/ Re: Help! My daughter is not adjusting to her DOC

February 15, 2006

Thanks so much for writing back - it really helps to get a kind word

when things are going so rough.

UTI's suck...I am prone to them. I hate the taste but cranberry

juice really does help. (Not sure how old Cece is and if she can get

juice yet). Also, the more fluids you can get into her the better

because although it will make her pee more (which hurts) it hurts

less when there is alot to pee out and it will flush the bacteria

out faster. HOpe it's over quick.

Olivia has quite a bit of hair but she did get a bald spot in the

back from fighting the repo and the hair is not growing back there

in little fuzzies. In the middle of that is the pink spot. Can I

put the moleskin on that, over her hair?

She did get a DOC band but she also had a Starscan. I live in

Calgary, Canada and at the end of Jan they transferred over from

using the DOC's to the StarBands. AFter doing some research I

thought I wanted the DOC because that's what the OT's here are

familiar with. I didn't want Olivia to be part of the transition.

The OT herself said she didn't feel comfy with the new STarband and

that they have " never put it on a live child yet " . Didn't give me

the warm fuzzy. So I fought tooth and nail and got Olivia casted

for a DOC right before the change. WE have public health care so

basically the medical personnel here are doing YOU the favour by

being willing to see you. It took me 2.5 mths to have someone just

LOOK at her, never mind talk about banding etc.

As far as the pink spot is concerned she said that, yup, she will

get one and unless it gets to med/dark pink/red there's nothing they

can do. It has never faded completely even when I took off the band

for 4-5 hours. At best it stays med pink but gets slightly

smaller. Today at the adj she did shave out some in that spot so

maybe that will help. Here in Calgary they tend to only band kids

around 8-9 mths old because there is such a waitlist so they seem

quite resentful that I got my 5.5 mth old in. Their attitude (one

nurse mentioned to me)is that I pushed some older kid whose window

of opportunity is shutting out of order. I didn't - I just merely

pushed for the best care and said if we were going to band at all in

the future I wanted a DOC and (very surprisingly) when I laid out my

reasons to the neurosurgeon he said OK. I got lucky. An

acquaintance I have will only be able to bring her son in for his

first ever look at 8 mths (he's 5 mths now). The squeaky wheel

thing is true and I was very squeaky.

As far as StarScan measurements...they used the scanner as a guide

whether or not to band her but neither the OT or the neurosurgeon

would even look at the report. " Don't care about numbers, just how

baby looks " was what they told me. She got casted for a DOC and put

it on Jan 25. Her Starscan measurements on Jan 6/2006 were:

Diff between two diagonals: 17.2mm

Cephalic Ratio: 74.4%

Anterior Symmetry Ratio: 87.7%

Posterior " " : 83.7%

Overall " " : 85.7%

Upper Face Left : 84.9%

Upper Face Right : 79.7%

Upper Facial " " : 84%

Ear Offset : 6.6mm

These are all I have and no one has been able to really explain too

much about them. Olivia was one of the first babies they ever used

the scan on. The OT just said it was pretty severe and that she

would get her band.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am really hoping tonight

goes better! I willing be pulling out the Tylenol for sure!

Thanks and I hope to hear back!

>

> ,

> I feel for you! I was up 6 times with Cece last night. She has a

UTI

> and is teething. I am a Zombie.

> Maybe your clinician can put a moleskin on that spot. Dane had

one

> for a little while and it really helped.

> Are you using a DOC Band or a STARband? A DOC Band is going to be

> made from a cast of your dd's head. A STARscanner is used to make

a

> STARband.

> I hope tonight is better!

>

February 15, 2006