard to open unless you have the Orthotist cut some of the top off. His

2nd helmet

is a better fit and is soooo much easier to get on and off. I have photos of my

son under

ph. If the helmet goes over his eyes, there needs to be some

adjustment. I live

in Florida, so I know the hot!!! We are stuck doing things in A/C until this

process is all

over. Make sure he doesn't get too hot, I keep my a/c down to 74-75 degrees in

the

house. When you take off the helmet make sure that you see light red spots in

the right

areas that go away within the hour. The first few days are the worse, especially

during the

night. I still want to throw away the helmet regardless of getting use to it.

But, when you

start seeing the positive changes, you will like it more. How old is your

child? The

sweating takes a while. The body has to get use to the helmet. There is suppose

to be

some sideburns down to the ears. Take this one day at a time!

Good Luck!

Krissy

ph's mom

> Hello,

>

> Today is Stepehen's first day in his Starband! i need some answers

> please! Right now i just want to cry and throw it away. is it just

> his helmet or are all of them hard to put on. i didn't know i would

> have to pull it apart and tug it on over his little head? also he is

> a brachy and although it doesn't move side to side it does slide

> forward and back! Is that normal? He is sweating pretty bad but

> from all the posts i have read i was expecting that and being in Ga

> it is hot. He screams bloody murder when i put it on (stops after 5

> min). With the hour on hour off schedule today that is alot of

> crying, and it is so darn hard to get it on and off that i dread it

> every hour. One more thing ( i know i am going on and on) should

> there be sideburns on the starband that come down to their cheeks?

> Please answer! I need reassurance.

>

> Thanks,

>

[Guest guest]

Hi . Everything you're feeling is normal. I hated our

first day too and was so emotional. My son Dylan has been in his

Starband for 7 weeks now (he'll be 1 on Saturday). His band always

tilted from back to front and still does. They've trimmed it down

but it still tilts because of the gap in the back. He does have

the " sideburn " parts that come down over his cheeks. I know it's a

little shocking to see how big the helmet is at first. I guarantee

you, it will get easier. If I can get through this, anyone can. I

was so devastated that Dylan needed a helmet. Once we saw

improvement after about 3 weeks, my whole attitude changed. We know

that we're doing the best thing for him. The beginning is an

adjustment for everyone in the household. Keep the faith and know

that we're all here for you if you need to vent or just share a

story. I just posted pictures of Dylan so check them out under

Dylan F if you want. There's one of him in his Starband.

Beth

Grand Rapids, MI

--- In Plagiocephaly , " roguem22 " <MICHELLE@C...>

wrote:

> Hello,

>

> Today is Stepehen's first day in his Starband! i need some

answers

> please! Right now i just want to cry and throw it away. is it

just

> his helmet or are all of them hard to put on. i didn't know i

would

> have to pull it apart and tug it on over his little head? also he

is

> a brachy and although it doesn't move side to side it does slide

> forward and back! Is that normal? He is sweating pretty bad but

> from all the posts i have read i was expecting that and being in

Ga

> it is hot. He screams bloody murder when i put it on (stops after

5

> min). With the hour on hour off schedule today that is alot of

> crying, and it is so darn hard to get it on and off that i dread

it

> every hour. One more thing ( i know i am going on and on) should

> there be sideburns on the starband that come down to their

cheeks?

> Please answer! I need reassurance.

>

> Thanks,

>