Re: Getting a second helmet - switching from STAR to DOC - anyone else done this?

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

We started with a STARband and switched to a DOCband. I never felt

the STARband fit well and his progress was really slow (also about a

mm a month). It always rotated to the right (folding his left ear

over when he slept) and I felt the front of his head just got more

and more lopsided. I don't know how much of that was the helmet and

how much was the undiagnosed/untreated tort. The doctor's kept

telling me the tort was 'nothing', but the DOCband ortho finally

confirmed that he truly did need therapy. (Thank god - his gross

motor skills were also slowed and had he not started PT when he did

it would have only gotten worse!) He's been wearing his DOCband for

about 3 1/2 months now and looks much better. I don't know the 30

degree asymmetry numbers since the DOCband location measures

differently, but in my eyes he looks much better. I used to be

horrified when I look in the mirror and now I still see the

asymmetry, but I'm not sick to my stomach when I see it. We've been

flying from SF to LA and it's been SO worth it. Since he's older

(12 months when he got the band) we only have to go every 3 weeks.

Since I think he still needs improvement we're getting him casted

this Friday for another band. He's good enough to stop now and no

one would notice anything odd, but his brachy numbers are still 88-

89 and he could use a little more rounding in the front. He's also

got facial scoliosis from the untreated tort, so I want to do

everything I can now while he's still young. I don't have any tips

on traveling with twins - fortunately I only have one and he can fly

for free. The round trip airfare is only $100 and I'm lucky enough

to have family in LA we can stay with on the weekends we visit. I

also work full time and I'm just grateful it's the new year and I

get another 'stock' of PTO time! If you have any other questions,

feel free to email me directly.

Sheila, mom to , 15 months, STARband 3/6-8/6, DOCband 9/6-?

>

> Hi all - I read here alot but haven't posted much lately. My twin

> boys got their Starbands from O & P in St. Louis on 8/17, they wore

> them diligently for the first 3 months. Lately we have had to

take

> a bit more " breaks " because of near raw head rashes on the back

rub

> points in the helmet, but they have still been wearing them about

> 90% of the time. They were both severe brachy, w/ 1.3 cm

> assymetry at 97%, Zach w/ no assymetry at 103%. After nearly 4

> months in the helmets now and about to outgrow them, Jake at their

> last appt, they go again this Friday, so late last month was 94%

> w/ .8 assymetry and Zach was 97% w/ .5 assymetry, he has been

> accumulating about a mm of assymtetry at every adjustment. They

are

> rounding some but I am just not happy with their results. They

were

> 6 months adjusted (6 weeks premature) when they got them so we

> didn't start late. They will be a year old actual on NYE, they

are

> about 10 months adjusted right now and I am worried if we get

> another Starband and stay with the orthotist we are with, we will

be

> less than happy with the final result after a second band. We are

> about 300 miles away from the CT near Chicago and I want to take

> them there instead of getting another Starband, my husband doesn't

> want to go that far. So my questions ladies are these: Anyone

have

> a Starband for their little one then switch to DOC for the same

> reason and did you get better results w/ the DOC? Anyone have to

> travel a good distance to get to a CT and how

> did that work out? How often did you have to go? We both work FT

so

> we will have to take a day off work when they have an appt and it

> will be LONG day. 10-11 hours driving and an hour or 3 at CT. Any

> tips for the trip w/ twin boys? And lastly, is anyone from this

> area using an orthotist w/ O & P or similar that they are/have been

> REALLY happy with? I am aware alot of times it is the orthotist

that

> is the problem with lackluster results and I might be willing to

> continue treatment in a Starband if we can find a well-recommended

> orthotist. And ours is not a newbie either, she has been doing it

> for over 15 years but the results are just not what we feel they

> should be at all. Any help would be most appreciated! Sorry so

> long!!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

We used both Starband and DOCband. I had very serious concerns about the

Starband and

the orthotist fitting my child, all along, but didn't know I had any other

options. Only

when we were finished and the orthotist declared her much improved did I go into

major

panic mode. Her facial assymetry was actually much worse. You'd have to be

blind not to

see it. I'd been pointing out all along that the helmet sideburn was pressing

into the side

of her face.

I rushed her over to CT in Atlanta that was directly across the street from

Children's

Healthcare of Atlanta/Orthotics & Prosthetics, at the time. They were there all

along and I

hadn't even known. (Cranial Tech. has since left Atlanta and I suspect it was

due to

competition from the less expensive and much larger CHOA O & P across the street.)

CHOA

is a comparatively big operation with a lot of orthos and satellite locations

all over Atlanta.

I cried during the initial consult at CT when the ortho described my child

exactly as I saw

her and said she still had severe plagiocephaly. I felt this was the first

honest assessment

I'd ever heard from anyone. We began the DOC at 11 mos old and went for

fittings every 2

weeks. The casting process at CT is different from Starband's computer scan -

some say

it's more old fashioned but I believe the casting leads to a more accurate fit.

We had far better results with the DOC, and our CT ortho was more compassionate

and

much more skilled at fittings. CT is the leader in cranial orthotics.

I had arranged through Angel Flights to fly my child to Charlotte, after CT left

Atlanta last

February, for a 3rd band but my husband said no.

Please go with your gut and good luck with your decision.

in Atlanta

>

> Hi all - I read here alot but haven't posted much lately. My twin

> boys got their Starbands from O & P in St. Louis on 8/17, they wore

> them diligently for the first 3 months. Lately we have had to take

> a bit more " breaks " because of near raw head rashes on the back rub

> points in the helmet, but they have still been wearing them about

> 90% of the time. They were both severe brachy, w/ 1.3 cm

> assymetry at 97%, Zach w/ no assymetry at 103%. After nearly 4

> months in the helmets now and about to outgrow them, Jake at their

> last appt, they go again this Friday, so late last month was 94%

> w/ .8 assymetry and Zach was 97% w/ .5 assymetry, he has been

> accumulating about a mm of assymtetry at every adjustment. They are

> rounding some but I am just not happy with their results. They were

> 6 months adjusted (6 weeks premature) when they got them so we

> didn't start late. They will be a year old actual on NYE, they are

> about 10 months adjusted right now and I am worried if we get

> another Starband and stay with the orthotist we are with, we will be

> less than happy with the final result after a second band. We are

> about 300 miles away from the CT near Chicago and I want to take

> them there instead of getting another Starband, my husband doesn't

> want to go that far. So my questions ladies are these: Anyone have

> a Starband for their little one then switch to DOC for the same

> reason and did you get better results w/ the DOC? Anyone have to

> travel a good distance to get to a CT and how

> did that work out? How often did you have to go? We both work FT so

> we will have to take a day off work when they have an appt and it

> will be LONG day. 10-11 hours driving and an hour or 3 at CT. Any

> tips for the trip w/ twin boys? And lastly, is anyone from this

> area using an orthotist w/ O & P or similar that they are/have been

> REALLY happy with? I am aware alot of times it is the orthotist that

> is the problem with lackluster results and I might be willing to

> continue treatment in a Starband if we can find a well-recommended

> orthotist. And ours is not a newbie either, she has been doing it

> for over 15 years but the results are just not what we feel they

> should be at all. Any help would be most appreciated! Sorry so

> long!!

>

>

>